redoctober17

So for those who don't know, Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a 6.1 earthquake on Tuesday. Official reports say 75 dead, but I have a good friend who is a nurse there, and she's been running nonstop volunteering at the ER, doing triage in a park, etc. and said the real toll is well above 200. Damages are estimated at 16 billion (NZD) and the Prime Minister has declared the entire country in a state of emergency. There's barely any electricity, no water, etc. This is where you come in.

She's got an 09 Civic, manual. I don't know any more details right now. It's not diesel, and petrol is being rationed. Is there anything at all she can cut it with to extend a tank? Obviously not water, and I honestly have no idea how available ethanol is. I've looked around and can't find anything, so I'm hoping someone here will be a little more ingenious.

Second question. As I said, there's no running water, and sewage lines have burst (making any water on the ground untrustworthy). She's come to me asking for help for finding potable water for her grandparents. Are there any safe places she can drain out of her car? I told her not the radiator, and that she should stay away from the windshield fluid, as it often has methanol or ethyl alcohol as an antifreeze. Again, I've thought and searched but came up with nothing. Anything, any ideas at all, please, throw them at me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

MindBomber

I hope your friend is doing okay, but I can't give you much helpful advice. There are no places in the car that you car drain water from, due to the issues with freezing everything is mixed with some sort of anti-freezing agent. As far as alternatives to gas, there aren't any that won't damage an engine as finally tuned as your friends civic. In impovrished countries like Tibet and India its very common to run carburated diesel engines on kerosen, but those engines don't have the countless expensive sensors modern engines have, so they're able to compensate for the different fuel where her engine is not.

redoctober17

Yeah, that was pretty much what I suspected. Thanks anyway.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

if the car has air conditioning, it will leak condensed water out from under the front of the car when running. im not sure how safe it is to drink. is there any way to at least boil the water? steam distill would be the best way but i doubt you have the equipment. as for conserving gas, drive lightly and slowly. there is nothing you can really add to the gas except maybe 10% total volume with ethanol, which i doubt is available.