Using a Fuel Additive for Old Gas - Bell PerformanceRestoring stale gasoline - General Discussion - Car Talk. How to Recondition Old Gasoline - Step By Step Guide.
There is a limited storage life for all fuel.Chemical reactions in the fuel will degrade its quality over time.If the fuel is exposed over time, the reactions can happen faster.
You can see the end results of the reactions over time, but you can't see them in real time.Diesel fuel has the same issues except for phase separation.
Dealing with old gas is a consumer problem.Few businesses store gasoline for long periods of time.It is most likely going to be diesel fuel if it is stored business fuel.
Consumers face the issue.They buy small to medium volumes of gas, put it in containers, and forget about it.It's now "old gas" after they find it some time later.
Is there anything that can be done to restore the old gas to usable condition?The answer depends on how far away it is.
How do you know?The first thing you would look for is whether it has phase-separated.If you did not treat the gas before putting it in storage, it is most likely going to undergo phase separation if the process hasn't been completed.There are two layers in the tank, a layer of water and alcohol on top of gasoline.
It is highly unlikely that you will be able to do anything worthwhile with the gas.Some fuel enhancers claim to restore phase-separated gasoline.They might help gas that has barely started the process.Most people don't think of this when they try something like that.They hope it will fix fully-separated gasoline.There is no cost-effective way to restore gasoline that is as old as you find.
If gasoline that has not phase-separated, but which may appear darkened, this means that it has reacted internally to the point where some of its heavier-end components have become gum and varnish.The heavier components won't fully combust if you burn this in an engine.They will leave deposits in the engine's parts.
The efficiency of the engine can be affected by these kind of deposits.It wouldn't be a good idea to burn that fuel.Unless you add a fuel Additive that has a high level of detergency.Your engine's best chance of staying problem free would be if an Additive was used to help remove deposits as they were being formed.
If you have to use old gas, use a high detergent fuel Additive.The types of these Additives that are reliable will tell you that they contain detergents.They will not rely on a generalized claim about cleaning being a secondary benefit of new technology.Is it possible that you have a no-name fuel Additive that claims to clean the engine?
There are many excellent and effective detergent packages.There are detergents that can be used with gasoline that has more than 20% ethanol.You can use old gas with a fuel Additive that contains a higher level of one of those detergent chemistries.Of course, if it hasn't undergone phase separation.
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