Petrol Expire?

[d00dz]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this but..

Ive read somewhere that petrol loses its OCTANE level after a period of time.

So approx how long does this occur? Is this true?

For example I fill up the car with BP Ultimate 98RON, how long will it take to "expire" and lose its "98RON" properties?

Is it bad for the car if there is fuel in the tank from like say 6 months ago?

Cheers

[kralster]

I've heard that is does. I don't know specifically when and what happens, but if you leave your car in storage i'd get the fuel drained before hand.

[Guest 40th-edition]

fuel can go off... but it takes years..

not to sure about octane though, like kralster said leave the tank close to empty if u r storing it for a long time.

but as for keeping water out its best to leave full!

[tridentt150v]

I'd leave fuel in the tank, an empty tank tends to rust.

And some light reading on the subject:

http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/f...detecting.shtml

http://www.virginiawind.com/tips/gasoline_stabilizer.asp

http://www.challengers101.com/FuelStorage.html

The last one is the most generally informative. I was looking for a deterioration duration curve [time vs decay] but couldn't find one.

[Rolls]

Mate works at an Audi workshop, they had a car sitting for 2 years and someone tried to start it. The petrol had thickened and needed new lines and pump as they were all clogged up.

[rukus]

i would also like to know this.

my car had a full tank of 98RON ultimate b4 i farked the engine and it's been sitting around for about 6months now.

[N1GTR]

i would also like to know this.

my car had a full tank of 98RON ultimate b4 i farked the engine and it's been sitting around for about 6months now.

Same, mines full to the brim

[tridentt150v]

Use it for washing parts......thats all its good for. 6 months would be borderline IMO.

[Beer Baron]

use it to get high when you are feeling down about the fact you have a broken GTR. of it comes down to it it will still be ok for setting your car on fire.

[rukus]

use it to get high when you are feeling down about the fact you have a broken GTR. of it comes down to it it will still be ok for setting your car on fire.

hahahahaha

[tridentt150v]

Or use it and re-break your GTR after the rebuild............now THAT would be fun for the whole family!!!!

[N1GTR]

Or use it and re-break your GTR after the rebuild............now THAT would be fun for the whole family!!!!

Dont foret the wallet, one of these is always fun for the wallet

[paulr33]

maybe around two weeks it would drop a bit of its just sitting there in the tank?

[d00dz]

less wh0ring more explaining.

maybe around two weeks it would drop a bit of its just sitting there in the tank?

Hmm interesting.. thanks Paul!

Mate works at an Audi workshop, they had a car sitting for 2 years and someone tried to start it. The petrol had thickened and needed new lines and pump as they were all clogged up.

lawl two years

[paulr33]

a friend who used to run a local servo a few years back said it drops octane even while sitting in the tanks at the servo. so servos that dont do as many customers, fill up less often, are likely to have lower octane fuel than a busy store than fills up reguarly

[rb26s13]

MY silvia had been off the road for 15 months with half a tank of a BP ultimate.. once wiring was done it started straight away.. wasnt any worrys..

[rb26s13]

it was borderline should i replace it or not but well yer.. everythings running fine now

[paulr33]

oh yeah it would run sure and start, but i bet it would deontate its a$$ off if you put it under any load with any half decent ignition timing

[hrd-hr30]

Official word from Shell is that their fuel will be stable if stored up to one year, as long as the storage conditions are "adequate" - ie the containers are full to minimise exposure to air, tightly capped, out of direct sunlight, and under 27°C.

underground tanks at servos don't even fulfil those requirements. And vented petrol tanks in cars that get nice and hot sitting in the sun and cool down again at night certainly don't, so the fuel deteriorates much faster than these optimum storage conditions in Shell's literature.

[tridentt150v]

The deterioration of fuel is or can be brand dependent. If you read any of the links in my previous reply, it appears that the length fuel can be stored also relies on the preservatives each company uses to increase the shelf life of their brand. I don't know which ones are best, but I wouldn't trust any of them. Its an easy question really: Whats cheapest, a new tank of fuel or an engine rebuild?