Watered Down Gasoline

Watered Down Gasoline

by Liv | Published on November 18th, 2005, 10:34 am | Sports

I'm sitting at work in my tiny little cubicle contemplating how to get my revenge on the damn printer that continuously mocks me by printing out blank sheets of nothing rather than the necessary TPS reports when I over hear my overly religious co-worker a couple rows over, talking about how she doesn't go to the cheap gas station because they water down the gas. Oh My God this woman must be an idiot. Water down the gas? I've heard this one before.... from many people.... including my father in law.... Its like fingernails on a chalk board to me. I litterly wanted to run over to this woman and choke her. Of course this was the same lady who said she would quit her job if they celebrated Halloween here because to her its a Satanic ritual.

Let me explain something people... you pour water into gas... your car doesn't run!!!

She of course thinks the difference between between Mobil gas and Quickie Mart gas is that Apu is running out there with the garden hose and diluting the gas pumps to make an extra quid. This of course is insanely stupid since they'd basically be contaminating over $50,000 dollars worth of inventory. Furthermore the gas from Apu's Quickie Mart probably came from the same pipeline the expensive Mobil gas did.

My God people, lets end the myth right here and now & for those of you who contributed to such nonsense... I demand you run out to your car and top off your gas tank with the garden hose. Get in take a short drive through a really rough section of town. When you get done walking home be sure you take the necessary precautions to prevent yourself from ever having children and passing on your stupid ideas onto any of your kids.

Don't be jealous, but these are the same people that probably sweeten their gas with some sugar, cuz your "car" is your baby...

Not sure about your co-worker, but most people who say "watering down" are using it as a synonym for "diluting."

Gasoline dilution is a frequent practice in many foreign countries. Not sure about the frequency of the practice in the U.S., but it's likely to have taken place somewhere in the lower 48 in the past if not at present.

Just saying.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure about your co-worker, but most people who say "watering down" are using it as a synonym for "diluting."

Gasoline dilution is a frequent practice in many foreign countries. Not sure about the frequency of the practice in the U.S., but it's likely to have taken place somewhere in the lower 48 in the past if not at present.

Just saying.

I know their are additives added to Gasolines to reduce emmisions. These of course I would assume would be Government regulated. I still don't think their is a huge difference for the average soccer mom filling up the family van at the "cheap gas station" or the more expensive big name stations. I would assume if any difference was present it would be due to the filtration equiptment and the maintence of the pumps themselves to remove foreign material. I can't believe this is generally measurable in most gas stations though.

watered down gas is more common than you think; especially in this day and age. True, water doesn't mix with gasoline (and soon after you start driving around with heavily tainted gasoline, you'll notice - it happened to me on a Cali road trip), but a very subtle amount of water in your gas will get you far enough from the gas station to trick you into thinking it's anything but the gas.

First I've seen this post....

"over hear my overly religious co-worker " - What does her religion have to do with this? Cheap shot maybe?

Maybe you could have easily said "over hear my overly black co-worker".....

Back to topic.... Many of the older gas stations don't have the quality tanks in the ground to control water from coming into the tanks. I've known several stations to have this happen after a good storm. Water in the tank can also come from a station that doesn't sell a lot of gas and has time to accumulate water in the tanks over time. So yeah.. whether on purpose or not, likely not, some stations are more prone to have water in their gas.

I was stereotyping.... I apologize.... I was just a child when I thought up this post, and have since grown up.

Liv wrote:I was stereotyping.... I apologize.... I was just a child when I thought up this post, and have since grown up.

you guys really aren't very bright are you!?! the term watering down gasoline doesn't mean taking a garden hose and mixing water with gas, it is a euphemism for the dilution of gasoline with chemicals that create carbon deposits in order to reduce fuel economy, also adding flammable fluids with a lower caloric value such as methanol. the fuel burns just fine and does not create any short term problems except more frequent trips to the pump. this is a very common practice among big oil corporations and is growing rapidly in the current political climate. the next time you hear someone say "Watering down gas," don't take it literally and realize gas mileage is falling because we are getting screwed!!

There aren't many things that will mix with gasoline and burn in engines that are cheaper than gasoline. Methanol and ethanol are indeed added to some gasoline blends, but not to save money, it's all part of reducing carbon emissions. They do have lower energy content so you will need more and your mpg will be lower.

It's time to stop thinking in miles per gallon (or litres per 100 km) but in grams CO2 per mile/km

PS I deliberately add methanol to my gas. It mixes with any water in the fuel and stops it freezing. That can completely stop the car when it gets below -25.

I know some of the older stations have water in their tanks. Not on purpose though. There was a really old station that I used to go to that certainly had water and other contaminates in the fuel. My car would run terribly. Eventually the tanks they had were dug up and replaced (if memory serves).

Okay people, I want you to know this is serious. If you don't believe about watered down gasoline then allow me to confirm this for you.

I sat at one of THE MOST dangerous spots on the expressway, last night (Friday), at RUSH hour for well over an hour.

I had JUST filled my car up with gasoline a couple of days ago and SUDDENLY my car stopped running in the middle of traffic.

I thank GOD for my protection as a woman in a dangerous part of the freeway (as yes, GOD) as I sat there with Semis FLYING past me. The darker it got, the more dangerously close the cars and trucks got to me. This was the ONLY spot (due to construction) I could have been OFF the road.

A policeman (after 3 calls) showed up right after my husband got to me (from an hour drive from his work). His first question was when the last time you got gas? I'm thinking, he must have thought I ran out, but I thought about it and I KNEW I had a fairly full tank and told him. He went on to say, but where? I realized I had stopped in HIS jurisdiction to fill up (not my area, an hour away where I live) and he told me there had been a lot of problems with vehicles breaking down due to watered down gas he has come across there.

This horrified me to think if I had been a mother/father with children in the car, of all the danger I would have been left in for over an hour. By the way, this spot is called SPAGHETTI JUNCTION. The policeman said I could have the dealership get a sample and all gasoline can be traced back to where it was purchased. I was BLESSED to come out safe and no children in the car and I WILL NOT allow this scenario to go without taking action, if this is the problem. No person (especially children) should EVER be left in a preventable, potential danger due to the GREED of large corporation trying to deceive the consumer with a product/service.

I was single for a long time and I thoroughly understand how this could have been for a woman to be left alone and in the dark with no means to protect herself (or children). Not on MY watch in this lifetime.

God helps us people when we stop thinking of others and are so worried only about OUR problems. This situation in our country is ALL of our problems and we should be standing up for one another and start saying "NO MORE and NO WAY".

The cost to tow and repairs (if I did not have road side assistance and warranty) would have added to the problems and fear if there was no money to a) get home and b) to fix the vehicle!

M. Parsons

1) It's shame God didn't bless you by making your car run on water and for you to drive home safely, but he's not very good at real miracles. Maybe he intended you to break down so that by experiencing an hour of terror as those semis flew past you would not break down on the railroad crossing and get obliterated by the exress train. Or maybe there isn't any God and your car just broke down.

2) If you filled up 2 DAYs ago then it's not likely water in the gasoline. Gas floats on water and if you did have water in your tank it would stop the engine within a few miles.

3) Until you have the gas tested or found the actual cause, any assumptions about the cause of your car's failure are just speculation - whether it's your or the policeman's.

God DID bless me. I was safe, I have FULL bumper to bumper warranty. I had a husband get to me as fast as he could. A lot of women don't and have children. I had a way to pay towing 30+ miles and am getting a refund for any cost as well as a rental car, FREE while they fix it. Miracles happen more than you think, huh?

I am continuing to go back to this service station and will find out if this is continuing (because I am VERY blessed to have FULL warranty that pays for it all). If this is the case, I will be the one to stand up and make sure Greedy Corporation don't put innocent children at risk.

May you see God at work in your life.

Indubitably a genuine miracle. There's no possible way you could have a husband AND a bumper to bumper warranty without.

Is it wise to test God a second time though? Next time He might be playing golf and not notice when a Satanic flying semi is heading towards your car.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

A Person wrote:Indubitably a genuine miracle. There's no possible way you could have a husband AND a bumper to bumper warranty without.

Is it wise to test God a second time though? Next time He might be playing golf and not notice when a Satanic flying semi is heading towards your car.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Don't mind AP. He's always been very jealous of anyone who has more faith than him. Unfortunately, that covers just about everyone. :violin:

Of course - that's it, I'm jealous of irrational beliefs. I also I hate God, secretly believe, and only pretend not to so that I can enjoy a life of unbridled sin and depravity.

A Person wrote:Of course - that's it, I'm jealous of irrational beliefs. I also I hate God, secretly believe, and only pretend not to so that I can enjoy a life of unbridled sin and depravity.

AP is also one to make sure he gets the last word in as well. I've learned to live with it.