Syphoned Gas

 

I need to preface this blog with admitting this is one of the stupid things I've done, but you've got to learn to laugh at your mistakes, so here goes. I had a training early this week for work, so a colleague and I drove down in my car. We ate dinner, stopped at a store to browse, and decided to check into our hotel for the evening. Upon arriving, I glanced at my gas gauge noticing over half a tank of gas. I wouldn't need to refill until I got home. As we exited my car, I saw a sign posted by the car stating the hotel was not responsible for what happens to your car. We also glanced at a sign showing that the parking was $10. I did not want to pay for parking, so I told my coworker I would check in and then come back to move my car. We checked in and went to our rooms after a card mix-up and the worker forgetting to give me the card key in our card packet. I quickly walked to my car and started it only to find my gas gauge reading empty. I had only been parked for 15 minutes. I thought I would go get gas first. I backed out, drove a block, then changed my mind thinking I might not have enough gas to make it to the gas station since I didn't know where one was. I drove back to the hotel with the light still on and parked. I waited in line at the hotel check-in thinking about if anyone saw me leaving my car. When it was my turn I mentioned that I arrived with half a tank of gas, and now it was empty without enough to make it to a gas station. The lady called her manager who then offered to shuttle me to a station and even found a gas can. He mentioned there was enough gas in the can that I could probably make it. We turned the car on. It was in a flatter place, but the light was still activated. He put the gas can nozzle in the car and proceeded to pour, only for the gas to pour out the bottom of my car! At this point, I processed that my light came on after sitting 15 minutes in the parking lot. It didn't go off driving it, and when he poured it wouldn't hold gas. My conclusion- someone must have cut my fuel line to steal gas! I called my husband, who was amazing enough to drive down 4 hours the next day with a car hauler. I went to my training, and my son and he loaded my car. At lunch, I called to which he told me not to worry. It would be fine. Upon picking me up at the end of the day, my husband told me he had already repaired the car. Then both my son and my husband began to laugh hysterically. This did not bode well for me. My husband explained that I had parked on a hill and all the gas moved to a part of the tank and triggered the sensor. "Why didn't it go off when I drove a block and back and parked it in a flatter spot?" I asked.  I was told that it had to stay flat longer and then restart it to reset the system. "Why did the gas pour out?" I asked. His response was that my car had an anti-syphoning tank. A what? Apparently, there are little buttons inside my gas tank that need to be triggered to open a gas seal inside. The gas nozzle at a gas station does this. The man's gas can did not. He hadn't even inserted in the tank, even though it looked like it was in. He was literally pouring gas down the inside panel of my car to the ground. So all in all, I learned about anti-syphoning gas tanks, and that maybe I need to lay off the mysteries so that I don't find look for mysteries that don't actually exist!

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!