How to syphon petrol from a car?

MadCow809

Forum Addict
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
6,375
Same as topic.

I'm asking this question for my cousin, since he is living in Angola and dying to get some petrol for his generator (LOL, 3rd world country).

Getting petrol from the garage pump is out of the question, since the staff at the garage are not allowed to sell petrol to anyone with a container (cos some idiots will add water to the petrol and sell it to make profit).

So, out of options, my cousin tried to syphon all the petrol out from his car but found out that there is an anti-syphon flap to stop ppl from stealing your petrol (no duh).

Anyone want to suggest an easy and painless way to syphon petrol out from a modern car car with a fuel flap? Thanks in advance.
 
Jam a small screwdriver into the flap next to the hose to hold the flap open.
 
Hm.. Just checked with him on Skype. He said its not the fuel flap that's blocking him from syphoning. He has no trouble sticking the hose in the tank, but it gets jammed like half way.

I'll get him to post a picture of something if possible..... Internet is really unstable in Angola : p
 
Last edited:
Use a sturdy garden hose, cut it to about 5 feet in length.

Then it's just a matter of sucking the fuel to the end of the hose and lowering it down below the place that you are syphoning from.

(can you tell I've done this before :mrgreen:)
 
There might be one of those springy things to prevent syphoning.

Most reasonably modern cars make it very difficult to syphon fuel as a by-product of keeping fuel in a car if it turns over.

Try a small diameter hose...like 1/4". A garden hose would be way too large.

Even better than sucking on the hose and risk getting a mouth full of petrol? Put in TWO hoses, seal the fuel filler by jamming a rag in it, and blow into one of the hoses. Fuel should come out the other hose.
 
Last edited:
On efi cars i take the return line off the fpr and put another long hose on... start the engine and the fuel pump does all the work for you. No need to suck petrol.
 
take out your back seat, as well as the carpet

there should be a plate there with underneath the fuell pump. take both out...
 
On efi cars i take the return line off the fpr and put another long hose on... start the engine and the fuel pump does all the work for you. No need to suck petrol.

Many cars also have some way in the diagnostic connectors to turn on the fuel pump with the car off.

Though your way doesn't sound to shabby either ;)
 
Just confirmed with my cousin, it's a Toyota RAV4.

But it's really not helping much, since he doesn't know much about cars. But I believe it should be pretty straight forward, no?

Thanks for all the help, I'll ask him if he has managed to solve the problem or not.
 
As far as I know all tanks have drain plugs. I'd look to see if it has a drainplug foremost and just drain whatever is needed into a pan and voila. Tighten it up and you're good to go.
 
Take a lesson from Otto on the Simpsons: eat the mint after syphoning the fuel.
 
Use a sturdy garden hose, cut it to about 5 feet in length.

Then it's just a matter of sucking the fuel to the end of the hose and lowering it down below the place that you are syphoning from.

(can you tell I've done this before :mrgreen:)

if tried this before as well, but i realy couldn't suck up/inhale those petrol fumes.
 
As far as I know all tanks have drain plugs. I'd look to see if it has a drainplug foremost and just drain whatever is needed into a pan and voila. Tighten it up and you're good to go.

I have never seen a modern car with any kind of drain on the fuel tank.
 
Top