What should you do if somebody puts sugar in your gas tank?

If you feel as if you’ve fallen victim to the sugar in the gas tank prank, there is likely nothing to be concerned about, but you may wish still wish to exercise caution before attempting to start your car. As we said before, the symptom of having a car hard to start is not because of sugar mixing with gasoline and getting into the engine – it’s due to sugar turning into a mud-like-substance and clogging the fuel pump. If the fuel pump gets clogged, it can burn up or become damaged if it’s not cooled by liquid gasoline.

So, if you suspect that somebody has put gas in your tank, there’s likely nothing to be concerned about. However, to err on the side of caution you may wish to avoid starting your car before having it inspected. Call a tow truck or a mobile mechanic and have them inspect your fuel tank for sugar. If it has sugar, they’ll likely be able to remove it from your tank before causing damage to the fuel pump and fuel system.