Diesel left in tanks. Any problem?

Alshymer

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Hello
As our vans are now likely to be laid up for some time, especially here in France, I was wondering about whether diesel deteriorates in the fuel tank?
As I have quite a full tank, I am wondering how easy it is to remove from a Fiat Ducato low profile 2017 model?
Any info would be appreciated.
Best wishes to all.
Alshymer
 
Alshymer said:
Hello
As our vans are now likely to be laid up for some time, especially here in France, I was wondering about whether diesel deteriorates in the fuel tank?
As I have quite a full tank, I am wondering how easy it is to remove from a Fiat Ducato low profile 2017 model?
Any info would be appreciated.
Best wishes to all.
Alshymer
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Keeping a full tank is your best bet, that helps to prevent bacterial build up.
But there should be no problems from leaving fuel in a tank.
 
Unleaded petrol goes off, diesel generally does not.
As long as there's no water in there, and preferably if the tank is full, I suspect it'll be good until the tank rusts away or the fuel lines perish
There are additives to prevent fungal growth, but as far as I know, they're only needed in marine environments, where moisture levels are high.
I know people who have kept diesel in a fuel tank for over a decade with no apparent deterioration.
 
I had a big fill on July 2nd last year then a fill in November (not to the brim). I have just checked the mileage today and the mileage at the MOT last June and we have travelled 585 miles in 10 months. :(

To be fair, we had unusual circumstances for this before the virus stopped everything.
 
unleaded petrol goes off is repeated so often that we nearly all accept it as true.

all i can say is i buy and sell used garden machinary, have done so for years, also use the same machines on our own property and on contract work for customers weve never drained our own mowers over winter and some of the ones we sell will have stood with petrol in for months, weve never had a problem due to stale petrol., where weve put the petrol in.... mind you some of the ones we buy in we drain the tanks cos of the colour of whats in them but its anyones guess what went in and when

weve sold mowers this week that we serviced and fuelled in the autumn...started first pull.
 
ricc said:
unleaded petrol goes off is repeated so often that we nearly all accept it as true.

all i can say is i buy and sell used garden machinary, have done so for years, also use the same machines on our own property and on contract work for customers weve never drained our own mowers over winter and some of the ones we sell will have stood with petrol in for months, weve never had a problem due to stale petrol., where weve put the petrol in.... mind you some of the ones we buy in we drain the tanks cos of the colour of whats in them but its anyones guess what went in and when

weve sold mowers this week that we serviced and fuelled in the autumn...started first pull.
Click to expand...

I've had outboard motors start with year old petrol in them before now.

But in recent years, I have certainly had problems with gummed up carbs when using old fuel. I always keep my boats tanks topped up with petrol with additive these days.
 
ricc said:
unleaded petrol goes off is repeated so often that we nearly all accept it as true.

all i can say is i buy and sell used garden machinary, have done so for years, also use the same machines on our own property and on contract work for customers weve never drained our own mowers over winter and some of the ones we sell will have stood with petrol in for months, weve never had a problem due to stale petrol., where weve put the petrol in.... mind you some of the ones we buy in we drain the tanks cos of the colour of whats in them but its anyones guess what went in and when

weve sold mowers this week that we serviced and fuelled in the autumn...started first pull.
Click to expand...
I never had a problem starting my mower in the spring, with last year's petrol in it, but petrol definitely does deteriorate over time.

Of course, it make more sense to leave it in, because an empty tank is not good.

Unless you have another use for it, what would you do with a motorhome tank full of fuel? You can't tip it down the drain!
 
ricc said:
unleaded petrol goes off is repeated so often that we nearly all accept it as true.

all i can say is i buy and sell used garden machinary, have done so for years, also use the same machines on our own property and on contract work for customers weve never drained our own mowers over winter and some of the ones we sell will have stood with petrol in for months, weve never had a problem due to stale petrol., where weve put the petrol in.... mind you some of the ones we buy in we drain the tanks cos of the colour of whats in them but its anyones guess what went in and when

weve sold mowers this week that we serviced and fuelled in the autumn...started first pull.
Click to expand...

My three petrol lawnmowers seem to survive if I use them in October and reuse them in March but I have had to replace a couple of carburetors :(:( that have been ruined by leaving old petrol in them.
The old petrol develops a new smell and turns yellow. :(
 
harrow said:
My three petrol lawnmowers seem to survive if I use them in October and reuse them in March but I have had to replace a couple of carburetors :(:( that have been ruined by leaving old petrol in them.
The old petrol develops a new smell and turns yellow. :(
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I think having a vented tank makes a difference as to how long petrol will keep.

One thing I always do now is tighten the vent screw on the petrol tank when the boat is not in use, which is something I may have ovelooked in the past.
 
Diesel fuel used to keep almost indefinitely, but nowadays road diesel contains a percentage of bio-diesel which makes it more prone to diesel bug. There are bio-cide additives and enzyme additives that stop it. Soltron and Startron additives are both enzymes that have worked for me.
Red diesel as far as I know is still 100% mineral with no bio-diesel, though it can still grow diesel bug if moisture is allowed to mix in with it.
 
Robmac said:
I think having a vented tank makes a difference as to how long petrol will keep.

One thing I always do now is tighten the vent screw on the petrol tank when the boat is not in use, which is something I may have ovelooked in the past.
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Being in the marine biz i can tell you for fact that the fuel goes of in 6 weeks,it losses its airotomics which is the bit that starts the bang,it also draws in moisture because its not real petrol but a cocktail of chemicals,dont even smell like old petrol,every year i get the outboards in workshop with carbs eaten through or a white dust left which is like steel and almost imposable to remove,yep new carb.
 
trevskoda said:
Being in the marine biz i can tell you for fact that the fuel goes of in 6 weeks,it losses its airotomics which is the bit that starts the bang,it also draws in moisture because its not real petrol but a cocktail of chemicals,dont even smell like old petrol,every year i get the outboards in workshop with carbs eaten through or a white dust left which is like steel and almost imposable to remove,yep new carb.
Click to expand...

I always use additive in the boat engine now Trev.
 
I have a 1959 tractor that I restored in 2013 and as it doesn’t get used very often is still on the same fuel from 2013, knowing that I wouldn’t use all the fuel up very quickly I put in some millers diesel additive which apart from helping to keep the fuel system clean, also stops the diesel from going bad.
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