Can Gas Go Bad? Symptoms of Bad Gas in Your Car
Photo by Diego Carneiro on Unsplash
Many people may think that any gas can work for all vehicles and premium, advanced, or platinum options are just a way to get customers to pay more money. This may be true some of the time, but it’s important that you fill up your vehicle with quality gas to maintain its performance over time. While trying to save at the pump is always a good idea, neglect can harm the vehicle over time. What are the symptoms of bad gas in a car?
Because not everyone drives their car all of the time, old gas can sit in the tank for days, weeks, or even months at a time which can easily lose its freshness. Because fuel deterioration is accelerated by moisture and oxygen inside the tank, the less fuel inside the tank, the faster it can spoil.
It’s critical to keep an eye on the quality of the fuel in your tank because if it causes mechanical problems, your insurance carrier is unlikely to cover the costs of repairs. When gasoline deteriorates, it no longer offers the best fuel for your car’s engine and might harm internal components and the fuel system. Although gasoline does have a general shelf life, there are a few things you can do to keep it fresh and prevent it from deteriorating.
How long does a tank of gas last? Does gasoline have a shelf life?
Gasoline is produced in a refinery and can be stored for days or weeks before even reaching the pump. Depending on the volume of daily traffic at a given gas station, it may remain unused for even longer. A certain batch of gasoline may be over a month old when you go to fill up your tank. Gasoline’s composition changes as it ages, and its octane rating diminishes as a result. This can have a detrimental impact on engine performance because today’s engines are designed for certain grades of fuel with different octane ratings.
Gasoline does not last indefinitely. When you introduce gasoline to the air, the countdown begins. Your gasoline begins to oxidize after around 30 days of sitting in your fuel system. When gasoline oxidizes, it turns into varnish, which coats your fuel system and engine and causes it to clog. As gasoline deteriorates, its color changes from clear and clogs up your fuel system, and causes your engine to overheat.
Worse for overall time, today’s gasoline frequently contains ethanol, and the ethanol draws water from the atmosphere as they develop. In general, old gas in your car isn’t an issue if you’ve only let it sit for a couple of months, but if it’s been sitting for 6 months or longer, you may need to apply something to prevent deterioration. One of the most common symptoms of bad gas in a car is old age, although it is by no means the only one.
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Symptoms of bad gas in a car: the warning signs
- You have trouble starting your car
- Vehicle sputtering
- Routine stalling
- Check engine light
- Poor fuel efficiency
- Slower acceleration
- Fluctuation in speed
You have trouble starting your car
It’s possible that you have poor gas if your car cranks but won’t start. The engine cannot be started because the gas is contaminated or beyond its shelf life. It could also mean that your vehicle doesn’t have enough fuel in general. Your engine may not start due to a variety of factors ranging from faulty spark plugs to a faulty fuel pump. In rare situations, having a lot of poor quality or corroded gas in your tank might cause your car to not turn at all.
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Vehicle sputtering
Poor quality gas is not able to burn evenly, and this can cause sputtering or pinging in your engine. If you can hear audible noises coming from your vehicle when it’s idling and when you’re traveling at a reasonable pace, this can be an indicator of bad gas. These noises aren’t necessarily indicative of a problem because they can possibly be generated by other factors, but should make you take a look at the tank.
Routine stalling
It’s likely that if your gas is polluted with sediment or water, your car will stall while you’re driving since the fuel isn’t combusting properly. This isn’t a common issue and usually happens under extreme circumstances, but can be seen in cars with severely contaminated tanks.
Check engine light
A fairly common issue for car owners, this may be a sign that your vehicle doesn’t have enough clean fuel to run properly. This can be a sign of other issues, but can also be seen with other symptoms of bad gas in a car.
Poor fuel efficiency
Not surprisingly, with bad gas, your engine will have to work harder than usual to create the same amount of power as a vehicle with clean gas. Your vehicle will likely need to use more gasoline than normal as a result of this.
Slower acceleration
Because bad gas doesn’t burn properly, it’s usual to have problems accelerating or traveling up hills or other steep inclines when you have bad gas. It may feel like your vehicle is straining and even sounds worse as a result.
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Fluctuation in speed
Bad gas might also cause your vehicle to shift speeds suddenly while driving. You could observe a sudden slowing followed by a quick increase without changing the pressure on the pedal or brake pad. Like many of the others, this could be caused by a variety of factors, but if you experience more than one there’s a decent chance your gas has spoiled.
It is important to drive your car on a relatively frequent basis, even if it is just for short distances, to prevent gasoline from spoiling. If you don’t drive much and are worried about your fuel going stale, filling it up often and keeping the tank full is one approach to keep it fresh. When you fill up your gas tank, the surplus air is squeezed out, reducing the likelihood of condensation and fuel damage. A full gas tank also reduces the quantity of oxygen within, preventing gasoline from evaporating and preserving its chemical qualities.
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