Hi after making a wisecrack at work (which I wish I had never done now) I have got into all sorts of grief over an allegation of syphoning petrol out of an Octavia vRS at work. I cant find out anything about if this is even possible. I thought most modern cars are fitted with a one way flap so it cant physically be done. Any help any one!!!

Welcome to the site... quite an interesting first post

You'd need one of the more mechanically-minded members to really answer your question, but surely if a petrol nozzle can go in, so can a pipe? Any valve that let the weight of petrol open it could be opened too??

(Waits to see who's been nicking fuel from octys to come forward and answer this)

It's usually difficult to syphon petrol from modern cars as they have an anti-siphon trap in the pipe - like a U bend. Best way if you want petrol is to disconnect a fuel line and crank the engine - or just turn the ignition on and off to get the fuel pump working.

Welcome to the site... quite an interesting first post

You'd need one of the more mechanically-minded members to really answer your question' date=' but surely if a petrol nozzle can go in, so can a pipe? Any valve that let the weight of petrol open it could be opened too??

(Waits to see who's been nicking fuel from octys to come forward and answer this) [/quote']

Some cars have a security mesh in the filler tube so you can't syphon off fuel as peice of hose won't reach the fuel (fuel pump is shorter).

You can break the mesh quite easily though with a suitable object.

After making a silly wisecrack at work (which I wish I had never done, funny at the time) someone took it seriously and made an allegation that I had been syphoning fuel from the Octavia vRS at work. Now I am in all sorts of grief. I cant find out anything about this but I dont even think this is phyisically possible. I thought most new cars were fitted with a one way flap for exactly that reason.

Help anyone!!

I'll test it out later on JaneC's vRS

Well a Ford Focus TDi can be syphoned! By coincidence on the same day that I asked on here what happens if you put petrol in a diesel my Sister-in-law put petrol in her mothers diesel Focus. She realised without starting the car (so I didn't get my question answered there . Her father spent 45 minutes syphoning the petrol out of the tank, so therefore it is possible in that modern car model.

Merged - no need to cross post, Will.

I'll test it out later on JaneC's vRS

Don't think so sunshine :P

After a cretin in a fuel station filled my Octy TDi with Unleaded (!!! That cost them, I can tell you) I took the car by AA to my Garage, flipped the rear seat up and removed the fuel sender unit, then it was easy peasy to remove all the petrol.

After a refill, it worked perfectly until I sold it a year later.

Be very very careful doing this, careless handling of anything that can cause a spark or flame has obvious consequaences, as I used a proper fuel pumping machine with an earth strap to remove the Petrol.

JT

I tried this on my saxo VTS ages ago just before it was sold (it had a full tank of petrol and I'm a tight barstuwart). Took me 30 to get half a jerrry can's worth so I gave up!

So I'm guessing it's possible but harder than it used to be on the older cars

I thought it was just a case of pulling the fuel pipe out where it connects with the fuel filter?

Well a Ford Focus TDi can be syphoned! By coincidence on the same day that I asked on here what happens if you put petrol in a diesel my Sister-in-law put petrol in her mothers diesel Focus. She realised without starting the car (so I didn't get my question answered there . Her father spent 45 minutes syphoning the petrol out of the tank, so therefore it is possible in that modern car model.

If it's a TDCi, she can expect a fuel pump failure in the near future. It's lucky she didn't start it: it's reckoned to cost nearly

If it's a TDCi, she can expect a fuel pump failure in the near future. It's lucky she didn't start it: it's reckoned to cost nearly

I tried this on my saxo VTS ages ago just before it was sold (it had a full tank of petrol and I'm a tight barstuwart). Took me 30 to get half a jerrry can's worth so I gave up!

That is tight!

I thought it was just a case of pulling the fuel pipe out where it connects with the fuel filter?

You can do it that way, but the fuel filter is under the car and quite ard to get to.