Gas Tank Sabotage????

[Grey]

OK, So I stop for gas this morning on the way to work. Open the lid and one of those little plastic BB's falls to the ground.

CRAP!!!!! Now I don't know who put it there, or how it got there but my concern is that someone dropped some in the gast tank.

Advice? Jeep made it 30 miles to work this morning and is running fine. I filled the tank this morning. Not sure if these BBs float or if one or five made it into the gas tank via sabotage what damage could they do?

 

[maddawg]

They would indeed float i use to be a AIR SOFT maniac they should. they only weigh about .020 grams i think if you over fill your tank they will come out ot the tank thats if there is any stuck in there

 

[Jeger]

Is the fuel filter before or afer the pump? It its before, no worries except maybe a clogged filter if you manage to suck some up. If the pump is first I suppose you could have problems. But I imagine there is at leas a strainer before the pump though.

Hopefully they dont dissolve in the fuel though, that might get nasty :-k

 

[JeepJeepster]

I dont believe they could get in the tank. It has a valve that keeps the gas from coming back out if you flipped the Jeep. Same reason why you cannot siphon gas out of the tank. O

 

[2003KJ]

I dont believe they could get in the tank. It has a valve that keeps the gas from coming back out if you flipped the Jeep. Same reason why you cannot siphon gas out of the tank. O

However, they could have collected before that valve, and then when he began pumping gas into the tank, the valve would be opened, thus allowing the BB's to enter the tank.

I would agree that the worse you would have would be a clogged up fuel filter. Those things are too big to make it past the filter and actually get into the engine...

 

[Dave]

People that mess with other peoples vehicles are wasting oxygen.

I'm not sure what to suggest, but in case they will disolve, keep the tank full for a week or so, and maby that will keep or lessen the plastic % in the gas if it does dissolve. I'm just guessing.

As to the gas filter position, It must be before the pump. I have changed 2 in tank fuel pumps on other vehicles and that's how they were - all one unit - gas pump & filter and tube and float. These 2 vehicles also had gas filters in line though - unlike the KJ. But I'm not a mechanic.

Go to any Jeep dealer and get the Mopar locking gas cap. They are not expensive, ($15.00 or so) and are made for the Jeep so you won't have to worry about it not fitting tight and throwing codes. This is not foolproof, but idiots that do these things do not want to stand there messing with someone's gas cap trying to get it off. Just a thought.

Dave

 

[2003KJ]

People that mess with other peoples vehicles are wasting oxygen.

I'm not sure what to suggest, but in case they will disolve, keep the tank full for a week or so, and maby that will keep or lessen the plastic % in the gas if it does dissolve. I'm just guessing.

As to the gas filter position, It must be before the pump. I have changed 2 in tank fuel pumps on other vehicles and that's how they were - all one unit - gas pump & filter and tube and float. These 2 vehicles also had gas filters in line though - unlike the KJ. But I'm not a mechanic.

Go to any Jeep dealer and get the Mopar locking gas cap. They are not expensive, ($15.00 or so) and are made for the Jeep so you won't have to worry about it not fitting tight and throwing codes. This is not foolproof, but idiots that do these things do not want to stand there messing with someone's gas cap trying to get it off. Just a thought.

Dave

On the topic of locking gas caps, I am using one that I got from Napa for about $10 with no problems. Put it on when gas prices spiked a couple of years ago and gas theft began becoming a serious problem.

 

[Corwyyn]

On the topic of locking gas caps, I am using one that I got from Napa for about $10 with no problems. Put it on when gas prices spiked a couple of years ago and gas theft began becoming a serious problem.

x2, and for the same reason. Definitely a plus to protect against something like this.

 

[the_titan]

A locking gas cap and locking lugs are the first things I put on all of my vehicles, within a day or two. As far as the pellets. They SHOULD dissolve in the gas, though it will become a nasty ***** mess and it will just have to keep dilluted until it is gone, hence keeping the tank full. (Didn't you ever make ****** as a kid?) Probably wouldn't hurt to avoid cheap gas stations and go with a Shell gas from now on.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Be sure you DONT buy the locking gas cap from Jparts.. I bought one and its not even mopar.. It came in a mopar box, but it doesnt work right and it never locks.. Ive never used the key to unlock it..

I plan on buying one at the local dealership since I like them.. O

 

[kjpilot]

The BBs would probably dissolve in the gasoline. It will dissolve styrofoam, and those fast-food plastic cups, those BBs are probably part of your fuel now. ](*,)

 

[the_titan]

In all fairness, little of what is sold in a Mopar package is really Mopar... Just like the Mopar Locking Lugs are really McGard with a Mopar cardboard insert in the blister pack. A package of McGard at Pep Boys is the exact same packaging but with a McGard logo'd insert. What you got was a Mopar part, I am sure, or they are in deep crap. If it is broken, you take it to the dealer and get it swapped out under the one year accessories warranty. Just show the JParts invoice as proof of purchase and purchase date. The lock popped out of my Charger's locking cap when I opened it at Mobil one day. I was so worried it would end up getting stuck in there without a functioning lock while I was travelling and on an empty tank, that I swapped it out at the dealer the next day.

 

[ENBr]

Do you not have the locking fuel caps?

 

[Dave]

Do you not have the locking fuel caps?

They're not standard equipment as far as I know, but you can buy them.

Dave

 

[ENBr]

Do you not have the locking fuel caps?

They're not standard equipment as far as I know, but you can buy them.

Dave

So is that purely American (and?) Canadian? I have on mine - do you just have the body colour flap, and then the open pipe?

 

[jcpryce]

Has anyone actually tried to siphon gas out of there tanks? I know in one of my other cars there's a metal screen at the bottom of the fill tube that doesn't allow a tube past it to siphon anything out. I had to take crawl under the car and take one of the tubes off to get the fuel out. Just curious if the jeeps are like that as well.

 

[Grey]

Well, I have a locking gas cap now. I had put one on my last vehicle and just had not thought to put one on the Libby. Personally, turning that key and messing with it without scratching the paint and all that is a pain in the ****. Why not put locking fuel doors on all American vehicles????

Anyhow, It's driving ok so far.