Although siphoning gas is typically associated with criminal activity, there are many legitimate reasons to learn this skill. This article will teach you how to safely siphon gas from a gas tank using a basic tool.
Quick Guide to Siphon Gas
- Remove the car’s gas cap, then insert a portion of your hose into the tank.
- Get your container ready to fill by opening it.
- Suck on the hose’s end like a straw, and wait for the fuel to start flowing toward your mouth if it’s a clear hose.
- As soon as fuel enters your mouth, transfer the hose end from your mouth to the container.
- Rinse your mouth out with fresh water right away and spit out any leftover fuel.
- To continue siphoning, keep the container below the level of the fuel tank.
Before You Begin
Before learning how to siphon gas, it’s critical to keep in mind that it is unlawful to remove gas from a vehicle that is not your own without permission. This manual is only meant to assist do-it-yourselfers in siphoning gasoline from their own vehicles and machinery.
Never try to siphon gas without the proper equipment. There are ways to siphon gas without using a pump, but these techniques require creating suction by blowing into or sucking on the gas siphon hose, which is extremely dangerous. By siphoning with your mouth, you run the risk of inhaling gasoline fumes or even ingesting it, which can result in nausea, vomiting, headaches, and other unpleasant side effects. The only technique discussed below, using a siphon pump, is by far the safest way to siphon gas.
How to Syphon Gas?
You have a choice of three fundamental ways to siphon gas: using air pressure, a pump, or your mouth. One of the most fundamental techniques you can use to complete the task is understanding how to siphon gas with a hose.
STEP 1: Buy a Siphon Pump.
You’ll need a gas siphoning kit, a straightforward device that costs around $10 and can be bought at any auto parts store, in order to siphon gas from a gas tank. Using a bulb, plunger mechanism, or small electric motor, a fuel siphon pump generates the suction required to start the siphoning process.
STEP 2: Set Up the Tank and Hose.
Put your gas can close to the fuel tank of the machinery on the ground. As gas is sucked from one container to another using gravity, positioning is essential. Siphon pumps have two ends: one that receives the fluid and one that discharges it. Put the fluid-intake end in the gas tank and the other end in the gas can. Place the hose in the gas tank of the apparatus so that it is submerged in the fuel.
STEP 3: Begin Pumping Gas.
To generate the suction required to transfer the gas from the gas tank through the hose, repeatedly squeeze the pump mechanism. Remember that siphon mechanisms differ depending on the pump design. To start the process, you might need to squeeze a rubber bulb or move a plunger. Just a few pumps should trigger the gas to start flowing. Without the need to keep pumping throughout the siphoning process, the vacuum created inside the pump and gravity will move the gas through the line.
STEP 4: Monitor the Pump.
As the gas is transferred from the tank to the gas can, keep an eye on the pump. Lift the tube or the container above the level of the gas tank as the container fills up to stop the siphoning process. Any gas still in the line will drain back into the gas tank if you raise the line above the can’s level. This will reverse the flow. Remove the gas from the gas tank and shut the tank after the gas has finished draining out of the line.
STEP 5: Clean the Pump.
Store your siphon pump in your car in a secure location while siphoning gas while driving. Clean your pump before putting it away once you’ve returned to civilization. Run a water and dish soap solution through the pump’s lines to clean it, and then rinse with fresh water. Before storing the pump, let it completely dry out to ensure there is no water left in the line for future use.
How to Siphon Gas Out of a Car by Using Air Pressure?
You’ll need two 1-inch-diameter lengths of clear plastic tubing or a hose for this. To reach farther inside the tank, one of the hoses ought to be longer than the other. The gas canister where you will store the fuel can be attached to the other end of the hose. Within the tank, the other tube ought to travel a short distance.
Additionally, you will use a piece of rag to seal the tubing as it enters the tank. It is an easy process. To create a high-pressure area inside the tank, you’ll blow into it through the smaller tube. By doing this, the gasoline will begin to pour into the gas can through the longer tube.
Step1– Place the tubes inside the tank to begin with. Ensure that the longer tube is completely submerged inside the tank. Put the empty container directly below the gas tank.
Step 2– With the rag, seal the tubes and the tank’s opening tightly. The pressure can be raised more easily as a result. To increase the sealing’s effectiveness, use a damp cloth.
Step 3– The tank’s pressure must now be increased by blowing air through the shorter tube. Make sure you don’t inhale the deadly gasoline fumes by breathing through your mouth.
Step 4– Breathe in until you see the gas escaping through the longer tube, then continue to do so. Stop blowing once the flow is constant. The remaining work will be completed by gravity and the cohesive forces present in the fluid.
Step 5– By blocking the longer tube with your thumb and lifting it above the tank, you can halt the flow of gas at any time. The remaining gas in the tube will leak back into the gas tank of the vehicle. To reduce air pressure and stop fluid flow, you can also remove the seal.
How to Siphon Fuel by Using a Gas Siphon Pump?
You apply the same principle in this approach. The only distinction is that instead of exhaling, you use a siphon pump to force the gas out. Keep in mind that these pumps are generally called “liquid transfer pumps”.
Step 1– Place the empty gas canister below the fuel tank. The clear tubing should then have one end in the tank and the other in the canister. As one-way devices, these pumps must be installed inside the tank using the proper tubing.
Step 2– Following the manufacturer’s instructions, begin pumping the hand pump. Each pump is made differently, so each brand’s specific procedure may differ.
Step 3– Raising the tubing’s end above the gas tank will stop the flow once the canister is full. The unused fuel should return to the tank through the drain.
Step 4– Make sure to thoroughly clean the tubes and the siphon pump to avoid any clogging from stale gas. If no soap is available, a dry wipe or a rinse should work.
How to Siphon Gas With a Hose by Mouth Suction
Suction or mouth siphoning have already been discussed. Since it is risky, only use it as a very last resort.
Most importantly, never ingest the gas or breathe in the fumes. Take a break and give yourself some time to recover if you start to feel lightheaded.
For this technique, just one inch-diameter piece of clear, transparent hose or tubing is required.
Step 1– Make sure the tube’s open end is deeply buried inside the gas before inserting it into the gas tank. Blow into the tube to check. It is deep enough if you can hear the bubbles.
Step 2– Once the gasoline starts to come out, begin sucking from the tube’s free end. Put your fingers below your mouth to crimp the tube and stop the flow. It all happens very quickly, keep in mind. Therefore, you must exercise caution.
Step 3– Once you can see the gas rising through the tube, crimp it and put the end right into the gas can. The gas will now flow steadily from the siphon hose. The procedure might need to be repeated if bubbles are coming up through the hose. But before you start sucking again, make sure to empty the hose.
How to Siphon Gas from a New Vehicle?
Gas theft has become much more challenging as a result of the fuel system checks that modern automobiles have installed to prevent fuel theft. The best option is to purchase a gasoline siphon kit as part of your survival supplies. All fluid siphoning can be done successfully with these kits as well.
They are also made to undermine the anti-siphon technology employed in these vehicles. Despite their size, such kits can be used to extract fuel from the sizable gas tanks of any large truck.
A kit is a wise investment given the significant boost it can provide to your fuel supply in a post-apocalyptic situation.
But without a siphon, how is gas removed from a car?
The fuel tank of some cars has a tiny drain plug. It is possible for the fuel to be drained if the plug is removed.
The fuel tank can also be drilled a hole in by crawling underneath the car, as a last resort. The right tool from your multitool kit will be necessary to puncture the tank, but it will take a lot of time and effort.
Be aware that both of these techniques call for you to lift the car and stop it from rolling.
Facts About Siphoning Gas from Cars
Keep in mind that siphoning gas is prohibited. So, only use the methods for siphoning gas out of a car described here when the choice is between your life and death.
In all honesty, when sh*t hits the fan, it will be difficult to find a legal way to buy gas. This is why this ability has the potential to both save your life and protect your family.
It is now difficult to steal gas from new cars. Today, it won’t be simple to fill up your bug-out vehicle.
The reason is that newer automobiles and SUVs have anti-siphon or emergency fuel tank valves that prevent gas from escaping in the event of an accident. The tank filler necks are also made in a different way. Old-fashioned methods of siphoning gas are therefore typically ineffective.
You’ll need a few tools or a gasoline siphon kit in order to siphon gas from your tank. In addition, you’ll need to practice the skill a lot to get it down pat.
The Science Behind Siphoning Gas
The entire procedure is based on a few straightforward physics laws. In essence, a hose is dipped in the source fuel tank with one end and collected in a container at a lower elevation with the other end. When the tank’s air pressure is high, the liquid will flow into the hose and then into the gas can.
The force of gravity and the cohesion between the liquid molecules will keep the flow going once it begins. The process can be sped up by using a suction force, either through the mouth or a fuel pump. For newer cars, a gasoline siphon kit may be required, but the basic idea is the same.
Be aware that gasoline is toxic before you start sucking it out of an old car. Fuel consumption and inhalation can harm internal organs and cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms.
Simply put, there is no reason to poison yourself by swallowing gasoline when there are safer alternatives.
Final Thoughts
In order to dispose of stale fuel, in the event that you run out of fuel and become stranded, or when you need to borrow fuel for an empty mower or snow blower tank, knowing how to siphon gasoline is a useful skill to have. Keep in mind that it is prohibited to siphon gas from a vehicle that is not your own without the owner’s consent. And while there are ways to siphon gas without using a pump, these techniques are risky and should never be tried.
FAQs
How Do You Siphon Gas Without a Siphon?
Even though using a siphon pump is the most practical way to siphon fuel from a gas tank into a gas can, you can get by without one.
As an alternative, you can draw the fuel from your gas tank using a siphon tube or water hose. If you’re unsure of how to siphon gas without a pump, try this simple method.
Just get two hoses, one long and the other short, and you can do it. In order to receive the fuel, get a clean gas can next. Then, put one end of the lengthy hose into the gas can and the other end into the fuel tank.
Additionally, place a rag over any gaps around the hoses on the gas tank access point and tuck the short hose into the fuel tank. After that, use the brief hose to blow air into the tank. As a result, the pressure inside the tank will rise and fuel will start to flow into the gas can through the long hose.
Can You Safely Siphon Gas?
When using the proper container (gas can) and extraction tool (hose tube or pump), you can siphon gas safely. Fuel vapors are dangerous fumes that should not be inhaled as they may result in health problems.
Therefore, the best container for receiving and storing fuel is a sealed gas can with a tight cover. In order to prevent putting liquid in your mouth, you must also avoid sucking the fuel out through the hose tube. Unhealthy habits include ingesting fuel.
How Do You Siphon Gas from One Gas Tank to Another?
A gas can and a hose tube are among the supplies needed to siphon gas from one gas tank to another. Put the gas can close to the fuel tank access point once you have these things, then turn on the tank and the can.
Then, place the other end of the long hose tube in your mouth and suck the fuel out of the tank using the hose. Use a clear (transparent) hose tube so you can see the fuel flowing through the hose.
Once you notice the fuel coming out, take the hose out of your mouth (to prevent fuel ingestion) and put it into the gas can. Then, to maintain the active flow, let the fuel pass through while pushing the hose’s end further inside the gas tank.
Once the gas tank is full, you can reverse the fuel extraction procedure to cause the fuel to flow from the gas can into the gas tank of the other vehicle.
Can You Siphon Gas With a Garden Hose?
Using a garden hose to siphon gas is possible, but only if the hose is small enough to fit inside the gas tank and the outlet. You can proceed as soon as it satisfies this requirement. Therefore, if this is your only option for getting some fuel for your lawnmower, it isn’t a bad idea.
However, it is preferable to have the right tools on hand in case fuel extraction becomes necessary. The best siphon pump for extracting fuel is either a manual or automatic one.
Regardless of the type of hose you’re using, make sure to take the necessary safety precautions when carrying out the procedure for siphoning gas from a car.
What is the Easiest Way to Drain a Gas Tank?
The simplest method to empty a gas tank is to disconnect the fuel lines. Run the car until it’s almost empty if you need to drain the fuel from your tank in an emergency. Park afterwards in a secure area. Then, find the hose at the fuel filter.
On a frame at the driver’s side, in front of the fuel tank, is where the component is typically mounted. Once you’ve located the hose, just remove it and set up a gas container to catch the fuel as you pour the fluid out.
The majority of the other methods to drain a gas tank might not be as efficient as releasing the hose from the filter, but there are still a number of other ways to do it.
Can You Siphon Gas from a Modern Car?
Modern vehicles often have anti-siphon valves built in to stop fuel theft, making it nearly impossible to siphon gas from them.
Modern automobiles are equipped with a variety of mechanisms and devices that guarantee safety and defense against the actions of questionable people.
However, siphoning fuel from a modern car’s gas tank is not entirely impossible. To use the tools, you simply need special tools created for the job and knowledge of how to siphon gas from a car using an anti-siphon.
But if you drive a modern car, make sure to stay away from situations that might necessitate siphoning fuel from your gas tank. Anyhow, it would be advantageous to be able to siphon gas out of a more modern vehicle.
