Q&A for How to Drain Your Car's Fuel Tank

Refer to your car's owner manual to see when it would be due for service. Some manufacturers have the fuel filter built into the fuel pump assembly; in those cases, you'll need a trained technician to perform the work.

Drain the fuel and flush the tank with more fuel. A little oil isn't going to hurt anything, but a lot of oil can screw up the flow of fuel, causing damage to points, plugs, spider injection systems, and can even catch fire if not properly handled.

Yes. A spark too small for you to see can ignite fumes.You should use a brass rod or brass punch instead of a screwdriver.

An emptied fuel still has extreme flammability and can be very dangerous if not stored in an approved container. When all liquid fuel has dried up, the gasoline alone evaporates faster than water, however the fuel system is extensive and has a evaporation control system. A question for you is whether the tank has been removed from the vehicle? This would help it to evaporate faster, and another method to help evaporate the fuel would be to use compressed air to blow out all the fuel lines and tank. Again, be careful -- fuel vapors are heavier than air and will be on the floor until evaporated.

Yes, they do.

Fuel tanks do not have a drain plug. The best way to drain the fuel is to remove the hose at the filter, usually found on the frame just in front of the gas tank on the driver's side.

Fuel tanks do not have a drain plug. The best way to drain the fuel is to remove the hose at the filter, usually found on the frame just in front of the gas tank on the driver's side.

If you mean the gas cap, just look it up online. They are probably only around $5.

Old fuel can have several different contaminants in it. As the lighter hydrocarbons evaporate off, it can leave the fuel in a gum or varnish type consistency. Or if its an ethanol fuel, there can be water in the fuel. Your mechanic will most likely remove and clean the tank. They might also replace the fuel pump and fuel filter, blow through the fuel lines with air or a solvent based cleaning solution., and remove and either clean or replace the injection system. If it's a carburetor, then he will clean out the carb and replace or clean any blocked parts. Your spark plugs may also need to be replaced if they too have a build-up on them.

You need to drain the tank and then put in an alcohol solution designed for evaporating water out of engines. Depending on how much water is in your tank, you might need to flush it with air.

It works with most. Some cars have a hinge in the fuel pipe to keep people from stealing, gas so you might have to take off a rubber boot first.

If you can't get the tube through, then remove the plug on the tank. The reason why you can't get the tube in is because the car has a add-on protection. The best thing to do is to drain the tank .

You can spray a little PB Blast on it, let it sit, and then use an air ratchet. The vibration of the air ratchet can loosen stubborn bolts.