Does sugar in your petrol damage engine?

Answer 1

This myth has been around almost as long as there have been automobiles. On Halloween, the older and less scrupulous trick-or-treaters go around the neighborhood putting sugar in the neighbor's gas tanks because it will destroy the engines. Or maybe an angry homeowner uses this trick to get revenge on a neighbor for the loud parties he or she likes to throw. The premise is that the sugar will caramelize and form a thick sludge that clogs your fuel lines and gunks up the carburetor. However, scientific studies have failed to produce evidence of such a reaction resulting in damage to an engine. Very little of the sugar even remains inside the engine long enough to do harm. Because sugar is particulate matter, it could conceivably cause damage to an engine the same way that sand and dirt can, but the sugar would have to be added to the gasoline repeatedly for any significant damage to occur. So you'll have to find a better method of getting revenge on the neighbor whose noisy car engine wakes you up early every Saturday morning.