How would molasses in my fuel make my car act?
 

My 4 year old son poured a good deal of molasses into my '86 MB 300 SDL gas tank while I wasn't paying attention. Don't ask me how...:D

As you can imagine, I am somewhat leery thinking about even starting her up now. Should I empty the tank first or should I simply start her up and burn it out? If I do the latter, will it make my car run....er....sluggish?!

Any help would be much appreciated.

i'd drain it. and rinse the tank.



and i wouldnt use it for baking either. :D

I know that sugar has a drastic, solidifying reaction in gasoline, but I'm not sure about diesel fuel. I personally wouldn't risk it. I'd follow retx's suggestion.

You'd be wise to perform a little test.

Pour some molasses in a quart of diesel fuel and observe what it does. If it does not dissolve and simply falls to the bottom of the container and sits there, then draining the tank isn't going to be the final solution because the molasses won't be removed with the diesel fuel.

The tank will probably need to be removed and cleaned.

However, if it dissolves in the diesel fuel, then a complete drain of the tank should be sufficient.

Sugar and gasoline don't mix. The sugar just sits in the bottom of the tank.
Molasses and diesel, I dunno. I'd drain and flush the tank as others have suggested.

But nobody suggested what I should do with my kid!

Seriously, I will try your suggestions. Thank you retx, Larry Bible, Brian Cohen, and Chas H.:)

Now you have to tell us how exactly this happened. I molasses a common toy for your child? :D

Well, let's just say that my lover and I were having fun the night prior with some honey and molasses and other toys...insert an active imagination here. ;)

Whoa... naughtiness :fork_off:

I wonder what else you may find in that tank.

Don't forget to add some KY to increase the lubrication properties of the new low sulfur diesel. :D

LOL

Molasses and honey.....hmmmmm Gottsa give it a try. Though I usually like chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

And exactly how much molasses did your soon to be ex-wife instruct the kid to pour into your fuel tank? If nothing else keep it topped off with full tank of fuel and expect to be changing fuel filters constantly for a few weeks. And with respect to engine damage, worry about injectors and the injector pump before anything else.

Condoms definitely clog filters.

just for *****s and giggles, i just poured a little dark amber blackstrap molasses into a quart of diesel. it mostly went straight to the bottom but some mixed in as it was falling down through it. i can see on the bottom of the bottle that the two are reacting with each other. i have to leave for work in a few, so im gonna let it sit and see what happens with it overnight.