Serious question. Last July after waiting 2 weeks to pick up my new GLC, we drove it home to Galveston the weekend that Hurricane Beryl hit. Our insurance company wouldn't cover the car until after the hurricane passed. The power failed due to downed lines so we were without electricity for 5+ days. I had a small 1000 watt generator which powered the refrigerator. We live in an all electric townhouse. Natural gas for a generator is unavailable. Solar with batteries is probably around $20k or more. Generac sells a big gasoline generator on wheels which can be spliced into the house grid to run a limited amount of stuff. By now with the headline you can see where this is going. When the power failed like it did, the gas stations couldn't pump. Once the power came on, getting gas was difficult for many reasons. We gassed up the cars before Beryl. So there we were with about 35 gallons of gas between the 2 cars. Later on I took a small dia tube and tried to get it down into the tank of the GLE. Nope. So what does the wisdom of the herd think? How can I, hopefully safely, get at all that lovely gas in my cars?

The problem with most siphoning devices is that that hoses are stored coiled up. When you insert them down the filler neck, once they enter the tank, they curl up above the fuel level and you end up sucking air. You can try stretching the hoses first -- sometimes that will help straighten them. Or look for a siphon device that has more flexible hoses than vinyl with less curl memory. Whatever you do, get a siphon hose that includes a pump to draw out the fuel. Using oral suction will make you sick.

Most modern cars have valves or ball drops that stop gas from leaking in the event of a roll over. The best way to syphon from modern cars is to get yourself some rigid smaller diameter tubing, like the kind used for ice makers on fridges. At the end you’re gonna stick in the car cut a 45 degree angle into it so it makes its way through the valve easier. You’ll be able to feel it go through the roll over check valve. Then cut the tube farther up and add a fuel primer pump ball like from a portable gas can for an outboard, and add additional tubing after. This works best for modern cars IMO.