Items
A desrt Fuel & Fluids Reference
Fluids keep every engine in A desrt turning. This reference explains gasoline versus diesel, oil and radiator water roles, container capacities, and how to match pours to VAZ, Injection, EngineD, Electric, and Turbine powerplants.
A desrt treats fuel as a physical resource you carry, not a HUD bar you magically refill. DarkCodes split fluids into four functional types: gasoline for common and rare gasoline engines, diesel for the very rare EngineD block, oil for lubricating any combustion engine, and water for cooling radiators on Cars, Car2, Vans, and Buses. Mopeds participate in the fuel ecosystem with a lean signature—8.1 liters of gasoline and 0.5 liters of oil per complete cycle—making them the teaching tool for pour timing before you risk a full Car tank. Mis-pouring diesel into a VAZ or forgetting radiator water on an Injection at 180 km/h ends runs faster than any zombie swarm.
Gasoline versus diesel
Gasoline is the default highway currency. VAZ common engines (150 km/h), Injection rare engines (180 km/h), and many Turbine installs expect gasoline in the tank plus oil and water support. Diesel is specialized: EngineD diesel engines (210 km/h, very rare) require diesel fuel exclusively. The game does not forgive cross-contamination—if you swap from VAZ to EngineD, drain conceptual tank contents and repack separate gascans or bigcans labeled for diesel. Gas stations and world spawns provide both in varying quantities; plan routes using community maps and the [Fuel Reference tool](/tools/fuel-reference/).
Oil and radiator water
Oil reduces friction inside engine blocks. Low oil produces knock audible at idle—add from a 5 L oilcan before revving hard. Mopeds need only 0.5 L per fill, so one oilcan lasts many scouting trips. Full-size vehicles consume more during hill climbs and post-combat overheating; budget partial oilcan pours each expedition in [Vehicle Maintenance](/vehicles/maintenance/). Radiator water cools combustion engines without electric cooling. Steam from the hood means water is low—refill immediately and idle off heat. Electric extremely rare engines skip traditional fuel but introduce their own power constraints documented on the [Engine Tier List](/tier-list/engines/).
| Container | Capacity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Gascan | 8 L | Car top-ups, full Moped gas with 0.1 L extra |
| Oilcan | 5 L | Moped oil (0.5 L), Car/Van partial service |
| Bigcan | 30 L | Bus legs, base stockpile, diesel/gas staging |
Pour workflow and safety
- Park on level ground, engine off, vehicle secured with welds.
- Confirm fuel type matches installed engine (gasoline vs diesel).
- Pour fuel to tank capacity; avoid overfill spills that waste loot.
- Add oil to engine fill point until knock stops at idle test.
- Top radiator water on supported chassis before pressing R to start.
Pair this reference with [Fluids & Fuel](/build/fluids-fuel/) for assembly-context pours during your first Car build and [Driving Controls](/controls/driving/) for R-key start checks after every refill. When hauling fluids in a [Van](/vehicles/van/), secure gascans with welds or human stabilization—an 8 L can becomes a projectile at Injection speeds. For cross-vehicle fleet management, stage gasoline bigcans near Moped/Car bays and diesel bigcans near EngineD/Bus projects to prevent party-member mistakes in multiplayer.
Engine-specific fluid pairing
VAZ: gasoline, oil, water—baseline tutorial loop. Injection: same fluids, higher consumption at 180 km/h sustained. EngineD: diesel, oil, water—stock diesel before swap day. Turbine: treat as high-performance gasoline with elevated burn; monitor oil closely. Electric: no gasoline; maintain charge systems per patch notes. Always revisit [Engine Upgrades](/build/engine-upgrades/) when changing powerplants so your fluid stockpile matches the new reality.