My 98 4.6 started running real rough, so I changed the fuel filter and I noticed some white, very fine-grained residue coming out of the old filter. The filter didn't help, so removed the injectors and they were PACKED with the same stuff. I tasted it and it tasted sweet and was not gritty like sand. My question is this- is this sugar or does the ethanol blended gas break down like that? The truck started really running terrible after I ran it very low on gas. Truck has 250k miles.

 

Possibly. Sugar will not dissolve in gasoline. Once the filter gets plugged up enough it will bypass. I would drop the tank and find a radiator shop that will dunk it.

 

**** someone off recently?

I didn't know sugar didn't dissolve in gas.

 

Pouring sugar in a gas tank is the equivalent of pouring sand in - although sand is hopefully less expensive. Either way you'll plug the pump filter.

 

Good thing you didn't taste something that was poisonous. Highly unlikely given it was in your engine...

 

Pulled the fuel pump out to drain the gas and discovered quite a bit more sugar in the bottom of the tank. Thoroughly cleaned the tank by flushing/draining X3, then sucked the rest of the residue out with my air-vacuum (hooks up to an air hose, so no risk there). I'm going to go ahead and change the filter again before I fill it back up with gas and give the injectors another cleaning, too. Hopefully this solves my problems. Will update when complete.

 

I didn't either...Learn something every day.
No, I don't think I've pissed anyone off. Given that this truck was running terribly when I got it and started running good after I changed the injectors, and the fact that I bought this truck from a Sherriff's sale as a seizure (Felony DUI) and they used the truck as an undercover vehicle for a while I'm pretty sure the "additive" was put in the tank before I got it.