i know it's SUPER bad to put sugar in someone's gas tank, but what actually HAPPENS?!?

Question

jeepdriver, put up a link to that specific episode and you'll win.

oops, nvm. looks like racingcowboy beatcha tuit.

Answer 1

Not much. Go to http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

Answer 2

Having a spat with your sweetie, Al? Any sort of gritty substance put into a fuel tank is going to have an adverse effect on the car's performance. Salt and sugar are probably the most effective, since they do not dissolve in the gas. Sand is less effective because it is heavier and will sink to the bottom of the tank. Of course, it depends on how much sand you are funneling in, you delinquent.

Let's use sugar as an example. There are three basic ways that sugar in the gas tank is going to foul up someone's car. First, as you say, it will clog the fuel filter. Second, what gets through the fuel filter will clog the fuel pump. Finally, what makes it through the fuel filter and the fuel pump will completely foul whatever fuel delivery system your car uses. A carburetor that gets sugar in it is junk; you can strip it down and attempt to rebuild it but you likely will fail - it's a gummy, sticky mess. Your fuel injected vehicle will not fare much better when mucked up with the sticky stuff. This sort of vandalism will result in the car hesitating, losing power, and stalling. And repairs will not be cheap - replacing the fuel filter, dropping and draining the fuel tank, possibly a new carburetor or new fuel injectors. The latter two are very expensive, both in parts and labor.

An interesting side note - in the days before unleaded gasoline, fuel tank intake necks did not have flapper valves, and one way of screwing someone who was going on a long trip over was to roll a few golf balls down the neck into the tank. Once inside, the cover would slowly dissolve in the gas tank, leaving the spagetti-like fine string that wraps the core of a ball to unravel and clog the fuel filter. Now, if you REALLY want to put someone out of commission, sand in the oil fill tube is the ticket. Once the sand gets sucked up by the oil pump, it will score the pistons and the chambers and make the engine scrap. I do not advocate or recommend doing this, as it is extremely illegal and you probably don't want to go to jail. But then again, I don't know you. Here's hoping your interest in this is strictly academic.

Answer 3

Sugar is a polar, water soluble compound that does not dissolve in gasoline. If you go back 40 or 50 years, cars did not always have a filter or screen in the gas tank and had mechanical, not electric, fuel pumps; therefore, sugar particles could make it to the fuel pump, and maybe to the carburator, where they could plug the jets. In modern cars, fuel tanks have a screen to protect an electric fuel pump and a fuel filter somewhere before the injectors. The worst thing that could happen if you poured, say, 5 pounds of sugar into a gas tank would be that the crystals would collect thickly enough on the bottom of the tank to occlude the fuel line and slow or stop the flow of gas. Simply rinsing out the tank would repair it. No damage to the engine would take place.

Answer 4

The sugar sinks to the bottom of the gas tank, close to the fuel pump and literaly GUMS UP THE WORKS!
Very few mechanics know how to clean a gas tank thoroughly.
It is very expensive to rectify the problem. Some people have to buy whole new cars, You are right. It is SUPER BAD.

Answer 5

It really isnt that bad. It leaves some residue on the pistons and such. But unless the car is going to sit for a long time sugar is not that bad in gasoline.It seldom disables a car.

Answer 6

On the TV show, Mythbusters, it did NOTHING to the car.I would think it would plug up the fuel filter and maybe mess up the fuel pump.

Answer 7

It turns into a sludge and clogs up the fuel pump.

Answer 8

I heard it really messes with $hit,like to the point where you have to buy a new gas tank thingy ma bob.

Answer 9

The sugar gets hot and caramelizes, then it plugs up the pipes and hoses

Answer 10

get a can of pepsi, pour it into a cup. pour salt into the cup. observe. same effect. dont think you'd want that to go on in your fuel tank now would you? :)

Answer 11

It clogs the fuel system up