Take two aspirin and call me in the morning

All this humid weather in Kansas is creating a very common problem that is easy to fix.

Water in your fuel tank.

A customer will call me and report their engine is running badly, the check engine light is flashing, or just after they filled with fuel, the engine "jerks", etc.

The first thing I suggest:  Put two bottles of gas line antifreeze in the fuel tank, run it for at least 20 miles, and see if it clears up.

I know, I know, "take two aspirin and call me in the morning."  But, try it first before you have a shop spend a bunch of your money on diagnostics and repairs you don't need.

Here is my over-the-counter speech:

     When a weather front comes through, the high pressure, moisture laden air, gets sucked down the vent tubes for the underground tanks at the convenience store.  The moisture in the air condenses on the walls of the tank, runs down to the bottom(because it is heavier than fuel), and builds up until the alarm goes off in the store to have the contaminated water removed.  The water does not always get removed right away so the water builds up to the point of the fuel suction tube that puts fuel in your vehicle, and you pump a mixture of water and fuel into your tank.  Depending how long the water was left to build up, determines how much water you pump into your tank.  So, once-a-month, put at least one bottle of gas line antifreeze in your fuel tank.  It combines with the water molecules and moves them through as a fuel instead of water.  Thus, preventing engine troubles that seem serious.

Now please understand that the fuel tank in your vehicle condenses moisture as well, naturally.  But moist weather conditions aggravate the normal.  Also letting your vehicle sit around for several weeks without driving it causes more condensation than normal in your vehicle's tank.

So use gas line antifreeze all year round at least once-a-month.  Save yourself repair bills you don't need.

"Take two aspirin and call me in the morning."