# Why is my unopened16.9 oz bottle of Diet Pepsi compressed and won't open? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856 "2021-09-18T03:18:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/1 "2021-09-18T03:18:51Z")
Also the cap appears to be installed slightly crooked. It looks like too much air was sucked out when it was sealed – the liquid goes all the way up to the bottom of the cap, and the sides are compressed. I can’t turn the cap at all, at least not by hand. Is it going to explode if I do manage to open it? I thought about trying to poke a hole in the cap to relieve the vacuum pressure, is that a bad idea? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/2 "2021-09-18T03:21:59Z")
Have you considered selling it on eBay as a rarity? I wouldn’t mess with it. Toss, or return for a refund. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/3 "2021-09-18T13:42:33Z")
My guess? The cap is crooked. You can’t get the cap off because the cap is crooked, resulting in it being jammed. And it doesn’t have an air gap because at some point the bottle was squeezed, forcing the air and some liquid out, because the crooked cap didn’t form a tight enough seal to prevent that like it normally would. They don’t “suck out” the air before a pop bottle is sealed; they just fill it up the appropriate amount with liquid, almost all the way, before sealing it. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/4 "2021-09-18T13:52:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The cap is crooked. You can’t get the cap off because the cap is crooked, resulting in it being jammed. Cross threaded. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/5 "2021-09-19T06:49:22Z")
Do you know how it was compressed? Try using WinZip or PKUnzip. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/6 "2021-09-19T15:45:53Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Do you know how it was compressed? 7UpZip. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/7 "2021-09-20T00:30:01Z")
I had a similar problem once, several years ago (before the Goya controversy) with a bottle of Goya extra virgin olive oil. It just would. not. open. I called their customer service number and got a coupon for a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-unopened16-9-oz-bottle-of-diet-pepsi-compressed-and-wont-open/950856/8 "2021-09-20T11:57:35Z")
Has no one commented on the fact that it is under vacuum indicates it is not carbonated? We recently purchased several sodas using Amazon, and noted that on at least 3 cases, the soda’s tasted ‘off’, as in no flavor. And one 8 pack of plastic bottles were not only unflavored but un carbonated as well. They were not rigid but you could ‘squish’ the bottles by hand.