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What do I do if someone put something in my gas tank?

I’m pretty sure my gas tank has been contaminated. When I walked outside this morning I noticed my gas cap was open and there were what looked like sugar or sand particles around the gas opening. What should I do about this?

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Abbey Orzech · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If someone put something in your gas tank, the first thing not to do is drive. Driving your vehicle will circulate the contaminated fuel through your engine and at best clog up your injectors, at worst cause serious and expensive engine damage.
Document everything including all the details of the open gas cap and even the date and time you noticed it. Then find a gas tank specialist mechanic and have your car towed to them so they can confirm the issue. It’s a good idea to take note of all correspondence and actions with the mechanic for insurance purposes.
Call your
car insurance
agency and make them aware of the problem. Vandalism is typically covered if you have
comprehensive insurance
, but make sure you keep all records of the incident to
support your claim
.
And if your insurance policy doesn’t cover you, consider upgrading your plan to work better for your needs. With
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