I heard on the radio that some places are sold out on locking gas caps. I suppose due to the rise of gas theft.
I mentioned locking gas caps to a mechanic. To my surprise, he said that most vehicles don't need a locking gas cap due to the presence of a check ball that makes siphoning very difficult.
True?? If so, people could be just wasting their money on locking gas caps.
In addition, he said that if the gas tank needs to be drained for service work, it's done from underneath the vehicle.
Later on, I wish I asked if thefts can unbolt the gas tank and run off with it!
Don't most cars made in the last 20 years have filler doors that lock automatically when you lock the car?
Best regards, Spehro Pefhany
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Some do, some don't... although I'd guess it's greater than half that do. (Honda Civics do but Honda Fits don't, for instance.)
I once worked on an old Ford Crown Victoria, and having taken out the gas tank, I'm quite certain there's no way to drain it "from the bottom" -- there was only one opening, and it was most definitely on top. Conceivably a thief could steal its gas tank... there were just two large metal straps holding it to the undercarriage, so undoing the bolts securing the straps (and getting the filler tube out of the way... I seem to recall that it wasn't exactly obvious the first time I did this, although quite easy once you had everything apart once and could see how it all went together) and you'd be set. Of course, with a full tank of gas, you'd be talking well over 100lbs. as well, so there's definitely some danger involved. (Plus you first have to jack up the rear of the car to get under it in the first place...)
Seems to me siphoning is far easier. ... I don't know if there's a check ball in modern cars, though.
They're trivial to pry open, they're just simple sheet metal.
...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
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I hope some cop with a little free time on his hands tracked her down and busted her.
I love the logic -- "the gas station owners make their money on the food inside, so go in and buy something -- it's really the only polite thing to do" ... so somehow stealing gasoline only impacts the "not very nice" oil companies. Oh, and stealing gasoline is "a protest against the high price of gas." Um, yeah, right... I don't think she ever took economics in school...
Spehro Pefhany wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
That's what makes locking gas caps so damn silly. By the time the creeps get to the cap, they've already done hundreds of dollars of damage in body work.
yeah....Dropping a ~100 lb tank full of gas is probably a toughy for thieves.
On this video "How to Siphon Gas from a Newer Vehicle"
formatting link
These guys mentioned a filter block. By design, I can believe a filter (or grill) exists to block debris from getting into the gas tank via the filling point.
I didn't ask the mechanic what the check ball is for and how it makes siphoning difficult. I'm guessing a secondary safety feature to prevent gas from pouring out if the car is overturned without a gas cap. Perhaps something to do with pressure in the tank.. I'll wait till my next visit to the mechanic to find out.
I have an old Jeep I use for towing toys. No inside lever to unlock. Whenever I am traveling, it gets hit. I suspect the neighbor's kid. What this guy wants is a regular source from which he can get 5 gallons or so. Not enough to be noticed (but it is). And certainly not worth damaging the vehicle and drawing attention to his presence.
I did buy a locking cap for it earlier in the week, but have considered taking it off and going back to my original plan which is to connect a magnetic reed switch to the panic button on my spare door fob and put a rare earth magnet on the door latch. Open the door and the alarm sounds.
What I really would like is the exploding dye packs. One has to be careful that one does not create a dead fall situation however.
Security is like a set of stairs. You only raise the amount of effort needed to get to the next step. If someone is determined enough, they will conquer all the steps.
You need a second gas tank for your use, then leave the old filler and tank, filled with contaminated fuel. Like a couple pounds of mothballs to blow the engine in whatever he uses the stolen gasoline.
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How about a fuel theft alarm?? Current car alarms with vibration sensors may not be sensitive enough to trip if someone is drilling into a plastic gas tank. When the ignition is off, fuel level is monitored for sudden change by the alarm system. That could be mega$$$ project.
According to one site: " Mothballs increase octane. Believe it or not, this was once true. During World War II, naphthalene was the active ingredient in mothballs and octane ratings of gasoline were 60 to 80. Since naphthalene?s blending motor octane number is 90, mothballs could increase the fuel?s octane rating.
Today, though, modern mothballs contain para-dichlorobenzene (try saying that five times fast!) rather than naphthalene, but the latter is making a comeback due to toxicity concerns of the former. But considering the higher octane levels of today?s gasoline and the fact that naphthalene has a high melting point and can block jets and filters, mothballs are best kept in the closet. "
Also...
"Sugar in the gas tank will blow it up. The jerk who thought this one up assumed the sugar would melt, ooze into every nook and cranny of the engine and solidify once the engine was turned off and cooled down. Think giant candy mold. Wrong. Back in 1994, researchers at Berkeley figured out sugar doesn?t dissolve in gasoline. Oops. Sugar in the gas tank can play havoc with your fuel filter or require the gas tank be pulled and cleaned, but destroy the engine. Nope."
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| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
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| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Liberalism is a persistent vegetative state
Where is the fun in that? No explosion, no flames, no flying shrapnel, and the perp can try it on another vehicle.
As far as a locking gas cap, I used to park my stepvan about six inches from the side of the house, blocking access to the gas cap, and the tank.
No, but sugar can dissolve in the water trapped at the bottom of the gas tank, and if the fuel level gets low enough it will be sucked into the fuel pump, filter and jets. Adding a couple gallons of water can make it more likely to happen, because the gas gauge will indicate you still have enough gasoline left for a few more days, or to get to the next town.
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If that is too much trouble, get a half dozen M-72 LAW and wait for them to reach for the gas cap. Then eliminate their getaway vehicle.
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Even worse, here they're punching holes in the tanks and draining the gas into a pan. Not only do you lose $50 worth of gas, but chance a fire, AND get a $500 repair bill.
The best protection is a garage door that can be locked.
...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
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| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
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Liberalism is a persistent vegetative state
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