Can I use “bad petrol” from my lawnmower in my car?
East Ender asked:
I had some petrol left for my lawnmower from last year. I filled the tank with fresh petrol (about 8 litre), obviously contaminating whole content of my tank. The lawnmower had difficulty in starting. When it started it ran OK but it started kicking back when I started the engine again. I suspect the trouble is with the oxidized petrol I have in the lawnmower and the tank. I do not want to waste this petrol. Can I use it in my car? Are car engines more tolerant than small petrol engines? May be the problem lies somewhere else and not in the “bad petrol”. Perhaps someone out there knows?
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I had some petrol left for my lawnmower from last year. I filled the tank with fresh petrol (about 8 litre), obviously contaminating whole content of my tank. The lawnmower had difficulty in starting. When it started it ran OK but it started kicking back when I started the engine again. I suspect the trouble is with the oxidized petrol I have in the lawnmower and the tank. I do not want to waste this petrol. Can I use it in my car? Are car engines more tolerant than small petrol engines? May be the problem lies somewhere else and not in the “bad petrol”. Perhaps someone out there knows?
February 13th, 2009 at 5:15 am
After a while, fuel loses its “power”. You can use it, but I would combine it with a higher grade fuel like Super Unleaded and have the mix at 80 to 20. 80% Super and 20% old fuel. You should have no major problems. Good Luck!!!
February 16th, 2009 at 6:05 am
What happens with old gas is that it loses its most volatile compounds in there and the rest will not burn well enough. There also is a tendency for “varnish” to form in that gas.
That means that if you use the stale gas in you car you can have starting and gumming-up problems there too. The cost of cleaning your car’s fuel system is more than the value of the gas you are recycling.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:49 am
While I admire your desire to not waste resources, sometimes you just have to accept the loss. Year old gas is not a good thing. Ask yourself this, Am I going to risk ruining a $20,000 car for $6.00 worth of gas ? Just dump the old gas.
Perhaps next year you can buy gas for the mower as you need it and not stockpile it, or at the end of the mowing season put it in your car while it is still fresh.
February 20th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Modern cars have many sensors and a computer. Bad petrol will muck them up and cause problems for the car. The car is less tolerant than the mower.