Accessing the fuel in modern vehicle gas tank, to run generator

[wrcsixeight]

Every suggestion I made pre storm to my 85 year old former engineer father was rebuffed. especially the 'get more gasoline containers' one.

Luckily he was outside the eyewall.
regardless, he has no power,
He does have a Generator, but no more fuel for it.
Has a 2022 cadilliac with a full tank.
says hes gong to drive around and try to find a gas station that has power and is dispensing fuel.

I'm not sure how difficult it is to siphon fuel from the tank in such a vehicle, even if he had a siphon.
I doubt even with explicit directions on how to extract fuel safely on his vehicle, he would do it, but perhaps others can benefit from the shared knowledge, of how to do so.

My own vehicle I can get about 1/4 gallon at a time with a siphon, and in the past, have just run 12v direct to my fuel pump and disconnected a fuel line at external filter, but on anything modern, I'd have little idea where to start.

 

[atikovi]

He ain't getting a hose down past the roll-over valve.

 

[Dave9]

See if it has a rubber hose connecting the filler tube to the tank nipple. If so, maybe pop that off and siphon there. One way or the other, the tank and filler tube should be two separate pieces that come apart.

 

[wrcsixeight]

I'm 2500 miles away and have not yet even seen the vehicle in question, as it was leased after I was last there in March.

 

[WobblyElvis]

Is there no easy way to disconnect a fuel line before it gets to the GDI pump or fuel rail and then jump the fuel pump relay so that the in tank pump sends fuel out into a container? The clamps/fuel line connectors can tricky.

 

[RooflessVW]

Low pressure fuel line into a fuel can and jump the relay for the in-tank pump.

 

[PF52]

I was able to get quite a lot of gas out of a full tank by pressurizing it with my Motive pressure bleeder.

 

[AZjeff]

Every suggestion I made pre storm to my 85 year old father was rebuffed.

Been there. My dad was fiercely independent. Suggesting he take apart fuel lines on a new car might not be the best idea.

You can only do what you can do from a distance, he's going to do what he wants. Grit your teeth and appreciate you still have him to aggravate you.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Best to have it all figured out with the proper supply's before you need to do that. Either jumping at the relay and using the fuel pressure check port etc. A bidirectional scan tool can turn on a fuel pump. A fuel pressure gauge has the proper hose and connection.

 

[atikovi]

Instead of Macgyvering something together and possibly burning down a 2022 Cadillac, why doesn't he go to a motel for a few days until the power is restored? You really want a 85 year old climbing under the car or messing around under the hood?

 

[nthach]

run 12v direct to my fuel pump and disconnected a fuel line at external filter, but on anything modern, I'd have little idea where to start.

Modern cars have a quick-connect at the fuel rail - on American and European cars, a quick-connect disconnect tool is needed, on a Japanese car, a nylon clip is squeezed to disconnects. And then the fuel pump relay can be pulled with the ignition on and jumped to run the pump.

Note, some cars have a fuel pump controller and an 85 year old shouldn’t muck around his car.

 

[wrcsixeight]

My father will not take any suggestion I make.
I've been wrong since I was in the womb, and likely before.

I made this thread to perhaps help others, satisfy my own curiosity as to how to extract fuel, safely, from a modern vehicle, in an emergency.

 

[BigCahuna]

This ain't gonna help him now, but when things get back to normal get a adapter kit to run the genny on propane. Keep a couple tanks handy for this kind of events.,,

 

[wrcsixeight]

Hutch mountain eu3000is propane conversion kit, under 300$
He has a large 300 gallon propane tank buried in backyard for gas grille, and is lamenting not being able to access it.

He says he can run generator for 2 hours to bring freezer back down to 0f, and claims he should have enough gasoline until tomorrow if just running it intermittently.
While he has had this generator for 15+ years, and has wired up dedicated lines for fridge, this is the first time he has needed it.

His phone will not access internet, only texts are getting through.

FPL website not helpful as to where/when power will be restored.

 

[andrew_j]

If shipping an option send a 3000w invertor and have him idle the Caddy with it hooked up.

My father in law runs his invertor for hours with his F150 Idling during storms running his boiler, tv, lamp, fridge and coffee pot.

Fuel for an 85 year old is recipe for disaster out of a modern car!

 

[wrcsixeight]

An inverter on an idling engine will certainly work, but is a pretty inefficient generator.

Also, a maxxed out alternator at idle parked, is not a happy alternator.

I have acquired temperature data on my own alternator, and will no longer max out my alternator, at idle ,for more than a few minutes( making 50 amps) as it quickly gets to 220f, though at 65mph it stays under 140f making 121.4 amps.

100 amps at 14v, is 1400 watts

Alternators are only 55% efficient or so
Inverters are only About 85% efficient or so

 

[nomas]

Depending on where he lives he could be weeks away from getting power . That's worst case obviously .

 

[Dave9]

Instead of Macgyvering something together and possibly burning down a 2022 Cadillac, why doesn't he go to a motel for a few days until the power is restored? You really want a 85 year old climbing under the car or messing around under the hood?

Not a bad idea at all! I'd also wonder about an 85 y/o not having air conditioning if it gets hot.

Here, I have sufficient coolers that I put food in, when it comes time to defrost my deep freeze.

With a full tank of gas, pack the coolers with the more valuable food, pick up some ice down the road. Then again, I have freezers packed full of frozen tomatoes and bottles full of frozen water, so can use those as ice blocks or just not open the freezer and it will stay near freezing for several days. Plus bottles of ice = drinking water once molten.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Finding the gas station is the best bet. Pack a lunch, be patient and prepare to stay in a lineup for a while.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Believing any somewhat nearby motel has both power, and vacancy, at this moment, is not really realistic.

The FPL blackout maps would have one believe there is no reliable county wide power until several counties away.

Power Tracker Map

www.fplmaps.com