What to do if you forgot to close your fuel fill gap?

Sometimes it could happen that you forgot to close the fuel fill gap and unfortunately you realized that too late after a rain. It is clear that some water has been in your fuel tank which could cause trouble to start your car in a cold morning if the water became crystals in the gas line.

However, do not panic. There are a few things you could do.

First you should double check whether or not to tell your dealer about this trouble since it could be possible that some dealer could void your warranty if they think the amount of water is significant to damage your engine.

Secondly you could figure out approximately how much rain has entered your fuel tank by recalling how long the fuel fill gap has been exposed to rain and checking how many milicentermeters of rain was observed from the forecast of your local TV station or www.theweathernetwork.com/.

Thirdly you can decide whether or not take more measures depending on how much water could have been in your fuel tank. If there is only a neglectable amount of water, less than one ounce, for example , you can just forget about it since water can become vapour when you drive the car. If you think the amount of water has made your vehicle works differently, you could keep the fuel tank full as possible as you could. Note that water is heavier than gas and water most likely deposits in the bottom of your fuel tank. So it is not a good idea to keep driving to empty the fuel tank since the low fuel alarm will be activated if your vehicle is trying to consume the reserved amount of gas in the bottom of your fuel tank. Besides, your fuel pump will be in the risk of getting overheated to malfunction.

Finally, if you are still unsure about the consequences of the water, you could add some additive, gas-line antifreeze, for example, into your fuel tank which could lower the icing temperature of the water to avoid icy crystals when the anti-freeze combine with the water in your fuel tank. This kind of additive are usually available at your local auto parts stores.