Master Auto Repair and Detailing

Don't Let Your Car's Fuel Line Freeze Up

It's a frigidly cold morning, and your car won't start. You found your jumper cables and enlisted a neighbor's help to get going: no dice. That's because your battery isn't the problem. Your fuel lines have frozen.

Gasoline remains a liquid at most winter temperatures in North America, but the less gasoline you have in your tank, the more room there is for water vapor to collect in both your fuel tank and fuel lines. Some of this water vapor is from trace amounts of water that was mixed with the gasoline in your tank, while the rest comes in with outside air. If you leave your car parked for several hours in sub-freezing temperatures, those tiny water droplets can freeze into an icy clot that blocks your fuel line.

If you're expecting a serious cold snap, drop by your local auto supply store and pick up a bottle of fuel line antifreeze. Add the entire bottle to your fuel tank.

The bottom line: make sure you always keep a half tank of gas in the car during the winter. In addition to reducing the risk of frozen fuel lines, it helps ensure you'll have enough fuel to get home in bad weather, or that you can at least run your heater in the event that you're stranded in your car.

[Photo credit: Emerson12 via Flickr, used under CC-by-2.0 license]