Dear Tom and Ray:

Is it safe to use pure isopropyl alcohol as a gas line antifreeze? We have been using NAPA gas line antifreeze, which says it contains 99.9% isopropyl alcohol. A 12 ounce container of NAPA costs me $1.07. Pure isopropyl alcohol is 39 cents a pint in my local drug store. Can I use that instead? John

Ray: Sure you can. If you have a fuel injected car, isopropyl alcohol is the recommended gas line antifreeze (methyl alcohol is recommended for carbureted cars).

Tom: In both cases, the alcohol absorbs moisture that condenses in the gas tank and fuel line. And if you really feel you need this stuff (we never use it ourselves), you can use the isopropyl alcohol in the same ratio recommended on the NAPA bottle (about 12 ounces to ten gallons of gas).

Ray: And for a third of the price, you've got 99.9% of what's in the NAPA bottle. The other 0.01% is a secret ingredient NAPA throws in. We haven't been able to confirm this, but highly-placed sources tell us it's desalinated prune juice.827

Spending a little money now on "preventive maintenance" can save you big bucks down the road. Find out how by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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