Using stale petrol in a road car.

[Lankytim]

Hi Shiters,

 

On Christmas day I managed to sneak out and have a play with the 240 spares car I have sat on the inlwas drive. I had already drained 5 litres into a plastic petrol can and wanted to see how much more was in there. I set up some fuel hose syphoning fuel into a 20 litre jerry can. I went back inside, had some lovely Xmas dinner with the inlaws and then made an excuse to go back outside. I'd managed to suck out a full jerry cans worth before the syphon effect stopped due to the height of the 240s petrol tank, so there should be a bit more petrol in there!

 

Now, the petrol thats come out isn't discoloured but it smells stale. The 240 came off the road in 2009 so the fuel is about 4 years old or so. Should it be ok to dump in the tank of my roadgoing 240? Should it need diluting with fresh petrol before I use it? Normally id just bosh it straight in but as this is a fairly modern car, with multi-point fuel injection and a lambder sensor i'm a bit worried that dodgy fuel will damage something.

 

I've read that a bottle of meths will revive dead fuel, no idea if that will work though!

[scaryoldcortina]

It'll be fine, I do this all the time. Especially in something low-tech like the volvo the only thing you will notice is that you paid less for petrol this week

[Shep Shepherd]

I imagine it would be totally fine, as long as there are no bits floating around in it. The Volvo 'red block' engines were designed to run on poor quality/low octane fuel, even the EFI/Lambda Sond ones, whose fuel injection system dates back to the 1970s. You could always bung a gallon of two of fresh stuff in afterwards you still have doubts

[Lankytim]

Stuck 5l into a nearly empty tank and it seems to be eating it no probs. I'll stick the rest in next time i'm filling up so it can get nicely diluted. Mmmm! free fuel!!

[wackywacerwill]

The 205's currently running on half stale fuel and half pre mix left over from my trials bike. Stinks a bit but runs as good as ever