Artificial Fuel???

[JimIsbell]

I was given a 64 oz container of "Rescue emergency fuel additive" made by "Pennzoil". Is this stuff safe to use in the Insight. The label claims that it will NOT run in a cold engine and that immediately after running out of fuel...presumably before the engine cools down....you should add the "Rescue" and drive to the nearest gas station and refuel with gasoline. It claims it wont hurt the engine.

I am considering carrying it in the car to make a "bottom of tank" run. I usually take a car out to find where the fuel runs out on the gauge whenever I get a new car. I have not yet done that on the Insight and need to do it. I, now, always take fuel with me on these runs because you never know when the fuel will run out. But, I remember my 1955 Ford that I got when I was first married and I decided to do this. I reasoned that if I stayed in town toward the end I would always be within 2 blocks of a gas station so it wouldn't be a bad walk to get fuel. But that was when I was young and naive. Technically I was right on. BUT....when I ran out it was in a driving rain storm and I had no umbrella. I was only 2 blocks away from the station but I got thoroughly soaked and my wife got thoroughly pissed.

[wstander]

Originally Posted by JimIsbell

I was given a 64 oz container of "Rescue emergency fuel additive" made by "Pennzoil". Is this stuff safe to use in the Insight. The label claims that it will NOT run in a cold engine and that immediately after running out of fuel...presumably before the engine cools down....you should add the "Rescue" and drive to the nearest gas station and refuel with gasoline. It claims it wont hurt the engine.

.

Gee, at first blush, so long as you are going to carry 64 oz of volatile, why not just carry 128 oz of gasoline? Running the fuel tank to zero makes no sense to me, but hey, whatever floats thine boat

(In my old '61 beetle, I could never remember which way the reserve tank switch was to point..it was a lever on the floor..so I just carried 1 gal of gas strapped with a bungee under the front bonnet..)

[satchel]

How would you determine the actual capacity of your fuel tank wstander? You're obviously not concerned with that parameter of your car's fuel system. I like knowing if I can make it to that station down the road with 15-20 cent less expensive gas.
It was bottled in a special double walled container and nowhere near as volatile as gasoline. In looking I could not find what the stuff is except that it has a high flash point, missing many of the volatile components of gasoline and that it's been discontinued for some reason. Your jug could be old and have lost octane, plus a number of comments said it made their cars run crappy. I think it was meant as a fuel additive but Pennzoil found it would run a car a short way. I don't think I'd want it in my Insight's fuel system.
It retailed for $14.95 @ half gallon. We thought $4 gas was high! Maybe you could use it up a little at a time in a lawn mower.

[wstander]

Originally Posted by satchel

How would you determine the actual capacity of your fuel tank wstander? You're obviously not concerned with that parameter of your car's fuel system. I like knowing if I can make it to that station down the road with 15-20 cent less expensive gas.
It was bottled in a special double walled container and nowhere near as volatile as gasoline. In looking I could not find what the stuff is except that it has a high flash point, missing many of the volatile components of gasoline and that it's been discontinued for some reason. Your jug could be old and have lost octane, plus a number of comments said it made their cars run crappy. I think it was meant as a fuel additive but Pennzoil found it would run a car a short way. I don't think I'd want it in my Insight's fuel system.
It retailed for $14.95 @ half gallon. We thought $4 gas was high! Maybe you could use it up a little at a time in a lawn mower.

Well, I track my mileage religiously, filling at 1/4 to 1/2 tank at known stations (price, quality) while near my normal driving routes. Driving 10-15 miles out of my way to save .05 per gallon seems wasteful as well.

Knowing that I get say 40mpg, and the tank is nominally 10 gallons, that is 400 miles; far exceeding the range of my bladder

Another note, draining all of the fuel from the tank exposes the fuel pump, which is normally submerged in the fuel. That may cause more damage to the other fuel delivery parts, but I am not certain of that.

Anyway, I am deatlhly afraid of running enpty on the 2 mile long bridge that I traverse daily, so I refuel often..

[JimIsbell]

Originally Posted by wstander

Anyway, I am deatlhly afraid of running empty on the 2 mile long bridge that I traverse daily, so I refuel often..

I dont fear running out of gas (dont really fear much...my wife is the opposite, fears EVERYTHING), I have done it often enough. It wont hurt the car and even those doomsayers that say you cant run a diesel out of fuel are wrong...if its a car. A boat is another matter. Cars PUSH the diesel to the engine while boats PULL the diesel to the engine......BIG difference if you get air in the system!!!

Running crappy is not my concern if I am only going 10 miles to the next (not 10 miles out of the way,..... NEXT.....) gas station or even 30 miles...as I might get that much out of 64 oz. Refilling should cure the crappy running.

[satchel]

Found the MSDS. MSDS 00000039

It is hydrotreated heavy naphtha and heavy aromatic solvent naphtha.

[wstander]

Oh goody...more explosive stuff in my car

[Waynetc]

If you decide to do this and smell something burning, it is the fuel pump.

Been there, done that, never again.

[JimIsbell]

You used "Rescue" and burned up the fuel pump? Why did it burn up the fuel pump? What car? More details???

I really dont like third party anecdotes that dont give the details. There is more to be seen here.

[discovery]

I think you can go about 18/20 miles with empty tank