Water in the Fuel Tank of Your Bike?

There are several ways in which water can enter your bike’s petrol tank. The most common possibilities are when you go to refill your tank from the petrol station or because of condensation from within your fuel tank itself because of the weather. Most bikers will notice this problem when they face difficulty in starting their bike (ignition issues) or when their bike randomly stops, etc. Once you face this issue, you will want to immediately remove water from the petrol tank, and the first step for this is knowing how much water has entered the fuel tank.

The solutions to removing the water in the bike’s petrol tank include changing the fuel filter, draining the fuel tank for the purpose of cleaning it, or adding things to your fuel tank. However, all these solutions require mechanical expertise. You can even use your bike insurance policy to fix up your vehicle. With insurance for 2-wheeler by Tata AIG, you can access an extensive network of more than 7500 garages for cashless repairs.

Most commonly, if there is water in your bike's fuel tank, you will face issues concerning ignition, acceleration, and abrupt stops. If these issues continue to afflict your vehicle, you might need to head to your nearest garage to check if there is water in the petrol tank.

Here’s how you can check this for yourself:

• Take a look at the colour of your fuel. If it appears darker, there’s likely water present in your fuel tank.

• Do a smell check. The fuel tank will emit a foul smell if it has water.

• The presence of water can also lead to microbial growth, so you can keep an eye out for it

• You can even lace your dipstick with a water-finding paste to detect the presence of water in your fuel tank

Once you verify the presence of water in your fuel tank, you must seek the help of a mechanic to get the water out. Doing so will help prevent any further damage to your vehicle.

The fuel tank is exclusively meant for fuel. If any alien, external element enters it, it malfunctions and can damage your bike. Here’s what happens if water gets into the petrol tank in a bike:

• Rusting

The first issue with water in your petrol tank is rusting because water and fuel cannot mix. The water eventually sinks to the bottom of the petrol tank, and if it stays there for a while, it will cause rusting. Moreover, with any ridges or edges to the fuel tank, this process only hastens.

• Stressing the Fuel Injector

The newer vehicles come with an injector in place of a carburettor. The function of this fuel injector is to ensure seamless facilitation of the fuel to the combustion chamber. The injector's pores are designed to only have the required amount of fuel sprayed through them. Even the density of the fuel determines the efficiency of the fuel injector.

The presence of water, however, meddles with the efficient functionality of the fuel injector. Water induces density and keeps the injector from efficiently spraying the fuel through its pores. This stress on the injector can lead to further problems.

• Disturbing the Fuel Pump

For your bike to run, the fuel from the tank needs to be pumped into the engine. The fuel also assists in cooling and lubrication and water becomes a hurdle in this process. The fuel pump will also be disturbed by rusting and issues in the fuel injector.

• Inadequate Lubrication

When the water from the fuel tank mixes with the engine oil, it comes in the way of the engine’s lubrication process. The higher the proportion of the water, the greater the severity of the issue.

• Engine Seizure

If the aforementioned issues happen in unison or a combination of them occur at great intensity, it can cause a seizure of the bike’s engine. And engine seizure is no simple matter. You may have to get the engine replaced if this happens, and if you don’t have a bike insurance policy, this can be a significant cost to bear.

The answer to this question depends on the severity of the damage. When you take your bike to the mechanic, they may try to fix it with the following solutions:

• Draining and Refilling

One of the easiest solutions and perhaps the quickest fix is to drain the fuel tank and top it up with good quality fuel. However, this may be an expensive solution.

• Replacing the Filter

The fuel filter prevents water from entering the engine of the bike from the fuel tank. However, if water gets stuck in the fuel filter, it can get damaged and may malfunction. To fix this issue you can consider replacing the fuel filter.

• Rubbing Alcohol

Another way to remove water from the fuel tank is by rubbing alcohol. This is because alcohol will settle at the bottom of the fuel tank and absorb water. Once it accomplishes this, it will pass through the engine to eventually get combusted.

• Using Fuel Additives

Infusing the tank with fuel additives is another common solution that is employed by mechanics. The additives work by diluting the fuel and water. Typically, methanol-based additives can be used. However, this method only works only when there is less amount of water in the fuel tank.

Vehicles require maintenance. When bike owners neglect the indicators of their vehicle’s ill health, they only ensure an escalation of the issue and a heftier bill to pay later. To prevent this, every bike owner must pay heed to the problems in their vehicle and invest in comprehensive insurance for 2-wheeler.

A comprehensive bike insurance policy secures your vehicle from a host of scenarios right from accidental damages to theft. However, it is always advised to compare two-wheeler insurance to help you make an informed purchase.