Does Gasoline Damage Car Paint?

You don’t expect to spill gasoline on your car’s exterior when refueling it. Still, accidents happen. Even a few dribbles of fuel could leave you wondering “Does gasoline damage car paint?”

As Tucson’s best auto body shop, Formula 1 Collision Center treats all types of vehicular damage including damage to exterior paint. Here’s what our team has to say about gasoline-related car paint damage. If you still have questions about gasoline’s effects on your vehicle, don’t hesitate to contact our team.

The Usage and Makeup of Gasoline

Gasoline is a highly flammable liquid that fuels most manual and automated vehicles. It comes from petroleum and has around 150 hydrocarbons or chemicals containing hydrogen and carbon. Isopentane and butane are two common hydrocarbons in gas. 

Gasoline on its own won’t create surface erosion on auto spray paint. However, a lower quality of gasoline containing contaminants can cause damage.

Will Gasoline Damage Your Car’s Paint Job?

Does gasoline damage car paint? It can if it’s not in its pure form. 

When you spill gasoline on your car at the gas pump, you won’t notice anything wrong immediately. However, gas with contaminants turns into a degreaser or stripping agent. Gasoline spillage can destroy the protective coatings on vehicle exteriors designed to protect the car’s paint job from environmental factors like mud and rain. 

Overflowing your gas tank and spilling a few drops of the liquid on your car won’t create a major problem. Yet, if you regularly get gasoline on your car, you’ll notice paint deterioration around the affected areas. 

Best Way to Avoid Paint Degradation From a Gasoline Spill

Prevention is the best way to deal with gasoline damage on your car’s exterior. Filling the gas tank correctly is essential for automotive care since overflowing it can lead to poor fuel injection system performance. While pumping gas, ensure you don’t overfill the tank.

When you’re done pumping fuel, keep the nozzle in the tank for a few seconds. That will prevent the last drops from touching the vehicle’s paint.

How to Avoid Gasoline Damage on Your Car

Don’t panic if you accidentally spill gasoline on your car. Instead, take action fast by cleaning up the liquid before it dries. Dried gasoline is more damaging to auto paint than it is wet. 

Here are the best techniques for cleaning gasoline off cars to preserve the integrity of the paint job:

• Wipe the spill immediately with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth
• Use a blow dryer to dry the wet spot
• Apply an authorized cleanser to the spot affected by gasoline

Let Our Professionals Restore Your Car’s Appearance!

Does gasoline damage car paint? It certainly can, yet you can breathe life into your car’s exterior with help from our professionals at Formula 1 Collision Center in Tucson, Arizona. We offer comprehensive auto repair and vehicle maintenance services including auto body refinishing and painting.

Whether your car’s spray paint lifespan is almost up or it has gasoline damage, our factory-trained technicians can restore your vehicle’s appearance with a fresh coat of paint—call (520) 369-4291 today for an appointment.