Bleach in Gas Tank

[Daedalus]

A friend called this morning because her car wasn't running. Went to check it out and eventually determined there was bleach in the gas tank. I had to go to work so i told her not to touch anything and not to try to start it again for any reason until i did some research and got back to her. While i was at work another friend of hers insisted that he could fix it by adding 3 bottles of "Heet" (fuel system antifreeze/dryer) and adding some more gas to dilute it. She let him do this and and they kept turning it over (waiting a few minutes between attempts to keep from overheating starter) obviously this didn't work. They did it till the battery died so god only knows how much bleach has been pumped through the system now. I had planned to drain the tank, purge the lines and fuel rail and fill it up with fresh gas hoping the bleach hadn't done too much damage yet. At this point I doubt I can help but figured I'd ask if anyone had any ideas....

 

[heptofite]

at what point was the bleach supposed to have hurt something?

yeah, you might get a little surface rust, but most of the fuel system is plastic, purge the lines, fill it with fuel, and it should fire up.

 

[adsm08]

Bleach will kill the lubricity of the fuel, and mess with its volatility, but shouldn't damage too much.

Try draining the tank and purging the lines. You may get lucky.

Also, change the oil right away. If the bleach got in there, that can do bad things.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

The fuel system should be really clean. I wonder if the O-rings turn white also.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

Might actually screw up the o-rings and/or synthetics in the fuel system if they're suceptible to chlorine breakdown. Don't forget to change the fuel filter too.

Gotta ask: how the hell did she wind up with bleach in the tank?

 

[Daedalus]

Might actually screw up the o-rings and/or synthetics in the fuel system if they're suceptible to chlorine breakdown. Don't forget to change the fuel filter too.

Gotta ask: how the hell did she wind up with bleach in the tank?

Guess she pissed someone off....

I thought it might be fuel line freeze up at first and opened the fuel door to add some dryer and there was a bunch of ice inside the fuel door and some more under the gas cap. I scraped some off and it was frozen bleach. I also hit the relief valve on the fuel rail and it sprayed bleach out.

Its good to know i might still be able to fix it. I just tried running a line down the filler neck to drain it out but couldn't get it into the fuel tank. I don't have a garage and its winter with 4" of snow on the ground so dropping the tank isn't really an option for me and she doesn't have the money to have a mechanic do it. She's also a home health care attendant and is going to lose her job if she doesn't get back on the road soon. Anyone know if there is some kind of anti-syphon device blocking the tank on a 2000ish Buick Century? If so do you know how it works and if I can get around it? Or any other suggestions on draining the tank?

 

[Earl43P]

Let the fuel pump do it.

Remove the fuel filter and either let it trickle out into buckets or keep turning the key to Run and each time that will run the pump for a few seconds, increasing flow.

 

[LearjetMinako]

Bleach is not good for anything. It is a powerful oxidize and causes rust on unprotected metal surfaces. As a test, I suggest to disconnect the fuel line from the engine. And then take a can of starting fluid and spray it down the throttle body while someones else cranks the engine over. If it tries to fire, then that is good. Drain all fuel from the system, refill gas tank with fresh fuel. Purge any old fuel left in the fuel rail.

 

[Mac]

Yep, I'd worry about any "rubber" that came in contact with that mixture, fuel pump would sure be on the list. They may still work but have really been compromised. Hey, you might get lucky.
Dave

 

[heptofite]

it's a GM?
in that case, remove the valve core from the fuel rail, hook a drain hose to it, put that hose into a bucket, then replace the fuel pump relay with a paperclip across the two posts that power the pump, and turn the key for the car on, that'll run the pump till the tank goes dry, and get all the bleach out.


still, she must have been pretty low on gas for them to be able to get enough bleach into the tank to dilute the gas enough to keep it from running.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

dedicating your time in 4" of snow outside.... must be a really good friend.

you trying to get out of the friend zone?

 

[gwaii]

it's a GM?
in that case, remove the valve core from the fuel rail, hook a drain hose to it, put that hose into a bucket, then replace the fuel pump relay with a paperclip across the two posts that power the pump, and turn the key for the car on, that'll run the pump till the tank goes dry, and get all the bleach out.


still, she must have been pretty low on gas for them to be able to get enough bleach into the tank to dilute the gas enough to keep it from running.

good advice on the fuel pump relay bypass....but as for the bleach,it's heavier than gas so it'll sit on the bottom of the tank where the pickup is,regardless of how much gas is there.

 

[rellik74]

Household bleach is mostly water, there is only 1 to 2% chlorine in it. It will screw up your pants but it is a low amout to damage a fuel system

 

[88_Eddie]

damn crazy women, oh well, guess we should just be happy she was trying to clean something

 

[kcm1582]

Household bleach is mostly water, there is only 1 to 2% chlorine in it. It will screw up your pants but it is a low amout to damage a fuel system

Mostly water or not it is still strong enough to damage lines and seals when pumped through the fuel system.