I just got my fuel tank siphoned today, only lost a half tank and they left me with enough to get to school and back. So all in all not a bad day. At least they didnt tap the tank. Have been at my place for 1.5 years and this is the first time ive had this happen.
Posting to see if there are any popular/proven methods to prevent fuel theft via siphoning. So far ive considered the locking fuel cap (apparently easy to defeat) and this Stanco Gas Bandit device that is fairly cheap and simple... just a curly wire you put in your filler hole.

If i make the tank too hard to siphon maybe they'll just tap the tank so maybe im wasting my time. Advice would be appreciated.

 

Well, aside from the locking gas cap and a locking fuel door....I think your options are very slim.

I would just NOT fill it up at the gas pumps. Go to half or 3/4 maybe...?

I thought someone had tried to siphon my gas before at my old apartment, because the fuel door was open and the gas cap was off. Still had a full tank, so I assumed there was a "stopper" in the neck somewhere.
And it's been nearly 4 years ago, so I assume they didn't put sugar in there.

 

See if you can set up a surveillance system over where your truck is parked. They're extremely cheap now. Depending on where you live, also get a gun because you have the right to protect your property.

 

Yeah im going to just run on 1/2 tanks for the next few weeks.. fuel door was closed but cap left on back bumper.. So i dont know if they tapped it or were successful with the siphon..
Also found a small green ribbon coming out of the filler hole.. maybe a calling card? lol made me think the same thing with the sugar though like what is in my tank now.

Yeah i guess getting a plate number is better than nothing. Will have to run it by the landlord since its an unsecured underground for my apartment. Unfortunately I live in BC, Canada where stand your ground laws and such dont fly..

 

Depends how smart - or rather desperate - the thieves are. Putting a lock might not be sufficient. I have heard some stories of literally drilled tanks from underneath. Surveillance does not always work as expected. A friends had a nice video of a guy going with grinder under their van and cutting the cat out. Here, police did not give a crap about, although they could easily trace the thief by just checking some nearby video records at a specific time and finding his car plates.

I would consider adding sort of a mesh somewhere on the supply pipe, that would prevent filling in the hose. Most likely directly at the tank, as the more bends the harder to push through the mesh.

 

That's interesting because I tried to siphon the fuel from my 01 blazer and was unable to do so because the hose wouldn't go past that check ball inside the filler neck.

 

The company I work for has had all their trucks tanks drilled before.. not super uncommon i guess. This stanco gas bandit product seems like it would defeat any hoses at the filler hole.

Maybe they did tap my tank... I checked underneath and its all intact and dry... Maybe ill find out when i fill it back up and it leaks out. I suppose the green thread i found was a ribbon of garden hose peeled off from the metal angles? idk.

 

Just get a decal that says, "Diesel Fuel Only" and stick it inside the gas door.

 

I have a 98 Blazer LT and I just replaced the fuel filler neck
all the way down to the tank. Both the original and the
replacement had a 'ping pong ball check valve' that would
make siphoning impossible.

I like the idea of Diesel Only ...

 

[QUOTE=N. Jensen;696139
And it's been nearly 4 years ago, so I assume they didn't put sugar in there.[/QUOTE]

The old wise tale of sugar in a gas tank ruining a engine is just that a old wise tale - sugar doesn't break down in gasoline the most it will do is plug up your fuel filter and even if it did the amount of sugar it would take to do any gumming up of anything in a engine the fuel would have to be well beyond syrup