Lifespan of fuel

[Crazyfool]

How long does unleaded last before it goes off, if it even does?

Last year I bought a petrol lawnmower. I read the instructions and it states something along the lines of put fresh fuel in after a period of long-standing, in other words after winter.

With the weather we’ve had this year, it’s hardly been used so I’m left with a container of fuel. I bought it early this year, so can I put it in our convertible or should it be disposed of?

Thanks.


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[whitenemesis]

From BP ...
"The storage life of petrol is one year when stored under shelter in a sealed container. Once a seal is broken the fuel has a storage life of six months at 20°C or three months at 30°C. The storage life of petrol in equipment fuel tanks is one month"

 

[Crazyfool]

If that’s the case it’s 3-6 months considering it’s been stored in a container away from any light in the garage.

Touch and go then I suppose.


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[Flyinspanner]

Pour it into your car, it’ll be fine.

 

[400ixl]

In the case of a lawnmower you will be able to use it next year. Just store it for that.

 

[Colesy]

I use petrol for my lawnmower, but Because I have to use at least a 1 gallon container when I fill at the pump, it tends to last at least a couple of years. I just keep using it till it's gone then fill it up again and I've never had any issues.
Keep the remaining fuel for next season and use it in the lawnmower, it'll be fine.

 

[190]

The fuel in the sealed can may be OK but the fuel in the mower may gum up the carb by next year. I would either add a fuel stabiliser to the tank and run the mower to get it right through the system or I would drain the carb. Only once in my life did a leave fuel in a motorcycle over winter and it created a whole load of grief in the spring getting carb jets unblocked.

 

[Crazyfool]

The fuel in the sealed can may be OK but the fuel in the mower may gum up the carb by next year. I would either add a fuel stabiliser to the tank and run the mower to get it right through the system or I would drain the carb. Only once in my life did a leave fuel in a motorcycle over winter and it created a whole load of grief in the spring getting carb jets unblocked.

Yeah, I’ll run it dry once I’ve finished using it. The problem is half my grass is still dead, so it doesn’t take much to cut.


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[flowrider]

How long does unleaded last before it goes off, if it even does?

Last year I bought a petrol lawnmower. I read the instructions and it states something along the lines of put fresh fuel in after a period of long-standing, in other words after winter.

With the weather we’ve had this year, it’s hardly been used so I’m left with a container of fuel. I bought it early this year, so can I put it in our convertible or should it be disposed of?

Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have used 2 year old petrol in my lawnmower with no issues, in fact this years petrol was nearly 3 years old.

 

[flowrider]

The fuel in the sealed can may be OK but the fuel in the mower may gum up the carb by next year. I would either add a fuel stabiliser to the tank and run the mower to get it right through the system or I would drain the carb. Only once in my life did a leave fuel in a motorcycle over winter and it created a whole load of grief in the spring getting carb jets unblocked.

My lawnmower engine/carb never gums up despite leaving the fuel in all over winter. Lawnmower engines are tough.

 

[Daveuk]

I have used 2 year old petrol in my lawnmower with no issues, in fact this years petrol was nearly 3 years old.

Same here 2yr old in mine and it’s been fine it’s just stored in the garage which gets pretty warm in summer as well as cold on winter (black garage door)


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[kianok]

My 15+ year old mountfield starts fine each year with old fuel in it.

Never Bother draining it for the winter either.

 

[l5foye]

Older lawnmowers are more tolerant of aged petrol. I have 2 Hondas -the old one has no trouble with old petrol The newer one, on the other hand, needs fresh petrol after storing for a winter.

 

[clk320x]

Older lawnmowers are more tolerant of aged petrol. I have 2 Hondas -the old one has no trouble with old petrol The newer one, on the other hand, needs fresh petrol after storing for a winter.

They don’t make em how they used to

 

[MancMike]

My petrol pressure washer is harder to start after the fuel has aged a few months. Starts on first pull with fresh petrol, today I had to pull nearly 10 times and engage hulk mode to get it to fire. It ran perfectly though.

 

[Crazyfool]

Older lawnmowers are more tolerant of aged petrol. I have 2 Hondas -the old one has no trouble with old petrol The newer one, on the other hand, needs fresh petrol after storing for a winter.

Mines a Honda


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[D-18]

Mine can feel a little down on power with older fuel, but it still seems to produce enough.....

 

[littleowl]

My motorbike generally sits from October to March with a full tank of fuel and starts and rides as normal in the spring

 

[190]

My petrol pressure washer is harder to start after the fuel has aged a few months. Starts on first pull with fresh petrol, today I had to pull nearly 10 times and engage hulk mode to get it to fire. It ran perfectly though.

The more volatile fractions evaporate off very quickly. When I had a kick start only bike it would be harder to start after only two weeks and a visible inspection of the carb float bowl showed that level had already dropped in such a short time.

 

[Mactech]

The more volatile fractions evaporate off very quickly. When I had a kick start only bike it would be harder to start after only two weeks and a visible inspection of the carb float bowl showed that level had already dropped in such a short time.

Absolutely right. ...and there are more 'light ends' in winter fuel than summer fuel.
I was totally unaware that petrol was different in the winter months until we had to run 'pump fuel' in the Group C race cars of the 1980's.
Having tested the Silk Cut Jaguars in Spain in early spring with no issues, we then came to run at Silverstone in April and discovered that Britain
was still on 'winter fuel' with lots of Ethanes and Methanes in the fuel mix. Great for ensuring Grannie can start her Fiesta in the frost, but useless for running a racing car with a V12 engine snuggled into the fuel cell and running at 45 deg C.....fuel temperature
In order to conform to the regulations we were forced to artificially 'weather' the fuel by bubbling CO2 through it to 'boil' off some the light ends before the car run correctly.
We'd have paid good money for some fuel that had been sitting around all winter!