If you have gas contaminated with water how long will it take your car to detect it before it damages you fuel system?

Answer 1

Most boat owners are familiar with this problem and it's routine to deal with. First, there is no significant damage to the fuel system caused by water. That's just scare tactics. The conditions aren't right and there is nowhere near enough time for enough corrosion to occur to make any difference and once it's cleaned up... that's it. My 1994 Geo Tacker got several gallons of mud from a local gas station. I made it 5 feet away from the pump, the engine ran for about one second. Several other people got mud at the same time and place, the furthest went two miles however we stopped another customer after only a pint of mud and her car kept running though very badly. This case was extreme, most contamination is less than a cup, not gallons like mine. I had no choice but to take the best course of action. I emptied gas tank and flushed it and the gas line out with denatured alcohol. My fuel filter was overdue for replacement anyway, and this was mud, not just water, so I replaced it. The car's fine. No problem. For cars still running with suspected water contamination, you can cheat. There is a product called 'dry gas' ($2.00) or a cup or two of denatured alcohol is ok... and then don't fill up until it's almost empty. Don't concern yourself with damage to the fuel system from water unless you keep getting water in your gas over and over and over, like twice a week... for 10 years.