Sugar in the gas tank

['96GAGT]

Well im hoping someone will have the solution for this problem I'm having. My girlfriend has a 1995 Grand Prix. It's not a GTP or anything special like that. It's got the 3100 V6 Just like my Grand AM had. Someone has apparently put in pancake syrup in the gas tank. She drove the car as I was told and she said it died out. So it has reached the engine but it wasn't driven after that. She tried to start it a few times but it's been sitting in below freezing weather since December sometime and we discovered it today. My question is here what would be a good solution for this? My thoughts were to wait for warmer weather drop the tank down and clean it out and try and flush out the fuel system. Has anyone ever heard of this happening and actually being able to recover they're vehicle from it? Any ideas? Other than taking it to a mechanic because god knows how much they're going to charge to fix the damn thing.

[Deggy Fresh]

Usually once the sugar or substance that shouldn't be in the gas reaches the engine you are pretty much screwed. Someone put sugar in my ex-girlfriends dad's van and it pretty much was done for after the sugar got to the injectors.

Their might be a way to fix this....idk

Idk what it is with people loving to mess with peoples cars. My car(s) are my pride and joy. I wish I could just destroy something someone else loves. This didn't even happen to me but it really gets me steamed. All 4 of my prev cars including my GAGT have been messed with i.e. paintballed, broken into, egged, shrink wrapped, someone thru a milkshake at my grand am. I just don't get some people.

[Gagt518]

Ohh man sorry to hear that Budd :(

[bdlitzne]

What makes you think someone put something in the tank?

Bern

Well im hoping someone will have the solution for this problem I'm having. My girlfriend has a 1995 Grand Prix. It's not a GTP or anything special like that. It's got the 3100 V6 Just like my Grand AM had. Someone has apparently put in pancake syrup in the gas tank. She drove the car as I was told and she said it died out. So it has reached the engine but it wasn't driven after that. She tried to start it a few times but it's been sitting in below freezing weather since December sometime and we discovered it today. My question is here what would be a good solution for this? My thoughts were to wait for warmer weather drop the tank down and clean it out and try and flush out the fuel system. Has anyone ever heard of this happening and actually being able to recover they're vehicle from it? Any ideas? Other than taking it to a mechanic because god knows how much they're going to charge to fix the damn thing.

[KhellendrosXS]

Whatever you end up doing Id suggest investing in a $4 locking gas cap from NAPA/Wally World/Checkers/etc. so this sort of thing doesnt happen again.

[Deggy Fresh]

What makes you think someone put something in the tank?

Bern

My guess is that the person who did this left some syrup drip on the gas door or onto the car. A simple sniff would determine something was done. I knew someone put sugar in my ex's fathers van due to the fact there was sugar all over the ground around ground around the gas door.

[tenspeed]

Mythbusters tried to kill a engine by mixing sugar with the gas. They couldn't. The sugar is carbon based and supported combustion.

Now pancake syrup might be a different matter. If it got to the fuel pump sock or filter, it might clog it. Try checking for fuel flow first.

If you have flow, I would pour in a half gallon of rubbing alcohol. It mixes with the water in the syrup and allows it to burn off. Same stuff as gasoline anti-freeze.

There is the possibility that something else is wrong with the engine. See if it fires using starter fluid. That will tell you if it a fuel or a electrical problem.

Good luck!

[Ryan625]

This makes me want to get a locking gas cap now. I just don't wanna carry around a key to it. :( Sorry to hear about your incident. There's some sick minded people in this world that do that.

[RazorDX]

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

[Blackhawk]

When it's warmer check the sock and the fuel filter, they may be clogged.
Off topic but the best way to mess with somebody without doing anything illegal is to just sprinkle sugar around the ground near their gas door, nothing more.

['96GAGT]

It was syrup I checked the gas door and around the hole on the inside. The car ran FINE before this happened.. weve got a good idea on what we should to do help clean this sucker up.. wondering what I should do if its got it in the injectors..

[Nighthawk243]

Could be possible it just gummed up the fuel pump, thus cutting the fuel flow.

[ssracer]

That sucks. Locking gas caps are cheap insurance against this juvenile crap. Best solution would be to find out who did it and beat them within an inch of their life.

[Jaber]

Problem with locking gas cap = During winter, the keyhole can freeze. Or someone can jam super glue in there. Locking YOU out lol..

[bdlitzne]

I've only had mine freeze once on my Beretta (94 and still going). Used a heat gun to thaw it. (I was at work). You shouldnt have to go to such measures but alot of people today have no moral values.
Bern

Problem with locking gas cap = During winter, the keyhole can freeze. Or someone can jam super glue in there. Locking YOU out lol..

[RazorDX]

If you know it's going to be cold and wet you could put a ziploc back over your gas cap, but I have never had that problem. I've got locking caps on both GAs, the Cavalier, and the Blazer.

[arthurgoboom]

x2 for checking for fuel flow/pressure at the fuel test port on the rail. This might be an overkill procedure, but if no pressure, I would drop the tank and drain out whatever is in there, then take the fuel filter off and take compressed air and blow into the fuel line going up to the engine, and let the air blow the fuel lines/rail dry (everything will come out of the disconnected tank return line). You'll have to have 50-60psi of air at a minimum, the regulator will hold back up to ~48psi. Then take some rubbing alcohol (90+% pure variety, not the 50/50 water mix) and find a way to squirt some into the fuel line and use the compressed air to blow the alcohol through the fuel system to wash it out. You might let the return line go into a container so you can see how clean it comes out, keep doing it until it's fairly clean. After you get it clean you'll want to spray some fresh gas into the line and circulate it to re-lubricate the diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator, alcohol can tend to dry out rubber parts, especially if allowed to get completely dry.

After washing out the tank and cleaning the screen and such, I'd try testing the pump on the bench before reinstalling it. Put the pump assembly back in the clean tank, and put a gallon or two of fresh gas in the tank. You will have to use a couple jumper wires connected to the pins in the plugin going to the pump, you'd have to consult a service manual to find out which wires go to positive and ground, and which are for the gauge sender. Be sure to connect the wires at the plugin first, then run your leads WELL away from the tank to your battery or charger and connect them there last, so the little spark is away from the fuel tank. Remember, sparks make fuel vapors ignite, ventilation is your friend. Run the output line from the tank into a container to see if there is any trash in there coming out of the pump. Make sure the pump will pump fuel effectively before you go through the hassle of reinstalling the tank in the car.

Also, I also vote for putting some rubbing alcohol in with the fuel you put in the tank when you put it back in the car. Hopefully any gum that's in the injectors will get dissolved by the alcohol. BTW, if you know anyone that drag races or tractor pulls or etc that uses methanol as a fuel, this is probably much cheaper than buying alcohol from a pharmacy, my VP dealer sells it to me for ~$3.50/gal. It's higher purity and would be a better solvent if you can get your hands on it.

This is probably all overkill, but that's just how I roll. Good luck!

[ChevelleSSLS6]

When it's warmer check the sock and the fuel filter, they may be clogged.
Off topic but the best way to mess with somebody without doing anything illegal is to just sprinkle sugar around the ground near their gas door, nothing more.

remove schrader valves from tires, to avoid any charges about stealing schrader valves, set them on the windshield wiper.

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that aside, I wish you luck in fixing it. I think it just gummed stuff up. Nab some injectors for a little coin at the pick-a-part if need be.