How To Put Gas In A Car Without Funnel

Running low on gas is never good, so carrying spare fuel is a good idea, especially on long trips. But what if you don't have a funnel for pouring the fuel into your car? With information from experts, we will help you fill your car up with fuel using different methods.

If you find yourself in dire need of refueling your vehicle but don't have a funnel, you can cut out the side of a plastic bottle and pour the fuel into your gas tank. You can also use your gas can since most can feed fuel into a gas tank without a funnel.

Traveling in your car without first checking your fuel level is never a good idea. You should make a regular habit of checking your fuel level before driving. This will save you a lot of trouble. For more information about refueling your vehicle, please continue reading below.

A car parked on the side of the road, an empty red canister. Selective focus, noise. The driver is on the road. Help on the road. Fuel shortage - oil, diesel, gasoline, petrol. - How To Put Gas In A Car Without Funnel

Best Way To Refuel Your Car With No Funnel

You can refuel most cars without a funnel. But if the gas spills on your vehicle or the road, this can be dangerous. You should practice safety when handling flammable fluids such as gasoline.

Gas can easily ignite, which can cause damage to you and your car. Before refueling, ensure there are no open flames near the gas tank and the fuel.

Driver fills the fuel in an empty car tank from red canister on the side of the road

If you need to refuel your vehicle but left your funnel at home or don't have one, you can follow these methods to help you get going. 

Using A Plastic Bottle 

You can use an empty plastic bottle, such as a water or soda bottle. Make sure it's clean and dry to keep any dirt or other liquid from mixing with your fuel.

First, cut a hole in the bottle at the side or the bottom at an angle. Once you've cut it, use the bottle as a makeshift funnel to help pour gas into the gas tank with minimal spills.

Have a look at these long-neck plastic soda bottles on Amazon.

Using A Gas Can

Another method is to use a gas can. Most gas cans can now feed in fuel without a funnel. Check if your gas can has a spout. Like the Midwest gas cans, gas containers have a spout inside them.

To get the spout out of these gas cans, unscrew the gas can cap and pull out the remaining piece. You should see a red safety tab in the gas can's spout. Press this red tab to deactivate the safety clutch before the gas can come out.

To put fuel into the car:

  1. Place the spout inside the gas tank's opening. Ensure the red tab is on the fuel tank's lip, so it pushes down when you start putting in fuel.
  2. Once everything is in order, press the gas can forward slightly to push the spout tab and feed in fuel.
  3. After refueling your car, push the spout in the cap's hole and screw it back in. 

If you see that the fuel is spilling, you may not have placed the spout of the gas canister properly inside the car's fuel tank. Alternatively, you may not have tightened the cap of the gas can enough when putting it away.

How Long Can Fuel Stay In A Gas Can

Garage corner with three red plastic fuel cans , staircase and snow plough for atv with wooden wall on background. Petrol gas containers reserves storage at vehicle home garage

Today, fuel is necessary. Some people want spare fuel for machinery or emergencies. But how long can you store fuel in a gas can?

The lifespan of stored fuel depends on the type of fuel. The best gas canister to store your fuel in is an airtight one. It prevents evaporation and the absorption of water.

Check out this gas storage canister on Amazon.

You can expect somewhere between six to 12 months of storage with an airtight canister. If you have a non-airtight canister, expect the fuel to last less than six months. Where you store your gas canister will also affect the lifespan of your fuel.

Placing your gas canister in direct sunlight where it could expand or swell will also cause the fuel to evaporate. Ensure you keep your gas canister somewhere cool for the longest possible time before your fuel goes bad.

Can Cars Share The Same Fuel

red green yellow orange color fuel gasoline dispenser background

The short answer is no. Not all cars can share fuel. You can't share fuel with every vehicle because there are two common types of fuel used to power vehicles—gasoline and diesel—and they cannot mix.

Diesel cars cannot share the same fuel as gas-powered vehicles because they have different combustion methods. Diesel-powered engines rely on compression to ignite the air and fuel. They have a higher compression ratio than gasoline engines. 

The same goes for a gasoline engine. You shouldn't mix gasoline and diesel since this can ruin your vehicle. It is terrible to put gasoline in a diesel car because diesel not only acts as fuel but as a lubricant.

Though diesel engines will combust gasoline, this type of fuel will not be suitable for the engine since gasoline will combust too early, causing your engine to knock.

How To Remove Mixed Fuel From Your Car

If you mixed diesel in a gasoline-powered car, you'd have to have it towed to a service center to get it drained. When your vehicle arrives at the service center, you can expect minimal damage to your engine's internals.

Your gasoline engine will not run on diesel. But if your vehicle does not start after draining, it may cost you a bit to have your engine disassembled and dried off.

Here's a manual siphon pump for draining fuel on Amazon.

Here is a video showing how a fuel tank is drained if you want to attempt it yourself.

What Is A Compression Ratio?

A compression ratio is the maximum and minimum volume of the cylinder. So if you have a compression ratio of 14:1, the piston's lowest point has ten times more volume than the highest point. 

Can You Mix Different Types Of Gasoline?

When it comes to types of gasoline, you can mix them with caution or only in an emergency. You can use different octanes of fuel on higher-end cars, but this may cause the engine to knock.

If your vehicle requires higher-end octane, you may lose some performance when you fill its tank with a lower octane fuel. 

What Is An Octane Rating?

Green red blue black fuel pistols on fuel station.

At a gas station, you may notice numbers on the gas pumps. These numbers range from 87, 89, 92, and many more. They pertain to the fuel's octane rating. The higher the octane rating, the more the gas costs and the more gas can resist knocking during combustion.

If you have an older vehicle, you will get away with 87. A higher octane rating gives you minimal performance or difference. A reasonably new car can benefit from higher octane.

However, you must fuel a high-performance or premium vehicle with whatever the manufacturer suggests. In most cases, it's typically 91 octanes or above. Check your user manual to know more about your vehicle's recommended octane rating.

Summing Up

A car parked on the side of the road, an empty red canister. Selective focus, noise. The driver is on the road. Help on the road. Fuel shortage - oil, diesel, gasoline, petrol

It is always a good idea to keep a funnel in the trunk of your car for emergency refueling. But if you don't have one, there are other methods you try for fueling up your car. You can use a bottle as a funnel or a gas can with a built-in nozzle.

Use an airtight canister to avoid evaporation when storing fuel in gas cans. Also, keep the gas canisters cool and away from direct sunlight. Fuel isn't interchangeable, but you can use a lower or higher gasoline octane rating in an emergency.

For more automotive topics and tips, check out the following posts.

Will Head Gasket Sealer Ruin An Engine? [Can It Cause Engine Damage?]

Car Makes Noise When Releasing Gas Pedal – What Could Be Wrong?

How To Open A Frozen Gas Door And Cap [4 Helpful Methods]

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