Help! Scotch Whiskey in Gas Tank

[lovcom]

My neighbor's boyfriend, who is a self-acknowledged alcoholic, after having a loud blowout with my neighbor, poured a half gallon bottle of Dewar's Scotch Whiskey (white label) into the gas tank of her 2007 Accord. This happened last night, and she has not driven the car for fear of messing up the engine. Once sober, the boyfriend asked me to help him drain her gas tank, but she will not let him near her car. The short story is that she accused him of drinking again, and in a fit of indignation, he went out got drunk, then for only ---- knows what reason, he pour most of the contents of his bottle of Scotch into her car. She is sick about it but is not welling to call the cops....so what harm will befall her Accord if she just tops off her tank with 87 unleaded, and drives it? The car had around 3/4 tank at the time the scotch was added.

 

[XS650]

Looks like it's 87 proof, so it's about 56% water.

The only problem is that she has about a qt of water in her gas tank (and her car thinks it licked a skunks ----

)

The alcohol and other impurities are nothing worse than you get out of a gas pump.

If it were mine I would top the gas off with gas containing 10% ethanol (it will help absorb the water) just be safe, and maybe add a can of Heet or some other brand of gasoline dryer.

Or maybe a chemist in the group will know if the alcohol and water in the Scotch will stay associated and not be a problem?

 

[XPR]

Drive it and don't worry about it, if it causes and issue later sue the guy for the repair.

 

[surfstar]

Congrats! You win the best new question award!!!

What kinda alcoholic wastes liquor like that?

I second the Heet (maybe two bottles?) and ethanol recommendation. Its a Honda -- it'll be fine.

 

[salesrep]

lol

A drunk alcoholic......pours good scotch away.
i agree with the others. Should do no harm.
Yes I second the new question award.

 

[n8wvi]

Use the isopropyl version (not methanol) of dry gas, it's better at absorbing larger amounts of water.

Dave

 

[Big Jim]

Having had the misfortune of repairing cars with water contamination I highly recommend draining the tank before starting the engine. A quart is a lot of water. It's unbelievable what that can do to the fuel pump and injectors. Draining the tank may be enough, but I would still add some alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl)to a full tank of fresh gas.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

The simplest thing would be to top up the tank with E85. The problem is finding some.

 

[Dad2leia]

That might be the simplest thing Oldmoparguy1, but Hondas do not like E85 at all. I've asked about running it in mine, and spoke with a tech of 20 some years working on Hondas. They are not set up properly to run it. It's the additive package in the fuel that does the damage, not the ethanol based fuel itself. It'll take a few tanks worth to notice the damage, but it is lethal to the fuel system.

I also asked him if they plan to get a system in place for the E85. "Not in the near future", was the reply I got.

I agree with dumping two bottles of the isopropyl in the tank, top it off with fresh gas, and drive.

 

[Gary Allan]

I wouldn't be too worried since it's Scotch. If it was a sugar heavy liquour, then you do have some risk with caramel coating a few surfaces in the combustion chamber.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Is your neighbor's boyfriend a bitoger? We did have a thread about Scotch going recently. Wondering if he bought some that tasted like peat smoked mothballs and decided to return the beast to its layer.

 

[Shannow]

ethanol and hydrocarbons sort have a love hate relationship.

When they are both dry (no pun intended), they get along pretty well. In the presence of water, they tend to go their separate ways, with the ethanol and water playing their own game.

a quart (if I've converted a 100 proof half gallon correctly) of water in a tank of a quart of ethanol plus remainder dead dino would cause me concern.

I wouldn't add more ethanol (I think), but probably something that makes ethanol and alcohol like each other more.

IMHO, I'd fill with bestest fuel she ccan find, and maybe add some acetone or MEK to try to make the payers play better together.

Keep the tank full (i.e. let it get to 3/4, then fill up again) until the fear has passed.

(or search for a drain plug on the tank)

 

[Shelby]

Quote:

---

The simplest thing would be to top up the tank with E85. The problem is finding some.

---

LOL X2, my stupid ****** brother had to buy an E85 Chevy, he even bought a brand new truck eventhough his other Chevy was only 2 years old. The only problem, there isn't an E85 station anywhere even remorelty close. I think the closest one os 150 miles, but hey aren't those E85 vehicles great.

 

[Shelby]

BTW, I'm with Big Jim drain the tank, and make the guy pay for it. People, this is why I buy locking gas caps for all my vehicles, to many fools out there and the list seams to be growing by the minute.

 

[cmhj]

Drain it and make the drunken idot pay for it.

 

[mechtech2]

I don't like all that water in the gas.
Before starting it, drain the tank out all the way.

 

[55Test]

Drain the tank then make him drink it...

 

[lovcom]

Hey Guys, thanks for all the advice, but looking out my window this morning (Sunday), the Accord is gone! It seems nobody is home. I had arranged for a friend at work to drain my neighbor's tank this morning, and she agreed to this last night, but this AM, neighbor gone, car gone too. It seems that the car was driven off with the Scotch...now I'm curious about the next few days, when I finally talk to here..I want to know how the car is running :-(

 

[Vilan]

She might get a ticket for DUI...

"But officer, I said the *car* was drinking whiskey, not me!"

 

[Shannow]

Problem solved...it's out of your hands