Have you ever wondered what year cars can you siphon gas from?
Perhaps you are looking to move gasoline from the gas tank of your car and into a gas can without any complex techniques. This is definitely all about liquid cohesion, air pressure, and gravity.
But before you can do this, there are certain pointers to consider. You need to make sure that your car is built in a way to make this possible. This is why it is good to know the answer to this question – what year did anti-siphon devices appear in cars?
And another follow-up question to that is this – how can you siphon gas from cars that are built at a later year.
These – and more – are what we will cover today in this article, so keep reading!
What Year Cars Can You Siphon Gas From
Basically, anti-siphon devices first appeared in cars some time around late 1980s to early 1990s.
This device is intended to prevent fuel siphoning. It is adapted as a permanent installation, placed in a fuel tank’s intake pipe. There is an hourglass-shaped coiled spring mounted and held in place by a three-prong tube case.
When installed, the device housing’s bottom end of the spring is then placed in a way that a good portion of this spring rests below the filler pipe’s end. Then, it projects in a downward motion right into the fuel reservoir. This way, it prevents a quick entry of fuel into the reservoir and prohibits an attempt for removing fuel through the insertion of a tool such as a siphoning tube or hose.
Siphoning Gas From Cars
When it comes to siphoning gas from older cars, you can do so by inserting your hose into a gas tank. Then, you need to place the other end in your fuel can situated at a lower height than your fuel tank.
The air pressure in your reservoir will force any standing liquid or fuel into the hose, which will then flow through smoothly to the other end. Thus, the liquid can flow cohesively. This flow of gas will continue as a result of a suction action and the fuel’s natural cohesive nature.
You can also speed the process up with a pup, which generates a suction on the hose’s exiting end to let the gas flow faster.
However, newer models of cars have anti-siphoning devices that prevent back-flow, tank pressure, while at the same time preventing the siphoning of gas. This is why you can no longer apply traditional siphoning techniques and tools. These may only cause damage to your vehicle.
Thus, you will need a hose and modern pump that comes with a very small diameter. As for the principle of siphoning gas, it still applies with newer vehicles.
If you find yourself in a tough situation where you can’t get gas from a pumping fuel, or you are unable to contact your car service company, then siphoning gas from a car is a handy skill to have. You can then use your siphoned gas to power up your generator or add more fuel to your vehicle during an emergency.
With older cars, these are not equipped with anti-theft devices, which makes it easy to siphon fuel from these vehicles.
But with newer ones beginning the 1990s and onward, gas tanks have flaps installed on them, which is why removing the hose is a tricky ordeal.
Here are the steps on how to siphon gas from an older vehicle:
1. Open the door to the fuel reservoir.
You may either use the back of your hammer’s claw or a crowbar to do this. It is a matter of opening the fuel door with the right amount of force to pry it open.
2. Push the flap aside over the filler pipe.
Many fuel pipes – if not all – come with a metal flap positioned over them. This flap lets you insert a hose inside. However, it will jam once you remove your siphon hose. You can use a screwdriver or any tool that is skinny and long to bypass this issue. Push the flap with your screwdriver and keep it open.
3. Start siphoning the gas.
Once you have it all done, stick your siphon hose into the fuel tank while placing the other end into your fuel can. Be sure to put the correct side of your hose into the tank since this is a one-way device, so you don’t want to get this step wrong.
No matter what happens, we do not recommend using the old – and dangerous – method of using your mouth to siphon gas. It is a very risky move that can put you in grave danger of getting a massive amount of gasoline into your mouth. Use a siphon hose instead to stay on the safe side.
Bypassing An Anti-Siphon Device
Let’s say you have a newer vehicle with an anti-siphon device installed. In this case, the previous steps will not apply to you. Instead, here are the things you can do:
1. Park the vehicle on a slope.
Cars with an anti-siphon screen without a rollover valve make it easier for you to siphon gas with this technique. The screen is often far down the next of your fuel filler pipe, which is why parking on a very steep slope puts the filler in a downhill position. This will allow your siphon hose to get some of the gas and siphon it out.
2. Tamper with the anti-siphon screen.
Another possible technique is by breaking through the car’s anti-siphon screen. It is not the best technique since you may end up clogging the fuel outlet in case a piece of the screen gets into the tank.
But if you decide to do this, you need a sharp and long object to puncture the screen. Just be sure it is not a tool made of metal since a spark may be produced accidentally which can lead into a big fire.
So, opt for a copper tool because of its high conductivity that prevents sparks from being produced. You can make some kind of a copper ring and then solder this to create a copper pipe. Afterwards, feed this into your fuel filler tank and break the screen by using the ring.
3. Drain fuel by disconnecting the fuel line.
First, locate your fuel line and disconnect it. Attach the hose to the fuel line’s end and place the other end into your gas can.
Turn on your car, and this will allow the gas to flow right into the canister through the tank. Keep turning the engine on and off to ensure a continuous flow of the gas.
But if you are unable to turn the car on, you may jump the relay terminals of the fuel pump. If you have a jumper, you can do this with the car’s engine turned off.
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Final Words
Overall, siphoning gas from an older car is more straight-forward and easier as doing it on a newer car. There are also dangers involved, which can be tricky. So, it is always a good idea to exercise caution or have a stockpile fuel to prevent yourself from getting into this situation.