Low-quality fuel always has a bad effect on the engine, worsening its operation and reducing its service life. Even refueling at large stations does not eliminate the risk of getting gasoline with excess impurities. Of course, an accurate result can only be obtained in a laboratory for fuel quality checks, but what if such a check is too expensive or you need to do it with at least minimal accuracy. Therefore, today we will learn how to check the purity of gasoline at home without special tools. Of course, it is worth mentioning that when carrying out all these manipulations, a danger to health and life should not be created. Vapors from gasoline are always harmful to a person when inhaled, so it is worth checking it only in a room with intensive ventilation.
How to check the purity of gasoline at home 5 tests
1. To carry out the test, a few drops of gasoline are placed on a blank paper sheet. If a greasy spot appears on it or the paper turns into any color, then the fuel is bad. As for quality fuel, it will leave the sheet white.
The ignition method is dangerous! It can only be used away from a large amount of gasoline and a car. It must be done away from flammable objects, and if necessary, resort to using a fire extinguisher or throwing sand on the fire.
3. The amount of water in the composition. A drop of gasoline is applied to the hand, and then left for several minutes. The remaining trace after drying of high-quality fuel should be as dry as possible. If it remains fatty, then the content of harmful impurities is increased.
4. Evaluation of gasoline by smell. This method may not always give the correct result, but it is the fastest and most convenient. Having sniffed gasoline, it is worth focusing on sensations: a strong smell of sulfur gives out the presence of naphthalene and many other substances dangerous to the engine.
5. Checking gasoline with potassium permanganate. This test is usually done to determine the presence of water in gasoline. Potassium permanganate can be found in a dry fertilizer store and diluted to a liquid state or found immediately liquid. If, after adding potassium permanganate to gasoline, it becomes pinkish, this means the presence of water in the fuel.
Among other things, when refueling a car with gasoline, it does not hurt to run your finger inside the fuel nozzle. In the case when diesel fuel or some other liquids were added to gasoline, the finger will become greasy after performing such procedures. But if there is no oily liquid left on the fingers, this confirms the good quality of gasoline.
Using all these methods, it is quite possible to independently determine the purity of gasoline at home. As a result, you will be able to choose a gas station for your car, where gasoline is of the best quality.
Alas, Russian diesel fuel still leaves much to be desired. And no one, no one, well, no one (if you do not take into account the personal interest of those in power) does not understand why the owners of the "oil" country allow their oil barons to produce fuel, how to put it mildly, according to the residual principle. Which, moreover, is already “in place” diluted with water and additives harmful to the power unit, “chemically” with a density.
No, recently large network gas stations monitor the quality and frankly harmful “slurry” will not be poured into the tank. But there are exceptions to any rule. And then there are independent gas stations (especially dangerous in the deep provinces). And sadly, for now, every Russian car owner should be able to recognize whether it is worth filling the tank with what is offered to him. Moreover, as we found out, it is not very difficult. True, most of the ways to manually check fuel for quality are still possible at home. That is, he refueled, later he was convinced that it was not the right one - and you are looking for another gas station. Although sometimes the components of the liquid can be judged at the place of the "execution of the iron horse."
What should be of concern?
First you need to know what indicators - "beacons" are able to tell that "sturgeon is not the first freshness."
An important, but, we warn you, not indicative factor of high-quality "fuel" is its cost. Any car enthusiast knows roughly what the price of fuel is in a particular region. Therefore, when driving past a gas station and discovering an unprecedented discount on gasoline / diesel fuel, it is worth considering: why is this manufacturer so generous?
“The second “beacon” is the smell. It seems that the "aroma" of freshly prepared gasoline is difficult to confuse with anything else, but if the manufacturer went too far with oils and additives, then the smell of the final product changes and becomes sharper, with hints of burnt rubber and household chemicals.
And, finally, the most “intelligible” “beacon” - after refueling, the engine began to work unstably, triple and stall, and the consumption at the same time crept up. True, at the same time, you need to be sure that the car is technically correct: the fuel pump works as it should, the coils are in good condition, the spark plugs are replaced on time. If everything is in order with the car, but “does not go” - change the gas station.
"Grandfather's" control over...
So, you realized that something is wrong with the fuel of the gas station closest to you. A home “chemical laboratory” will help to finally make sure of this, although if you wish and have free time, all experiments can be carried out on the spot. All the instructions below can be called old-fashioned, but, nevertheless, they work great.
... additives,
To test gasoline for an abundance of obviously superfluous additives and chemical additives, you need to have a sheet of white paper at hand. Drop some gasoline on it and wait for a response. After the gasoline has evaporated, the paper should remain white. This is a clear sign that the fuel was not "chemically treated". The fact is that foreign impurities are not able to evaporate, their presence on paper will be reflected in the appearance of a spot of an "acid" color. There may also be a greasy stain, indicating the presence of excess oils in the fuel.
oils,
Checking for excessive "oiliness" is also very simple. Drop gasoline on the convex glass and set it on fire. A good one burns completely, leaving almost no traces. Ideal when white rings remain on the glass surface. Yellow and brown streaks indicate "too much" resin.
water
Often (sometimes too often) gasoline is diluted with plain water. To find traces of such a deception, stock up on the good old potassium permanganate. In pure gasoline, it does not dissolve and the color of the fuel does not change. If it is “diluted” with water, a purple tint is evident.
and skin
Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty with a drop of gasoline, using the skin as an indicator of quality. Gasoline is often used not only as a solvent, but also as a degreaser. Therefore, “to the touch” it is dry, tightens the skin, does not leave oil stains. A simple experiment: get mud or oil on your fingers, then splash some gasoline on your hands. If the dirt and oil are removed, the gasoline is of good quality.
Where to complain?
If the quality of the fuel is categorically not satisfied, it makes sense to write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor. This government agency is authorized to inspect vial refills once every three years. But if consumer claims accumulate, there is a right to make an unscheduled visit. So you need to complain more often - do not be lazy.
On the other hand, the control body must inform about any inspection in advance (in the case of gas stations - three days in advance). Naturally, during this time, the fuel operator may well clean up the ends. It is not superfluous to check the official websites of supervisory services.
So, on the portal of the department of nature management and environmental protection under the Moscow government, a list of “black” gas stations that regularly violate the law has been published. By the way, to apply to Rosportebnadzor, it is enough to have Internet access and go to the page with citizens' appeals. You can also call the department's toll-free hotline: 8-800-100-00-04 . And the more often you complain, the faster the quality of fuel in our country will reach a truly European level.
How much fuel costs in Europe and whether we really have expensive gasoline, you will find out in the material "".
Many motorists are faced with the problem of choosing gasoline for their "iron friend". It is especially difficult for those who have just bought a car and got behind the wheel for the first time, they are simply at a loss how to check the quality of gasoline. More experienced colleagues determine the quality of the car engine. The car may stall or start poorly, the engine itself in this case starts to work intermittently, extraneous sounds may be heard. The poor quality of gasoline is also signaled by increases under the usual operating conditions of the car. More modern cars have engine sensors. With bad gasoline, they signal problems with the unit. Of course, such methods for determining the quality of gasoline are very relative, primitive, and one should, having checked gasoline at several gas stations in more efficient ways, find the best gas station. Thanks to the methods listed below, the check can be done both at home and at gas stations.
How to check gasoline at home
The quality of gasoline can be checked before refueling the car
Checking the quality of gasoline is quite affordable at home, for this you do not have to do complex analyzes. Often the quality problem of current gasoline is that it very often has foreign impurities that adversely affect engine performance. To check gasoline for the presence of additives, it is enough to take a sheet of white paper and drop a little gasoline on it. After a while, the gasoline will completely evaporate. If the gasoline is of good quality, then the paper will remain the same snow-white. Extraneous additives do not evaporate; if they are present, a spot of some color will remain on the paper. There may also be a greasy stain, this indicates the presence of oils in gasoline.
Sometimes there are tar impurities in gasoline, if such additives are more than normal, then this can harm the car engine. The harm from low-quality gasoline in this parameter can be very noticeable, the engine resource is reduced by 24%. The norm is the content of no more than 7-12 ml of resins per 100 ml of fuel. This standard applies to all grades of gasoline. Checking the presence of resins in gasoline is also quite simple. To do this, you need a piece of any glass. You need to drop gasoline on it and set it on fire. High-quality gasoline burns completely, if after the combustion of a gasoline droplet there are still small droplets of liquid, this means that gasoline was diluted with diesel fuel. Ideally, after combustion, white rings should remain on the glass surface, then you can be sure that there are no tars in gasoline or they are contained in a small amount, that is, safe for your car. Yellow and brown stains on the glass indicate a large presence of resins in gasoline.
Gasoline with impurities can interfere with the operation of the engine
It would be nice for any motorist to buy an ANT-1 brand aerometer to measure the density of petroleum products. Such a simple device for checking the quality of gasoline costs very little, but it can bring a lot of benefits. Some gas stations, for example, add additives to AI-76 gasoline and sell it under the guise of gasoline with a high octane rating.
Different brands of gasoline have the following density indicators
Feel free to check the gas right before refueling
A-76 - from 730
A-80 - from 775
AI-92 (A-92) - from 760
AI-95 (A-95) - from 750
AI-98 (A-98) - from 780.
By itself, gasoline is a colorless liquid, only A-76 is somewhat cloudy, since it has more impurities. During production, gasoline is dyed in a certain shade. So, AI - 92 should have an orange-red tint, AI - 98 - a blue tint. By color, you can also determine whether they honestly sold you gasoline or tried to deceive.
Some gas stations dilute gasoline with water. This can also be determined at home. To do this, you need such a simple reagent as potassium permanganate. Such a drug can be bought at any pharmacy. The thing is that potassium permanganate does not dissolve in gasoline; if there is water in gasoline, it will turn purple. Such an experiment is best carried out in a transparent glass vessel, then it will be possible to clearly see this chemical reaction.
With quality fuel, your engine will last a long time
Gasoline may contain hydrogen sulfide, naphthalene or liquefied gas. To determine the presence of these additives, you need to pour gasoline into a container and make movements over it towards yourself with your hand. Gasoline should not smell like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide).
How to check the quality of gasoline at any gas station
"OCTIS 2" modern device for checking gasoline
All of the above methods of verification are undoubtedly good and effective. Thus, you can find "your" gas station and constantly refuel your car there. But what to do when you need to refuel at an unfamiliar gas station on the road? How to check the octane number of gasoline then? Modern technologies have stepped forward here too, now motorists are offered fairly simple, but very functional devices for assessing the quality of gasoline.
For example, this is the Oktis 2 device. With it, you can determine the octane number of gasoline in seconds. It is enough to take a sample of 100 ml and all the information will appear on the display of the device.
The Shatox device allows you to check the quality of any fuel in the field
To test any type of fuel, Shatox instruments are available, they are also quite compact and can be used to test gasoline and diesel fuel on the road.
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May 4th, 2015 
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It is important for every driver that his car works one hundred percent and can serve him for a long time. To do this, it is necessary to monitor not only its technical properties, but also much depends on the quality of gasoline. It is on him that the operation of the motor depends. The bad thing is that even the most famous companies do not guarantee that high-quality fuel will get into the tank, and not a fake. Bad fuel can in a short period of time lead to the failure of the entire fuel system of your car. This leads to engine overhaul. Right now, during the period of a sharp rise in gasoline prices, it is worth being extremely careful.
How to check the quality b enzi at the gas station
As soon as you arrive at the gas station you need , before pouring fuel into the tank, remove the fuel filling nozzle and before inserting it into the tank neck itself, touch the place that comes into contact with the fuel being filled with a finger. So, if gasoline is diluted with diesel fuel or an octane-enhancing impurity, then the surface of the rim will be oily. If there is no greasy and sticky feeling on the fingers, then the gasoline is good and you can safely use it for the car.
You can try to get fuel in a transparent bottle or canister and look at the light. Good fuel should not contain any impurities. The fuel should have a pale yellow tint.
How to detect water in gasoline :
- Availability of water
in fuel you can check as follows: add a solution of potassium permanganate. If it starts to turn pink, then there is water there.
- Drop some fuel on a tree and if it does not evaporate or rolls into a ball, then this is also a sign of water in the fuel.
Also try taking a white sheet of plain paper and dampening it lightly with gasoline. Wait for it to evaporate. Focus on the color of the sheet. If it remains snow-white, then gasoline is of high quality, a greasy spot indicates the presence of kerosene in the fuel. A drop of water on a leaf - avoid such fuel at all.
In order to determine on the presence of unnecessary resins , take the glass and drop gasoline on it. Set it on fire. White circles after combustion - fuel of excellent quality, spots of yellow or brown color - it means that there are resins. This can lead to engine or fuel system problems.
How to determine the quality of gasoline by smell
Bad gasoline can be immediately smelled. It will have sharp and unpleasant odors that are not at all characteristic of petroleum products. This indicates that the fuel was diluted with naphthalene, or hydrogen sulfide, or mercoptan sulfur.
Define quality control gasoline at home - tactile
Drop gasoline on your hand. A good and undiluted product should dry out the skin on the arm. If the fuel is smeared with greasy spots, then it contains impurities of diesel fuel.
In order to protect yourself from low-quality fuel, refuel only at proven gas stations. If there are doubts about the quality of the fuel, ask the sellers at the gas station for all the relevant documents for the fuel, which confirm the quality and reliability of this type of oil product. True, this cannot guarantee a 100% guarantee that this fuel meets all standards. But such protection can help save your car from engine failure.
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The quality of gasoline is a matter of concern to absolutely all motorists. Unfortunately, not at every gas station you can find high-quality gasoline. But there are several ways to help figure out how high-quality fuel is.
The first method will help determine whether gasoline contains a variety of impurities. These impurities can adversely affect a vehicle's fuel system. All you need is a sheet of white paper. Drop gasoline on a leaf and wait for it to evaporate. After drying, the sheet should remain perfectly white. If a greasy stain or a stain with some incomprehensible shade remains at the place of evaporation, then this gasoline contains harmful impurities. The rapid wear of the engine causes the presence of resins in the fuel. To check the percentage of resin content, you can conduct a small experiment. Put gasoline on the glass and set it on fire. It will burn quickly, and circles will remain on the glass. If the circles are white, then the resin content is normal. If brown or yellowish stains remain, then the capacity of the resins exceeds the norm.
Thus, it is possible to evaluate the quality of gasoline on your own. Only with all experiments it is necessary to observe safety precautions.
