How long can you keep gas in a car for in Calgary?

[NissanFanBoy]

Question for beyonders...my dad left the country around August 15, he doesn't plan to be back until Jan 25. He left about half a tank of gas in his 2013 Corolla...will the gas have gone bad when he gets back and mess up his car?

[colsankey]

Modern gasoline is pretty stable. People regularly leave gas in a summer ride for 4-6 months with no ill effect.

[firebane]

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Modern gasoline is pretty stable. People regularly leave gas in a summer ride for 4-6 months with no ill effect.

Not true. With ethanol fuels there is a lot of moisture and can go bad quickly.

[ExtraSlow]

It would be best if the tank was full. If you wanted to get crazy you could put a little fuel stabilizer in it. Or not. This length of time isn't particularly extreme.

[mr2mike]

Pfff that's nothing. People store cars every year for longer.

One of my car's hasn't had new gas in it for 5 years. Now that's an issue. I'll have to drain it before starting it up.

edit: "IF" I start it up.

[Zhariak]

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It would be best if the tank was full. If you wanted to get crazy you could put a little fuel stabilizer in it. Or not. This length of time isn't particularly extreme.

+1 on this...

I've left for 4-5 months, but you NEED to make sure the tank is full. Moister is what will kill you!

If possible, take it for a cruise here and there to agitate the gas in the tank, and top it up. Back a couple years ago, I'd take my summer cars out for a rip when it was -30 (so they'd stay clean) just to agitate the gas, burn some, and top up with fresh gas.

[NissanFanBoy]

Excellent, thanks, I'll probably take it for a drive asap and fill er up, so far I've only taken it for a drive once back in November. w

[dj_rice]

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Pfff that's nothing. People store cars every year for longer.

One of my car's hasn't had new gas in it for 5 years. Now that's an issue. I'll have to drain it before starting it up.

edit: "IF" I start it up.

Ditto. Mine hasn't left the garage for 2 years. Need to get motivated to fix the brake lines one day

[HiTempguy1]

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Not true. With ethanol fuels there is a lot of moisture and can go bad quickly.

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Excellent, thanks, I'll probably take it for a drive asap and fill er up, so far I've only taken it for a drive once back in November. w

You can listen to these guys... or not.

Gasoline will run and start fine for YEARS.

Yes, YEARS, especially in a modern car. Fuck, some of you guys really need to not believe everything you read in Motor Trend or online

[Seth1968]

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You can listen to these guys... or not.

Gasoline will run and start fine for YEARS.

Yes, YEARS, especially in a modern car. Fuck, some of you guys really need to not believe everything you read in Motor Trend or online

Like I said in something that Suntan posted, you might want to be shhh about that truth.

[cancer man]

i find the brakes seize up before the gasoline goes bad. True story.

[Seth1968]

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You can listen to these guys... or not.

Gasoline will run and start fine for YEARS.

Yes, YEARS, especially in a modern car. Fuck, some of you guys really need to not believe everything you read in Motor Trend or online

Agreed.

Now why is such critical thought, not taught?

[Darell_n]

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Agreed.

Now why is such critical thought, not taught?

If you need to be taught how to think, well, maybe that’s the root problem.

[J-hop]

I have a truck that has sat a few times for over two years with the same tank of gas, no stabilizer at all and always starts first try.

As many have mentioned you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Although in practice it’s probably good to fill it all the way to prevent any moisture.

Keep in mind many people have boats they only use a few months out of the year and then store (most probably never even think about using a stabilizer).

Some people say you lose a couple octance points but I haven’t seen anything to back that up.

[Graham_A_M]

Ive left gas in some vehicles for up to 8 years, especially with this old dirtbike at the farm my brother didn't use anymore. I just pulled the carb, cleaned it out and it ran just fine.... its down in California you have to worry, as they put a lot of ethanol in the gas, and that shit causes havoc if left for any length of time. Here Im not worried. Some times I don't use a particular piece of equipment for years. As what was said, yes the Octane rating lowers over time, but on lower compression engines, that has no effect. When you start having engines with 10:1 compression or higher, then yeah its definitely a problem. Agreed on the moisture in the tank bit. When I was 13, my cousin left about half a tank of gas in this sportbike he had. It was absolute hell trying to get the rust out of the tank after I bought it off of him.

[Xtrema]

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its down in California you have to worry, as they put a lot of ethanol in the gas, and that shit causes havoc if left for any length of time. Here Im not worried.

http://nationalpost.com/news/politic...nd-in-gasoline

Current mandate is 5% in Canada. But if you get Mohawk/Husky or Shell Bronze, you do get 10%, just like California. In Shell's case, 10% in Bronze off set the 0 ethanol in Gold for compliance.

[Darell_n]

Southern Alberta Co-op has 0% ethanol in all their fuels, so this is where I buy fuel for my seasonal machines.