Sugar in tank???!!!

[lburnham84]

I took my car to the shop a week ago and today their update was, "we think there's sugar in your tank." Long story short someone has being vandalizing my truck and I have no hard proof but know it is him! I drove it for a month before I took it to the shop although it was already running rough and stalling. They told me the entire passenger side of my engine is dead?? Cylinders 1, 3 and 5. They ran a compression test and everything reads clear. He is saying there is nothing mechanically wrong, so there must be something electrical. Does this sound right? I'm not sure what to do next. I'm hoping my truck can be save and not cost a ton! Someone please please help me! This is driving me CrAzY not to add I want to ruin his mustang soooo bad! But I'm going to act like the adult, right??? ​

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[94explorer2x4]

Read
http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp Their must be something wrong electronically are the injectors pulsing? Is it getting spark? Also if 2 cylinders go dead it will be hardly drivable let alone 3 cylinders something is fishy. Was it throwing codes for the 3 cylinders? Also with 3 cylindrs "dead" it would have had a blinking check engine light unless it is not getting fuel to all three cylinders

Good luck, Nathan

 

[boominXplorer]

I bet the shop has no idea what they are talking about and you have a timing chain issue. That would make sense if it was all on 1 side of the motor. The guides are worn or broken giving slack in the chain which is making the timing of the cam go out of wack.

 

[94explorer2x4]

I bet the shop has no idea what they are talking about and you have a timing chain issue. That would make sense if it was all on 1 side of the motor. The guides are worn or broken giving slack in the chain which is making the timing of the cam go out of wack.

Definetly a good posibility is that chain on the front or back of the motor?
Nate

 

[lburnham84]

They are getting a spark. When I had the codes pulled before I took t to the shop it was p0301 p0302 and p0303...

 

[waskly]

if you have no compression on a cylinder its a mechanical issues not electrical.

the base engine is damage.

i would get a 2nd opinion tho since they dont know what they are talking about.

you would also need about 10-20 lbs of sugar to do harm. dont ask how i know this. and the harm it would do is just clog the fuel filter.

 

[Gabe96Explorer]

if you have no compression on a cylinder its a mechanical issues not electrical.

the base engine is damage.

i would get a 2nd opinion tho since they dont know what they are talking about.

you would also need about 10-20 lbs of sugar to do harm. dont ask how i know this. and the harm it would do is just clog the fuel filter.

yep.

 

[lburnham84]

Before I took it in I did notice that the check engine light did blink.

 

[pickupman6]

when u said the compression test was clear what do u mean, do u mean the compression is fine or there is none. if the compression is good that rules out the timing chains. i would guess fuel injextors got stopped up, but then u arent gettin any lean codes. and to clear up what i meant about the timing chains, if ur chain was off enough to make it run as bad as u say, the compression would drop off.

 

[94explorer2x4]

when u said the compression test was clear what do u mean, do u mean the compression is fine or there is none. if the compression is good that rules out the timing chains. i would guess fuel injextors got stopped up, but then u arent gettin any lean codes. and to clear up what i meant about the timing chains, if ur chain was off enough to make it run as bad as u say, the compression would drop off.

Not necessarily Had a vw that was off one tooth and showed good compression spark and fuel was throwing cam position codes but that had more sensors than the explore also and vvt. but was missing and throwing missfre codes for all 4cyl
Nate

 

[msilver]

I have only seen one car that sugar had been dumped in the tank be for. What happened to it was that sugar had run threw the fuel lines and had clogged up 5 out of 6 of the injectors. I would look into that. We changed all 6 injectors and we had to replace the fuel pump, because it was gummed up too.

 

[lburnham84]

I did have the spark plugs and wires changed 2 weeks ago because of codes p0172 and p0175. After the plugs were changed was when the light came on. When they told me about the compression test, they just said everything was good.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Which shop did you take your truck?

I too am in austin and unless you know the people very well you might get any type of diagnosis which might be close to the truth or just a guesstimate...

If there is sugar in the fuel tank the fuel pump would pick it up and try to pump it through the fuel system...It would pretty much be stopped by the external fuel filter just like rust from the inside of the tank is trapped when I had a rusty tank...

None of the rusty fuel got through the filter that I could tell...But changing the filter is only a stopgap...Any substance inside the tank will need to be removed;either by a radiator shop or by replacing the tank especially if it has any rust inside as well..

 

[lburnham84]

Well the shop just called and confirmed the sugar! There is sugar crystals covering the fuel regulator. They said 3 of my injectors might need replacing and maybe my fuel pump and regulator. Is there anything I can do about this? File an insurance claim? Police report? I know this is going to cost a ton! I'm so pissed at this a-hole that has nothing better to do with his life than mess up mine!

 

[Gabe96Explorer]

there are walk-through's on this site to do all of that. if you got tools, get it done.

 

[1AJeremyD]

Not much you can but suck it up and pay to have it done by someone if you don't have the means to. Calling the police with no evidence is like throwing a rock at a tank, nothing happens.

 

[Gabe96Explorer]

Not much you can but suck it up and pay to have it done by someone if you don't have the means to. Calling the police with no evidence is like throwing a rock at a tank, nothing happens.

Get a gas cap with a lock...

Goto the shop and ask them to show you the sugar... don't believe it until you see it.

 

[lburnham84]

I saw the sugar! There is tons of it. My shop bill is $1500! My entire fuel system is basically being replaced and 3 injectors. I filed a police report and insurance claim. Let's just hope the insurance covers it. Fingers crossed!

 

[1AJeremyD]

As long as you have vandalism insurance on the truck you should have it covered I would suspect.

Those locking gas cap are only a deterrent. If someone wants to get in there to do harm they will. Just sucks to have someone throw sugar inside someones gas tank. Any reason why someone would do that to you burnham?

 

[Gabe96Explorer]

Someone is quite pissed at you my friend... ex-gf maybe?