Running out of gas is a huge inconvenience. No driver wants to be left stranded with an empty tank and no gas station in sight. However, if you happen to have another vehicle with gas in the tank or you are traveling with a friend in another car, it is possible to take gas from one vehicle and put it into another. The question is how to siphon gas out of a newer car.
Siphoning gas is not an overly complicated process but it can be dangerous. It has become more difficult over the years due to many modern cars having a rollover valve or anti-siphon screen, preventing fuel from coming out of the tank in a crash. Due to the risks to your safety, you should only siphon gas if you are in an emergency situation and have no other option.
In this article, we share how to siphon gas out of a newer car and we have the answers to many frequently asked questions about siphoning gas from a car.
Siphoning gas from a car without any machinery is possible, thanks to gravity. The science of siphoning is fairly straightforward. To siphon gas from a car you will need a long hose or flexible piece of tubing. To remove the gas from the tank you will need to insert the hose into the tank, via the gas cap on the side of the car.
Once the siphon is inserted you now need to place the other end into a gas can, this must be positioned lower than the height of the car gas tank. This is where gravity and the nature of liquids come into play. Air pressure inside the gas tank will begin to force the fuel into the hose. Once the fuel enters into the hose, gravity will pull it out of the tank and into your waiting gas can or container. The gas will now continuously flow from the tank due to the cohesive nature of liquids.
If you want to speed up the process, you will need to create suction to change the air pressure in the fuel tank. To do this you can either use your mouth, your finger, or a specifically designed siphoning pump.
You’ve probably seen people in movies siphoning gas with their mouths. Whilst this is a quick way to create suction, swallowing gasoline can be dangerous. A safer alternative is to place your finger over the exiting end of the hose and lift your finger up and down – like your foot on a pump.
The easiest way to create the suction necessary to quickly siphon gas from a car is to use a siphoning pump. Attach the pump to the end of the hose that is coming out of the car and pump until you see the gas flowing towards you. Once the gas is moving you can stop pumping and let gravity do its job.
Siphoning gas from another person’s vehicle is a criminal offense. As siphoning gas is theft, those that carry out this action can end up having to pay a fine or even serving jail time.
However, if you need to siphon gas from your own vehicle for your generator at home, your lawnmower or to help a friend out in an emergency, this is not a crime. If consent is given to siphon gas or you are just swapping gas from one of your vehicles to another, you are not about to end up in prison for doing so.
Siphoning gas from a car used to be an easy process, all you needed to do was push your hose down into the gas tank and there was nothing to get in your way. As the years have passed, many newer cars have a rollover valve or anti-siphon mesh installed, blocking the entrance into the fuel tank.
The rollover valve prevents pressure from building up inside the car fuel tank during normal operation. The valve enables vapor and pressure to escape from the fuel tank when any changes in temperature may occur – essentially, the rollover valve helps the tank to breathe. Another important function of the rollover valve is to prevent any fuel from escaping the tank if the car were to roll over in a collision.
Siphoning gas from newer cars is more difficult, however, it is not impossible.
If you have a newer car and need to siphon gas out of the fuel tank, here is a step-by-step guide:
Siphoning gas from a car with an anti-siphon device can be difficult, especially if you are trying to use the more traditional siphoning methods. To bypass the rollover valve when siphoning gas you just need to follow the steps we have shared in this article. You can bypass an anti-siphon device, but you will need a much narrower hose and a little more patience.
Siphoning gas from another person’s vehicle is a criminal offense in all 50 states and can land you with a fine, court proceedings, or even jail time. Siphoning gas can also put your health at risk. Accidentally swallowing gas can lead to aspiration, this is when fluid gets into the lungs. Aspiration can cause pneumonia and, in serious cases, can lead to a coma or death
It can be difficult to know for sure if someone is siphoning gas from your vehicle. However, if you monitor your gas levels closely after each journey, you will be more aware if your gas tank is emptying quicker than it should be. There may also be damage to your gas cap if someone has been siphoning gas, you may notice scratches and dents where thieves have tried to open a locking gas cap, for example.
Siphoning is the easiest and most effective method of draining gas from a car fuel tank. If you do not have all the equipment necessary to siphon gas, you can try draining the fuel tank from beneath the car, rather than through the gas cap. However, this method of draining gas will not work on all car models. You will need to get below your car and locate the fuel tank, it is a large metal container on the same side of the car as your gas cap, where you put the fuel in.
Using a wrench or spanner, you will need to release the small bolt beneath the fuel tank, this is the plug. Make sure you have placed a big enough container under the plug to catch the gas. Reinserting the bolt will be extremely difficult to do while the gas is draining out, so only use this method if you are happy to remove all of the gas from your fuel tank. If you don’t have a siphon, you can make your own using a garden hose or other long piece of flexible tubing.
If a thief tries to siphon gas from your car, they may be costing you more than just the price of another tank of gas. Thieves often use force to break into lockable gas caps and your car may have scratches and dents where they have tried to force their way in. Once a gas cap has been damaged it may not close completely and the locking mechanism may be permanently damaged.
The act of removing gas from your own car using a siphon should not cause any damage, you are simply removing gas directly from the fuel tank. The main risks to your car are potentially damaging the gas cap when inserting and removing the siphoning hose.
Siphoning gas from someone else’s vehicle is illegal. If your gas tank is unexpectedly empty, it is likely a thief has siphoned your gas. To prevent this from happening you should have a locking gas cap installed on your car. Although gas can be siphoned from newer cars, it is more difficult so you may need to consider upgrading to a newer car with an anti-siphon / rollover valve. If you notice any suspicious behavior around your car or other parked cars, you should call 911.
Knowing how to safely siphon gas from a newer car is a valuable skill and may just help you out in an emergency situation. Siphoning gas may no longer be as easy as weaving a hose down into a fuel tank but it is still possible to siphon gas out of newer cars.
We have shared an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide on how to siphon fuel from newer cars. If you ever find yourself in desperate need of gas, we hope this article helps you to successfully siphon the gas from your car.
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