Petrol and diesel owners have been issued a major warning (Image: Getty)
and owners have been told to not put one crucial item inside fuel tanks – despite a common myth it can boost vehicle performance.
Top motoring Scotty Kilmer admitted road users under any circumstances.
Mothballs are known to contain naphthalene, which is said to improve the performance of fuel.
Naphthalene can act as an octane booster and could theoretically lead to a slightly improved fuel efficiency in certain older engines.
However, Scotty warned using mothballs or naphthalene was no longer necessary with the
Throwing mothballs in a vehicle could backfire (Image: Getty)
The top mechanic stressed road users such as their fuel pump and injectors, which would likely lead to costly garage repairs.
, Scotty said:”Well if you’ve heard the myth about people putting mothballs in a gas tank to make their cars run better, listen to this.
“Now, mothballs do contain naphthalene. But they contain other things, and if you pour it in your gas tank, it will mess up your fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel injectors. It can even melt stuff inside the engine. Don’t do it
“So if you’ve got mothballs, put them in your drawers to keep moths away from your clothes. Do not stick them in the gas tank of your car.”
DON’T MISS [COMMENT]
Rumours that using mothballs to improve performance first came about in the 1920s when the quality of fuel was more varied.
However, at the time, mothballs were almost entirely made of naphthalene with no other substances included.
Mothballs are now likely to contain other substances, including dichlorobenzene which can create hydrochloric acid.
Motorists appeared baffled at the tip, with many taking to YouTube’s comments section to admit they had never heard of the simple hack.
@bionyx6368 said: “I didn’t even know about this before lol.”
@mroyme added: “I had never heard of anyone doing that. I went searching on the internet and found out that Naphthalene balls were indeed used sometime between the early-mid 1900s to boost the octane number of then available poor quality gasoline.”
@michaelcowan6254 commented: “I ran them in older cars back in the day. You could shoot out a nice blue flame out the tailpipe. It was fun doing it in old beater vehicles.”