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Is it bad to store an empty gasoline container in my car?

April 26, 2017bad car container gasoline store

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Is it bad to store an empty gasoline container in my car?

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If you feel the need to carry the container in the car in case of emergency, fill it with water. This keeps it safe (no gasoline vapors) and you can use the water if the car’s engine overheats.

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I’m a fuel chemist (among other things). Adam is spot on. Either leave the can to evaporate outside (until you cannot smell gas at the mouth), or chuck the can (with the lid off). You can reuse the can without trouble, but you should store them full with a minimum of free space (headspace) at the top, OR empty, with both caps loose/undone. Mostly empty cans are an accident waiting to happen. Gasoline fumes are very dangerous. People get worked up about “explosive” hydrogen, but gas is worse: higher energy content (about 2x) and much easier to ignite. Static electricity discharge is the way most of these things get set off, incidentally. We use special shoes and lots of grounding wire when we handle fuels.