Discussion
Due to the Covid 19 crisis my Merc’ R129, like most classics, has not been used this year, SORN in the garage. The petrol in the tank is now one year old. I regularly start it up, drive it up and down the drive to warm it up. I have no intention of taxing and using the car to at least April next year. By then the petrol will be over 18 months old. There is about quarter of a tank.
What do you guys think, should I worry about the petrol going off. I’ve been advised to add some Wynns fuel stabiliser in the tank.
What do you guys think, should I worry about the petrol going off. I’ve been advised to add some Wynns fuel stabiliser in the tank.
I think that I would siphon/pump the petrol out. If the Mercedes still runs on it I would think that it would be OK to use it in someting else, well diluted with fresh petrol.
As you want to start the car up occasionally you could consider Apen petrol which will stay fresh for a very long time. It's expensive at around £21 for 5 litres but that's probably cheap compared with damaging your Mercedes with the old fuel
Info here
https://aspenfuel.co.uk/
As you want to start the car up occasionally you could consider Apen petrol which will stay fresh for a very long time. It's expensive at around £21 for 5 litres but that's probably cheap compared with damaging your Mercedes with the old fuel
Info here
https://aspenfuel.co.uk/
I have twice started cars that have not run for over a year. Leaving cars this long is not to be recommended, but it seems that one usually gets away with it. My main concern would be the brakes & clutch seizing. But you are starting and moving the car regularly - doing this and getting the car up to temperature is much better than letting a car stand.
One thing that I am never sure about each winter is whether it is best to use up the old fuel before refilling (what I normally do) or to dilute it with new fuel, and have it in the car for longer....
One thing that I am never sure about each winter is whether it is best to use up the old fuel before refilling (what I normally do) or to dilute it with new fuel, and have it in the car for longer....
I wouldn't give it a second thought. I have never drained old fuel and have never had a starting problem, nor a problem of any other sort connected with storage. I did once leave a car with friends who kindly garaged it for me when I was in the middle of a divorce and had no storage for it. They started it regularly with the best of intentions but all the cold starts eventually diluted the oil and it ran it's main bearings so only do that if you can then give it a good run and get it properly warm. I have two cars here which are only used in the summer and come the spring they always fire up just like normal. Keep the batteries connected to a smart charger and before you start up in the spring just top up the tank with fresh petrol!
Thanks guys, I`ve been storing a car for the six months of winter for years without problems. Its just that this crisis has added a year. The thing that has got me going on this is......
I`ve resonantly been asked to get an old 205GTI going that`s been in dry storage for many years, its possible the petrol in the tank is FIFTEEN years old !!
It would not start, no fuel pressure. I discovered that the "petrol" in the tank had turned to something like liquid varnish. It did not even give off any fumes.
The intank petrol pump was seized.
I`ve resonantly been asked to get an old 205GTI going that`s been in dry storage for many years, its possible the petrol in the tank is FIFTEEN years old !!
It would not start, no fuel pressure. I discovered that the "petrol" in the tank had turned to something like liquid varnish. It did not even give off any fumes.
The intank petrol pump was seized.
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