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Post by flanz on Jun 21, 2017 20:25:35 GMT
Happened to my friend this week. She filled up one night, drove four miles, and woke up to a gas gauge reading E.
Wondering if I should buy a locking gas cap. Do you have one? Any issues with it? Thanks!
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Post by workingclassdog on Jun 21, 2017 20:26:59 GMT
Nope never.
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Post by femalebusiness on Jun 21, 2017 20:35:05 GMT
In the 1970s gas shortage it happened often. Everyone bought locking gas caps.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378 
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Post by katybee on Jun 21, 2017 20:37:44 GMT
Is a locking cap one that has a release inside the car, or is it something more?
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Post by hop2 on Jun 21, 2017 20:40:29 GMT
Only in the 80's it's harder now to do.
My work car doesn't even have a gas cap
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Post by anniefb on Jun 21, 2017 20:40:54 GMT
No. You need my key to open the petrol cap.
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Post by Sam on Jun 21, 2017 20:45:45 GMT
I did - they tried to get to something under the car and when I went out to go to work there was a strong smell of petrol (gas). The tank still showed as being fairly full, so I couldn't understand at first - apparently, they cut the wrong side of something or other (the tubing which takes the gas to the engine - seriously, I am no mechanic, so that's the best I can explain!!).
Another time, I found out when I got home and the cover for the nozzle (!) and a note had been posted through my door - they tried to get in that way and got disturbed.
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Post by Sam on Jun 21, 2017 20:46:38 GMT
Only in the 80's it's harder now to do. My work car doesn't even have a gas capWhat?   |
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Post by katlady on Jun 21, 2017 20:48:00 GMT
Is a locking cap one that has a release inside the car, or is it something more? You need a key to take off the gas cap, it is seperate from the release inside the car. I remember my dad bought them for his cars during the gas shortage. I think his cars also did not have a release like newer cars do now. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jun 21, 2017 20:53:02 GMT
A locking gas cap can cost you more than a tank of gas. If they want it bad enough they will cut the lines or puncture the gas tank.
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Post by hop2 on Jun 21, 2017 20:53:24 GMT
Only in the 80's it's harder now to do. My work car doesn't even have a gas capWhat? It's a Ford Focus and there's no gas cap. There's some sort of thing inside the hose that springs closed but no gas cap to remove. I was confused too when I started driving the car. Thought someone had lost it. |
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Post by Sam on Jun 21, 2017 20:56:32 GMT
What? It's a Ford Focus and there's no gas cap. There's some sort of thing inside the hose that springs closed but no gas cap to remove. I was confused too when I started driving the car. Thought someone had lost it. I would have thought that as well - I've never heard of that (but I also haven't driven a Ford Focus!). Thanks for clarifying because it was so confusing to me! |
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by ellen on Jun 21, 2017 21:35:25 GMT
Back in the early 90s gas was expensive at the time Iraq was invaded. I was living in an apartment at the time. I gassed up my car at the end of the week and over the weekend noticed that my car had about 1/4 tank in it. My roommate that same day said that she had filled up her car and it was almost empty. We figured that our gas was stolen. It never happened again.
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MizIndependent
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Quit your bullpoop.
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Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jun 21, 2017 21:39:31 GMT
Locking gas cap is great protection in most situations but it doesn't stand in the way of a thief who knows what they're doing.
A determined, knowledgeable thief will just cut the gas line underneath the vehicle and drain it out that way. It's super crappy because repairing a gas line is kind spendy.
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Post by unknown pea on Jun 21, 2017 21:54:38 GMT
What? It's a Ford Focus and there's no gas cap. There's some sort of thing inside the hose that springs closed but no gas cap to remove. I was confused too when I started driving the car. Thought someone had lost it. It's called a pressure cap. My fiesta has it. It makes it almost impossible to siphon gas however, if you want to put gas in from a gas can instead of the pump, you have to use the special funnel. I've never had my gas stolen however when I was much younger, (teenager) I dated someone who used to steal people's gas. Never when I was with him. When someone did it to him, he was absolutely furious. And he never stole gas again. |
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Post by elaine on Jun 21, 2017 21:59:56 GMT
They have started doing away with gas caps and locking gas doors in US cars. My husband drives a Ford Fusion - no gas cap or locking door. I drive a Buick Enclave with bells and whistles galore, but no internal release door to get to the gas cap. You just push on the gas door and it unlatches.
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Post by ametallichick on Jun 21, 2017 22:29:48 GMT
What? It's a Ford Focus and there's no gas cap. There's some sort of thing inside the hose that springs closed but no gas cap to remove. I was confused too when I started driving the car. Thought someone had lost it. I drive a Ford Transit for work sometimes and there's no gas cap. |
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Post by librarylady on Jun 21, 2017 22:39:23 GMT
I think all Ford products do not have a gas cap.
Nice at the service station 'cause you don't have to worry, "Did I remember to put the cap on?"
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Post by laureljean on Jun 21, 2017 22:41:02 GMT
Not since the '70's during the oil embargo.
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linda~lou
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Keep calm and eat crumpets
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Jun 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT
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Post by linda~lou on Jun 21, 2017 22:57:51 GMT
Ok reminds me of a funny story my dad told me. Probably back in 70's. A guy from his office got a new VW and all he could do was talk about the great gas mileage he got. My dad and coworkers all had big gas guzzlers and were tired of his bragging. So to keep up his thinking he had such great mileage, the guys started putting gas INTO his car There was a method to their madness though.
This went on for about a week and the guy would come in and rave about how he's been driving for over a week and needle hasn't budged.
So then the guys started syphoning gas OUT of the car, little by little. So now the guy wasn't bragging so much about great mileage. The guys would ask him hey how's the VW and my dad said he'd mumble oh great. So this went on for a week and they finally took enough out that car was on empty.
The guy couldn't figure it out. Fortunately the guy had a great sense of humor so when the guys let him in on the joke, he thought it was pretty funny and they all got a really big laugh.
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 18:26:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2017 22:59:09 GMT
Yes.
We rented a kind of, sort of duplex.
The people above us would siphon off just enough do we would not notice. We thought my old car was just getting bad gas mileage. When we moved , all of sudden we realized that we only needed to fill the tank once a week!!!!
Karma got the bitch and her kids.
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marimoose
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Post by marimoose on Jun 21, 2017 23:07:04 GMT
I haven't and I don't have a locking gas cap currently but have in the past. That is pretty darned crappy to go to the effort to steal someone's gas when relatively speaking, gas is cheap.
I did have guys come up and beg for gas at various times and once I actually did pump $10 into his container and I did watch him go put it in his tank. I never do things like that but there was something compelling, believable about his story and he was trying to comeby gasoline somewhat honestly by asking.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jun 21, 2017 23:18:13 GMT
I don't have a locking gas cap.
I've been lucky enough to never have gas stolen from my car, but I'd be very upset if i did.
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Post by Scrappyhappy on Jun 21, 2017 23:29:36 GMT
In the 1970s gas shortage it happened often. Everyone bought locking gas caps.  |
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luckyexwife
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Post by luckyexwife on Jun 22, 2017 0:21:49 GMT
I have friends that live on a farm, and they have a large gas barrel on their property. They figured out that someone was stealing gas when they were gone on weekends. They took an extra gas hose, as they have two big gas tanks and two diesel tanks, filled it with sugar, and attached it to the gas barrel. They knew which gas barrel not to use, but the thief didn't. After that, they didn't have any more issues with stolen gas! They did get locks for all of their barrels though, so they haven't had that issue again. Through everyone talking in a small town, they did figure out who was stealing the gas!
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Post by buddysmom on Jun 22, 2017 0:50:37 GMT
I sort of dated a guy/hood/spoiled brat in the 70s.
Yep, he siphoned gas out of cars for his hot rod car. He smelled like gas. Wonder if he smoked if he would blow up??
Also he made bomb (not really but these things that had a lot of power). One blew a few of his fingers off as a teenager.
He used to do burnouts out of our driveway and my dad would get so mad!
Fast forward to today--he is president of some type of cable company, owns a snazzy restaurant in my home town that has gotten rave reviews for years. Donates to Boy Scouts, etc.
And his photos--he is always holding his hand either behind him or is hidden so people cant see the fingers that he blew off!
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kate
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Post by kate on Jun 22, 2017 1:11:26 GMT
I interrupted someone trying to steal gas from my parents' car in the 80's when I was coming home late one night. I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but I knew it was no good. He ran away before I figured it out.
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Deleted
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May 18, 2024 18:26:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2017 1:15:46 GMT
She filled up one night, drove four miles, and woke up to a gas gauge reading E. Is she sure her fuel sensor/pump isn't bad? |
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scrappinmama
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Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Jun 22, 2017 2:38:21 GMT
A locking gas cap can cost you more than a tank of gas. If they want it bad enough they will cut the lines or puncture the gas tank. I was going to say the same thing. I know someone who had their gas tank punctured. I haven't had gas stollen, but had my tags stolen twice. They pulled it right off my plate. So now I put the tag on the plate, then slice it with a blade. If they're going to steal it, it will be in little pieces and probably take longer t remove. |
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Post by Merge on Jun 22, 2017 2:58:21 GMT
In college in the 90s. It was common. The parking lots for students were well away from the main part of campus, and generally we'd leave our cars out there for a week or more ... and some idiot would siphon the gas out of your tank to avoid buying his own. It was common enough that campus security kept a supply of gas cans to come around and put enough in your tank (for a fee) to get you to the gas station.
For my car now, if the car is locked (and it always is), the little door to the gas tank is locked. I guess somebody could cut the line, but they'd probably pick a car higher off the ground and with a bigger tank than my Mini has.
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