Suppose you own a car manufactured as far back as ten years ago. In that case, there is a high tendency for someone to steal gas from your car in a much easier way compared to new models of vehicles that now have more security protecting car owners from car theft.
Old model cars, indeed, have no lock at the fuel level. However, even with the extra security installed into new car models, it is still not impossible for gas thieves to successfully loot away your car gas. The security system may only make the process slower, but with the right tools and time on their side, you can be sure that someone can steal gas from your car.
Now that you have had a glimpse of what type of questions we’ll be answering in this guide, it is best you read through to find a lasting solution to your car gas theft. Furthermore, we provide a decisive conclusion whether or not people steal gas from cars.
Is It Possible For Someone To Steal Gas From My Vehicle?
Yes, someone can steal away your car’s gas. For most car thieves, what they do to achieve the goal of stealing your gas is: they slide under your vehicle, and then the thief proceeds to drill a noticeable hole in your gas tank to fill up whatever vessel they have.
Once their vessel is filled up, car gas thieves often allow the remaining gas to spill to the floor. This theft technique is adopted, to lure the car owner into believing that there is a leakage, which has caused the spill.
Also, it is almost impossible to siphon gas from your car’s fill tube in recent times, compared to how it could have been done years ago. So these thieves rather bore a hole, and smartly drain out your gas.
Can My Neighbor Steal Gas From My Car?
Of course, people do it almost all the time. Neighbors may steal gas from your car if there is a very high scarcity of gas, which ultimately leads to increased gas fees. While some neighbors carry out this wicked act to fulfill their selfish desires, others are habitual car gas stealers who would also empty your tank to make you feel the scourge of their pain.
If you continue to leave your car parked outside without taking it into the garage, there’s a chance that any of your neighbors will steal your gas when things get rough in the community.
It is safer to park your car right in front of your apartment. This I’ll make it increasingly difficult for your neighbor to steal from your gas.
How To Tell if Someone is Siphoning My Gas?
You can indeed be sure if someone has been siphoning your car gas. One of the simplest ways to know if your gas is siphoned is to note down the reading of your car’s speedometer, the amount of gas added, and the potential efficiency of your vehicle.
If you notice a reduction in the tasks taken, you could instantly tell that your car fuel is being used abnormally, which could result in theft from someone else.
Although deducing from your car’s efficiency may be wrong, the mechanical advantage of the vehicle can reduce over time and based on how you maintain it. If you practice lousy car maintenance, the engine will require more gas than average to function optimally. This will result in more fuel consumption.
How to Know if Someone Siphoned My Gas Overnight?
You can be sure whether or not someone has stolen your car’s gas over the night. After the day’s work, right before you turn off the ignition and go to sleep, make sure that you take a picture of your car fuel gauge.
This shouldn’t be hard to do since you only need to keep track of how much fuel you have personally consumed against how much energy is left over the night to start the new day.
You can also use this method when you park in a public space. Before you step out of your car, ensure to capture the fuel gauge, then compare it to the current reading you have on your dashboard.
How to Prevent Someone From Stealing Gas From My Car?
Can you prevent a car gas theft? No. Don’t get discouraged already, as this answer is relative. On a good day, you must face the fact that a thief will eventually siphon gas from your car, regardless of what you do to stop the operation.
Yes, you can go ahead to modify a part of your car by installing a rugged metal plate on the spot to make it much harder to steal gas from your vehicle.
Installing a metal plate makes stealing gas from your car harder, but it does not guarantee 100% security from more sophisticated thieves. The good thing about newer car models is that they have a sort of “roll-over valve” in the fill tube.
The roll-over valve also blocks out a good number of tubes from going into the fill tube. The thief doesn’t have a “1/4 stiff tube” that quickly gets past the valve. The thing about “1/4 stiff tube” is that the thief will not be able to get as much gas flow as desired as it will take a lot of time.
Why Do People Steal Gasoline From the Car?
The simple reason people steal gas from cars around them is that there is strong inflation in the price of gas they cannot afford at the time. Do you know what they say about doing anything to meet your dire need? These people may appear to be well-meaning, but when allowed to know about the state of your car, they take that chance.
When people steal gasoline from your car during a season of fuel price inflation, they may want to resell it at a competitive price in places where it is scarce.
So, if you have a newer car model, you have to be very careful and repeatedly check out your roll-over valve and other gauges. Because these thieves gradually take your gas and resell it at a higher rate.
Can I Report Someone to the Police For Stealing Gas?
Several factors determine if you should report a car gas theft to the police or not. Aspects like the value of the gas being siphoned from your car will either make the offense theft or robbery. The degree to which the gas theft is conducted could make either the charge “petty” or “grand.”
Another factor determining how serious you should take a gas theft involves the reason for stealing. Most gas thieves steal from your car to fuel their wicked act. In this case or the previous, using the arm of the force to bring the culprit to book would be appropriate.
However, you should note that reporting a gas theft to the police force could escalate the case to car robbery, which may be bad for the culprit.
Can I Go to Jail For Stealing Gas?
Depending on the gravity of the gas stealing, the car owner may decide to charge the culprit in court for trespass and vandalizing property. In addition, specific state laws in the United States frown on property invasion by thieves and may take the case more seriously.
In a situation where a car thief attacks the car owner in the process of stealing gas from the car, the thief can be sent to jail because of the charges laid against them.
Especially in the US, one can be sentenced to jail for 2-5 years for attempting theft. And in most cases, it can go beyond that.
What to Do When You Notice a Gas Theft?
There are a few steps to take when you notice that your car’s gasoline has been tampered with. The first thing you can do is ensure that you do not park in corners for long. You can also install an alarm that sounds when someone touches your car in certain places. This should wade off the culprit once there is noise.
If you cannot afford to install a sensor on your car, you can always ensure to park in open spaces and seek candid advice from people around on ways to improve the security of your vehicle.
Also, you could install a video recorder to closely monitor your car and send a signal when there’s danger.
Conclusion
Stealing car gas is rampant in the United States and is one of the domestic crimes reported yearly across the country. Different people siphon gasoline from cars for several reasons.
You must keep an eye out for your car and ensure that your gas is not being stolen. Whether day or night, provide to park your car in safe places. A secure garage is an excellent way to escape siphoning at night, while parking in open spaces could save you from daylight theft.
This guide must have sufficiently armed you with the right information to make a more informed decision in ensuring that your car’s gas is not stolen.