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I have a car that I drive maybe 10 miles per week maximum so I hardly go through any gas. Do I need to be concerned about the gas spoiling or getting rough on the engine if I don't drive it very much? I might go through half a tank per month max.
Some may disagree, but I think gas being in a tank for two months shouldn't cause any problems. One way to improve the odds of that would be to only put half a tank in at a time.
I have a car that I drive maybe 10 miles per week maximum so I hardly go through any gas. Do I need to be concerned about the gas spoiling or getting rough on the engine if I don't drive it very much? I might go through half a tank per month max.
No. If you are driving the car every week it will be fine.
Also, be sure to fill your gas tank when you fuel-up, as opposed to just partially fill it. That will keep it clean and fully functional over the life of the car.
Two months is about the max I'd let gas sit in a tank. Gas DOES go bad, it breaks down over time and loses its ignition ability. There is no harm that will be done by filling up your tank only half way. Today's modern cars have pressurized fuel tanks that keep contaminants out.
Also keep in mind that gasoline with a high percentage of ethanol can be harmful to parts of the fuel system if left in there long enough. Driving cars that little is not very good for the engine. It's ideal to at least get them up to operating temperature before turning them off again.
Some may disagree, but I think gas being in a tank for two months shouldn't cause any problems. One way to improve the odds of that would be to only put half a tank in at a time.
right, gasoline has a shelf life of about six months generally, so a few months in the tank wont hurt anything. if you plan to leave it in the tank much longer than six months, i suggest using a fuel stabilizer, like stabil. that said, i have had vehicles where the gas in the tank was there for longer than two years, and it still ignited, though the engine ran like crap until all the old fuel was gone.
I don't think you need to be worried about the gas itself, it will be fine for a few months, but I would stick to a good maintenance schedule. Those short trips don't warm up the oil (or other fluids) all the way, which allows moisture to break down some of the additives in the oil, making it less effective. So, when they say change your oil at XXXX miles or XX months (usually 12 months), you should do follow the timelines. Same for the other fluids.
I would not let it get down much below 1/2 a tank though if its truly driven that little. More air space for temperature changes to cause condensation. Sta-bil would probably be pretty cheap insurance if you do end up driving it even less. I would probably stay away from the dirt cheapest places as well. While lots of places get their gasoline form the same depot, some sellers do add more additives in their fuel and for a car that sits a lot, it should help keep things from gumming up as much. Top Tier Gasoline
Agree about changing oil. At that small amount of driving, even at a quick lube places recommended 3k, which for most people and cars is a joke and way too often, you will get some nasty gunk in your oil. It would probably be a good idea to take it out every couple weeks on the weekend for a good 20 mile or more drive as well. Also, a good synthetic oil can pay dividends here.
Generally you would not want it to sit for more than a couple months. Even at just 10 miles per week, I would think you could routinely top off the tank on a month or bi-monthly schedule to keep fresh gas in there.
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