OK, this is the HANDS DOWN most embarrassing story that has every been told on the corvette forum (or that I've heard.) My wife said "here's your sign" after it happened. As a matter of fact, I can't believe I'm telling it, but I've got to get the questions out there...........

I had just finished filling up my 85 with gas (premium only) when I decided to drive it over to the drive through car wash. I drive through the washer and drive out. When I get out, my car goes dead. I wasn't sure what could be making it do that, when, IT HIT ME!!!! I hadn't put the gas cap on. I had left my gas lid open, and my gas cap off through the whole wash. There was NO telling how much water had gotten into my tank.

So I walked over to the grocery store and proceded to by 10 bottles of rubbing alcohol to get rid of the water. All in, but to no avail. The I get a can of starter fluid and spray it into the plenum. The car will crank up for about 1 second and die. I continue to do this for a short while, but it never gets better.

So we next put the vette on a car caddy and carry it out to the house. I take the fuel filter off and cut the key on. The fuel pump pressurizes and will pump it out AT A VERY SLOW RATE!!!! I mean like 1 gallon in an hour. I can pee 5 times as fast as this thing. Then I try to syphon it out, but I remind you, I just filled it up.

So now that the stupid story is over, what is the easiest way to empty the tank?
Once empty, is the next step to just put fresh, treated gas in, with new filter and run completely through system?
Or are there worse problems here?
Remember there is a ton of water, plus, soap, and wax...

Please help!!!!!

Thanks, Eric

 

Well you could ask me to send you one of my electric fuelpumps to you. So that you could put it on the draw line, and it would pizz more the you could pee. But it would take three days to get there, and how much can you pee at in that time?
Sorry no help here, but a ttt for you, Randy

 

If you actually filled up the tank, then not too much water and wax should have entered,(it already being full) plus, wouldnt the big, fluffy roller like thing that scrubs the car have pushed the fuel flap back down, meaning only on the first pass would water have entered?
i know this doesnt help much, but if only a small amount of water entered, it shouldnt require too much of a clean up once emptied , remember gas floats on water, so the water will all be at the bottom, so make sure its well and trully empty, if it was me, id just then fill it back up with gas(just put a gallon in first and make sure it runs.
as an aside, back in the days when cars had carbs, i would regularly pour water down the carb to decoke the engine, it acts like a steam cleaner, (im serious, a mechanic friend of mine tought me that one, and it actually works, just make sure it dont stall while doing it)
it may be easier and quicker in long run to remove the tank, or failing that, pull a pipe off the tank, and blow air into it to push gas out

Dave

 

I don't have an answer for you other than to drain the tank and start over. You might get lucky? Good luck!

 

I have filled mine up on a few occasions, and then wanted to go to the track. Well I dont like to go with more then 1/2 tank so I take a piece of 3/8 copper tubing about 3ft long with a piece of clear tubing about 5 ft long stuck to the end of that and then I put the copper in the fill hole and sphifon out 10 gal. into 2, 5 gal cans I have.
It would probably take about an hour to pull 20 gal out by the above method, and then if you still wanted to make sure you got everything, remove the filler assembly along with the pump and you could reach in with rags to get the rest.
Now, if you do the above, let the rags dry thourghly before disposing of them in a trashcan. Also, our local landfill has a recycle center that accepts oil, antifreeze, old gas, etc. I feel sure you can find a center to send the fuel to be disposed of properly.
One other thing to check is the water drain that is inside of the filler door. When you raise the door you will see a small hole about 3/8 in dia below the filler cap. Blow through it and make sure it is not stopped up. If it is not stopped up, then with the door down, very little if any water could get into your tank by washing the vehicle.

 

To ensure reliable long term operation after such an event, I would drop the tank, drain and flush, replace the pump, in line filter and run injector cleaner through the lines on start-up

Easier to do this than troubleshoot injector problems futher down the road....

 

water doesn't compress, so hopefully you got lucky and didn't bend a rod or something.

I would recommend buying a hand-pump siphon hose ($10 at the local parts stores?) and siphon out as much as you can - focusing on getting to the bottom of the tank.

Even jacking the car up on one side should help coax all the water to one corner and then you siphon from there. Not sure what "rubbing alcohol" might do for that, but I'd start there, change the fuel filter and drain the fuel lines as best you can... then add fresh gas and see how she runs.

 

Eric,

This may have been a blessing in disguise! The pump flow rate that you described indicated that you have either a serious fuel pump problem or a clogged line (unlikely) A properly operating stock pump puts out waaaay more flow than you describe.

Time to replace the pump.

 

1st. you can use your pump to pump it out, and it should be quick. If your pumping 1 gal an hour then your pump maybe more of an issue than the water. The pump should flow about 1 liter in 10sec. Something close to that, it's been a long time since I"ve looked at the flow rates. it's possible the wax was mixed with the gas and clugged up your fuel pump/lines

2nd, if you decide not to use the fuel pump to pump it out, or can't you can buy small elec. pumps from napa and do it. THey cost like $10-$15.

3: Remove the fuel pump and this will give a good size opening into the fuel tank in which you maybe able to do something. Like hook up a small pump and hose to get all the bad gas out.

 

Hopefully after all this is over with you can think about preventing it from happening again, myself I am into mods would think about using a sealed reed switch like used on doors for alarms and a small strong magnet to make a fuel cap open switch, then it could be connected to some sort of either audio or visual warning device like a generic door chime or a buzzer that goes on when the engine is started.
Hopefully you don't have any serious problems!

 

OR he could just remember to check the damn gas cap when he's done.

 

Well, stupid is, as stupid does or was it everything happens for a reason, anyway, when I changed out the fuel pump in my t/a, I just grounded the aldl and pumped the tank empty before pulling it, took about 2 minutes, give or take.

 

On the leaving your gas tank open, one thing to say about that: **** happens.

Now onto how to get it fixed:

The reason your not getting hardly any fuel out of the line with the key turned on is your pump will only enerize for a few seconds and then turn back off if the car doesn't start. So the pump is not pumping after that period of time.

The way to get the pump to pump continuously is run a 12volt wire from the + on your battery to terminal F of your ALDL. Just run a long wire from under the hood and around the outside of the car through the window. I have one premade I use. PLease double check that its terminal F of the ALDL, I have a mark on mine and just look for that, but pretty sure its F. Lower left hand port on the ALDL. Its in the troubleshooting guide for fuel pumps if someone has one handy they can verify.

But this will kick the pump on anytime the 12v source is present. This will pump your tank out in no time.

I do this all the time when I come home from racing and want to get the racegas/regular gas mixture out. I simply undo my regulator, put a hose on it I have premade, and go in and kick on the pump. It will pump my tank dry in a few minutes.

When you see it start to spit and sputter, remove the 12v source, or you may risk burning up the fuel pump.

I would then get a can of dry gas at the local autoparts store, and put it in after you seal everything up. Then put in some good gas. Go you and run the car for a while and take it and fill it up.

You should be good to go then.

 

the most embarassing part is admitting that you took the Vette to a drive through car wash......

I agree with the others, the amount of water that can get in through the filler spout with the restriction and flap is minimal and should not be the cause of your problem.

 

Not a big deal, we see things like that (at our shop) more than you would think.

A big deal is when some one puts gas in a diesel, then thinks they can just run it out by driving.

 

I would have said, The WIFE took the vette thru the car wash and etc. etc. etc.

 

Hey, I admit I have done some bonehead things before, as we all have, live and learn. We all make mistakes, it's life, it's not like someone is keeping score for each thing we have a brain fart with, and writing a book about it, or posting it in the internet, I mean could you imagine that


Anyway, I say take ski's advice and you should be fine.

 

Yup... I have seen it happen, both ways
Some diesel in a gas motor it will run like sh*t.......
Some gas in a diesel motor..... you're buyin a new motor

... Just to add to whats been said...
While you have the filter off.. remove the shrader valve on the fuel rail and blow all the crap outta the lines from the engine back....
Dont hit it with like 90psi but just enough to clear the line and get the water out

 

I bet there is a story there somewhere.

 

Nope... no story here. I just didn't want him to post again in a coupla days about how his regulator and injectors are now all shot to hell, because of anything I said