Running out of gas

• Years ago, after I had run out of gas by forgetting to look at my gas gauge (for about the third time) I decided I would always carry a small jerry can of gasoline for emergencies. For about a year, I carried a 10 L plastic fuel can, but over time the gasoline seeped through the plastic, and the interior of my car smelled like gasoline. Not only that, but in the summer, it would swell up like a balloon. So I found a military surplus fuel container with much thicker walls, but still plastic. As with the previous container, it swelled up when it got hot, and eventually smelled of gasoline. I decided that a metal jerry can with a good seal was the answer. I ordered one online for about $35, which seemed like a good deal, but after I filled it, I had the strong smell of gasoline in my car. I found the cause to be a small leak at the bottom, where the seams were joined. I returned it, and ordered another. Unfortunately it leaked also, but instead of returning it again, I assumed that these were rejects, therefore the low price, and I endeavored to fix it myself. I looked for "fuel tank sealer" but it only came in large cans, much more than I needed, so I decided on the old remedy, Seal-all. It's made for gas tanks, but it comes in a tube and is made to apply to the outside as a temporary fix. I wanted to have it fill the seam-gap from the inside, but that was impossible. I researched which solvent would thin Seal-all, and it was acetone. So I mixed about half a tube of Seal-all in a half a cup of acetone, poured it into the jerry can, swished it around (after I'd emptied it of gasoline and let it dry out) and left it on a level place outside to evaporate. It took about a day for the acetone to evaporate, and then I filled the can with gasoline. So far, no sign of leaks at all.
• It is technically illegal to carry a container of fuel in your car where I live, but I keep it in the cardboard box it came in, so it's not obvious to anyone that I have it.

 

A plastic Coke bottle will expand and smell,
just like a plastic fuel container.

 

You're probably right Mendel, since I haven't run out of fuel for decades.
But I'm too old to change now.

My car averages about 5 L/100 km in cold weather, so a 2L bottle would take me about 40 kms. Not really enough if I were in a remote part of Alberta. I once ran out of gas between Red Earth and Peace River; dangerous place to be stranded. I know someone who had a flat tire, and was hit over the head with a tire iron and his truck stolen. No thanks on that one.

 

Plastic fuel cans are OK for a few months, until the volatile elements begin to escape through the plastic. They also swell up like a football when the interior temperatures rise. That's why I went with the metal can.

I just checked the metal can I keep in my car, and I noticed no gasoline smell at all.

 

You have a point, because the chances of running out of gas in my Prius are slim. There are plenty of warnings, and there's always a bit of EV range in reserve.

I did let my Gen 3 run out of gas, but I was deliberately trying to do so. When the engine stopped, I continued to drive it on EV power. When I could drive no more, I was disappointed to see that I had no fuel can in my car. As it was, I only had to walk a few hundred meters to a gas station.

 

Still, I'm a bit proud of having solved the problem so elegantly. No need for pictures, it's easy to imagine.

If you look in my hatch, you'll see a nondescript cardboard box is all.

 

Thank you.

 

Safety trolls are everywhere it seems. One even asserted that lithium ion cells will explode if dropped.