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Man burned siphoning gas with vacuumThe Associated PressJune 17, 2005, 9:17 AM EDTGLEN BURNIE -- An 82-year-old man was badly burned after trying to siphon gas from his car with an electric vacuum cleaner while the engine was running.Fire officials said the vacuum cleaner caught fire and the man suffered first and second degree burns to 20 percent of his body Thursday, primarily to the left side of his abdomen, chest, hands and face. He was in stable condition at the Bayview Burn Center in Baltimore Thursday."The vacuum not withstanding, it's not advisable to siphon gas while the car is running," Lt. Russ Davies, spokesman for the county fire department, told The Annapolis Capital.Davies said the fire could have spread to the gas tank, blowing up the entire vehicle. "It certainly would have been possible," he said.The man had returned home from grocery shopping Wednesday evening and locked his keys inside the vehicle while it was still running, Davies said. Unable to get them out, the man left the car running in his driveway and went to bed. The next morning, the car was still running.Determined to stop the car, the man pulled out an electric vacuum cleaner around 7:30 a.m. and attempted to drain the gas tank. The vacuum cleaner's electric motor caused a spark and ignited the gas, Davies said.Authorities would not release the man's name. They said he lives with his son and daughter-in-law, who were not home at the timeCopyright © 2005, The Associated Presshttp://www.baltimoresun.com/ne...lines

Quote, originally posted by Baltovibe »GLEN BURNIE'nuff said ---------------------------------------------I wonder how long a Vibe would idle before running out of gas (assuming starting with a full tank)

I do hope he was at least using a ShopVac, but judging from the fact that the vacuum exploded, and those can suck up water without electrocuting you so the system must be well isolated, I would assume not.

For some reason the "Mythbusters" show popped into my mind while reading this .The high amperage motors in shop vacs actually produce some electrical arching inside the motor. The motor is often cooled by the air being sucked into the storage tank. With the proper air/fuel mixture being expelled through that exhaust port, ignition will happen.

File that one under "things that work in theory." I would have just called the police and have them open my car door with a slim jim. Either that or break the smallest window on the car and unlock the door.

With some difficulty, I once managed to lock the keys in my Vibe with the engine running. (Who knew that, unlike the 20 plus other GM products I've owned, the *#$%@ remote is disabled when the engine is on?) I called GM Roadside Assistance and a guy was there in 20 min. In 2 more he had slipped a little air bag thingy under the upper corner of the door frame, pumped it up, stuck a stiff wire in the gap and hit the unlock button..

mythbusters popped into my head too. people make no sense

the word "idiot" popped into my head lol.

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Well, considering the guy is 82 years old and lives with his kids, the word Dementia or Alzheimer's pops into my head. does forgetfulness void out common sense? I hope I don't get forgetful...

Mythbusters did do an episode about gas and a shop vac... something about a rocket....think they busted the myth....