How long till gas goes bad?

tjh566 · Dec 15, 2005

I was just wondering how long it takes for the gas to go bad, my car has been sitting in the garage for over 3 weeks now without starting it and it looks like it gonna be there for awhile yet cus of all this damn snow and ice and then salt on the roads.

slvrbullit302 · Dec 15, 2005

Mine sat for 6mos and went bad.

Muy_Pyro · Dec 15, 2005

Did it go bad on the 6th month, or was it maybe sometime before that ??? hrmmm ....

HISSIN50 · Dec 15, 2005

Depends upon the definition of bad.

I would recommend some fresh fuel stabilizer (stabilizer itself has a shelf life).

Good luck.

8950HO · Dec 15, 2005

It`s not an easy question to answer as you will hear stories of guy`s starting up cars that sat for years with the gas that was still in the tank with no problem.

But gas does go bad...as for how long it takes.

I can pass on an old Jay Leno interview from years ago I saw.
He said that todays modern gasoline will start to break down after 3 months,whereas gasoline from the good ol days will take 1 year to start breaking down.I don`t know if this is true,maybe someone else knows.

S/CBlack95GT · Dec 15, 2005

Jay is right. It takes about 3 months for it to varnish. At the 6 month mark there will be some problems caused by it. Fuel Stabilizer will help preserve it past 1 year.

Davin · Dec 15, 2005

if it does go bad, can it damage the engine on start up or will it just not run???

CManT1914 · Dec 15, 2005

You shouldn't have a problem with it sitting for just 3 weeks. Mine sat for 3 weeks just recently, and it started up first time, and ran great.

S/CBlack95GT · Dec 15, 2005

Davin said:
if it does go bad, can it damage the engine on start up or will it just not run???

It can clog injectors and cause gumming. It also can get water in it which can cause rusting problems. I have had the same tank of gas in my car for about 6 months now with fuel stabilizer added. I need to drive the car more and get it burnt out.

BlackVert · Dec 15, 2005

mine has been sitting for about 2 months with about 1/4 tank. should i put stabilizer and some more fresh gas (like a gallon or so) in to help mix the stabilizer and freshen up the gas that is in there now?

S/CBlack95GT · Dec 15, 2005

BlackVert said:
mine has been sitting for about 2 months with about 1/4 tank. should i put stabilizer and some more fresh gas (like a gallon or so) in to help mix the stabilizer and freshen up the gas that is in there now?

Fill the tank fully and dump in a complete bottle of fuel stabilizer.

VibrantRedGT · Dec 15, 2005

My car sat for 14 months with 5 gallons in it. I pulled the tank Sunday and suprisingly it was just a dark yellow color. Fuel is a light light yellow so I got lucky.

Three weeks is nothing. Probably go a few months.

bill302 · Dec 16, 2005

Davin said:
if it does go bad, can it damage the engine on start up or will it just not run???

it will gum up your system stopping up jets,injectors and fouling plugs which will cause in short amount of time engine to stop running requiring dissasembly, cleaning and replacement of parts.i think brands of gas and certain gas stations contribute to bad gas allowing moisture into there systems because of unkept old or outdated systems i have gotten bad gas at certain gas stations after large rains mark them on your mental list a never go back to purchase gas,but make a complain to the manager. i know gas looses octane with time but i don't know at what rate it would probibly depend on exposure to air and elements.

Blackened302 · Dec 16, 2005

bill302 said:
it will gum up your system stopping up jets,injectors and fouling plugs which will cause in short amount of time engine to stop running requiring dissasembly, cleaning and replacement of parts.

couldn't've said it better myself. i think 3 weeks is ok, but as time goes by it's just gonna keep getting worse. start the car, leave it running, and burn the old fuel. it's gonna stink, too. add some sea foam or injector cleaner.

Davin · Dec 16, 2005

mine's been sitting about 3 months now, what do I need to do?

BlackVert · Dec 16, 2005

S/CBlack95GT said:
BlackVert said:

mine has been sitting for about 2 months with about 1/4 tank. should i put stabilizer and some more fresh gas (like a gallon or so) in to help mix the stabilizer and freshen up the gas that is in there now?

Click to expand...

Fill the tank fully and dump in a complete bottle of fuel stabilizer.

gee, it's kinda hard to get it to a gas station right now ... i'm in the middle of installing a blower ...

would a couple of gallons of fresh gas and some stabilizer help at least a little?

DARK-5.0 · Dec 16, 2005

Mines been sitting for about 6 months now with about 1/4 tank. Would it be easier for me to just unhook the feed line and turn the pump on and empty the old gas into a bucket so I don't have to deal with running it with the old gas.

Jeremy

TheDamned · Dec 16, 2005

Mine was away for 7 months last winter and it started like a brand new.
Did the same all the years i stored her.

94MustangGT5.0 · Dec 16, 2005

TheDamned said:
Mine was away for 7 months last winter and it started like a brand new.
Did the same all the years i stored her.

I always store mine from September to May while I'm at school and it starts right up, no problem. Here's something that everyone can ponder: If gas goes bad in 3 months, how do you know how old it is when you put it in your car. Has it been sitting for a week or 12? Really, I don't think that gas goes bad for quite some time. My father has fuel on farm year round, and we have never once had problems with it becoming old.

Davin · Dec 17, 2005

hmm... folks that have had problems (or know about them)..what part of the country are you from (i.e. hot or cold country)?

How long till gas goes bad?

tjh566

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HISSIN50

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