A few weeks ago, a blizzard knocked out our power.
I decided to fire up the generator, just to make sure it was working. It’s a small one, not hard-wired into the house but rather to be used to run the fridge, freezer, and especially the furnace if necessary. The power outage didn’t call for actually running those things yet, but I wanted to be ready, in case it lasted.
The generator ran fine, but I noted it only had about 2 cups of gasoline. And my cannisters were empty. But no problem, I thought. Both vehicles, a 2000 Lexus ES 300 and a 2010 Hyundai Tucson had nearly full tanks. I’d just siphon some out and there’d be no problem.
Except neither tank could be siphoned! I could slide the siphon tube down all the way, but no matter how I rotated or jimmied the tubing, it would not draw liquid. I could always pull back air, but no gasoline. I was later told most cars now have anti-siphon devices in them.
So, any easy way to get around this? If we do need long-term generator power in the future, chances are the local gas stations will be out of power too, or that we’ll be pinned down by a blizzard. I only keep about 6-8 gallons on hand in small containers in the best of times, so being able to access my auto’s supply of gas would be ideal.
What kind of a hose were you using? What was the outside diameter? A typical garden hose would probably be difficult if even possible to use. I’d recommend keeping a hose with an OD of about 3/8 to 1/2 inch. Fuel line grade. Probably 8 feet and hopefully clear so you can see when you’ve got fuel coming your way.
Get a battery powered drill motor and a small siphon pump that can be powered by the drill. Don’t suck the fuel out - I’m sure you are aware of the pitfalls with that. You may have to do a little magic to get the hose into the tank, but a smaller hose will fit, I know, I’ve done it. Make sure the hose inside diameter is compatible with the pump you buy. That should work in a pinch and is safe for you and the car.
I’ve no expereince with this at all but why not just store some fuel now, while you are not experiencing issues? It’s not as if generators are super fussy about what they are powered by.
I am not at all knowledgeable about this but I do not think that there is an easy way to get around these things, otherwise there would be no point in them! It’s not usually TECHNICALLY hard to drain your fuel tank if you want to do so, but it’s often very fiddly and requires loads of work - there’s no way I would recommend that as a sane alternative.
Oh, I used proper siphon equipment. At least for a tank without anti-siphon stuff in it. Clear hose of proper diameter, proper way to draw the gas, etc. I want to know how to overcome whatever barriers are installed in these modern cars of mine.
There are different types of anti-siphon devices, and some of them act as check valves also. The only type I can tell you anything about is a little plastic thing sort of like a wagon wheel. Only a hose small enough to pass through the little gaps between the spokes could be used. I’ve heard you can take a metal rod and poke through the spokes to enlarge the hole, but that sounds like a stupid thing to do even if you could. The fuel pump is located on the underside of some cars and you could disconnect one side of that to let fuel out. Often the meter is on top of the tank under the trunk, and there will be an access plate for that.
Often it’s easiest to get under the vehicle and disconnect a fuel line then let it drain into a container. Of course it’s not so easy if the car is in a foot or two of snow.
This may be my best bet, then. The cars are garaged and I have a hydraulic jack.
Guess I should familiarize myself with the specs regarding this for each vehicle so I can not wait until it’s a necessity before having some idea how to do it.
Just so I have a plan B in case everything goes to hell.
Since you’re not in a blizzard now, I’d say investing in another 5 gallon gas can (and filling it up) would be the simplest and safest solution. If you end up with a surplus in the Spring, you can pour it into the car or use it for lawn tools.
You can keep some extra filled gas cans on hand, but you should add stabilizer to them to keep the fuel fresh.
It may not be feasible though to keep enough gasoline to power a generator through an outage that lasts more than a few days.
We lost power for several days after a “derecho” (severe T-storm line) barreled through this past summer, followed by a bad heat wave. I got pretty tired of keeping gas cans and generator filled, though it’s a lot easier doing this in summer than in the dead of winter.
I did read your OP. You weren’t speaking of a current emergency, therefore my recommendation to just store some petrol now is a perfectly reasonable one. And I have experience with draining fuel tanks and know perfectly well that it can be very hard. You will note my advice is exactly the same as everyone else is giving, except in that they are not going to the trouble to specifically point out their ignorance of siphning.
Stay out of the underside of the car. You can tap in under the hood at your fuel pump test port. This is a Schroeder valve and can be purchased at most auto part stores.
This, http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Actron-Pro-fuel-tester-kit//N-25eb?itemIdentifier=721680_0_0
Is a test kit but a length of hose and the connection Schroeder fitting and then just turn on the ignition.
When storing emergency fuel I would suggest Non-Oxygenated fuel only and add stabilizer to it.
I was also going to suggest getting the gas out from under the hood using the pump. Some cars don’t have the handy-dandy schrader valve test port, so you can just undo the fuel line. What you can do to make this really easy is grab a quick connect fitting that’s the same as the one on the fuel rail and then plumb it onto a long hose. Even if your car does have the test port, hooking into the line might flow faster.
Getting it from under the hood is the kind of solution I’m looking for. That way I can ensure a larger supply if the outage outstrips my reserves on hand. Without trying to wedge myself under my vehicles.
Yeah, that’s the kind of thing to take care of in advance, and add a valve. It can be difficult to get at the fuel pump in some cars when it’s under the hood, no different than crawling under the car, or maybe even accessible only from underneath anyway (though I don’t recall a car like specifically). And while keeping some extra gas in cans is easy and convenient, the fresher gas will be in your cars.
Have you checked the specs of your car? If you can. Just mentioning as they might indicate whether or not there is an anti-siphoning gizmo in the tank. Also… try blowing into the tube, obviously if you don’t get bubbles you’re not going to get gas.
While you’re at the store picking up a quick connect fitting for the underhood fuel line, you might consider also picking up a large fire extinguisher rated for flammable liquids too, just in case. If you can’t get to a gas station it’ll probably be difficult getting to emergency care too. 'Course being the good doctor, you’ve probably planned for that contingency already.
One hitch to your otherwise excellent plan is that the same valve that stymies would-be gas thieves also prevents gas from flowing out of the tank in case of a rollover.
And, yeah, I should have mentioned that with either of the underhood schemes, be sure to relieve the fuel pressure before you unhook anything or tap into the test port.
