WRS2K, I don't think you'll get a definitive answer. I think it'll depend on the grade/quality of gas you've got in there. I agree a full tank rather than an empty tank is better.

I'm pretty sure the big deal about gas going bad was really a problem in the old carburetor days... Apparently the gas could sit in the float bowl and gunk it up. I'm not sure, but I don't think it's a particularly likely situation in fuel-injected engines like ours.

That said, adding some stabilizer should not be a problem.

Happy trails!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WRS2K
[B]Well the car is in an indoor garage with two huge big fans helping to control the temperature and humidity levels.

 

I don't completely store mine. It sits in the garage on a 300 mA battery charger and with the top latches undone and windows partially down. I drive it maybe once every two weeks, at least 15 miles when I do.

 

Some info about bad gas and fuel stabilizers:

http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/faqs.htm

They say gas can go bad in 60 days, but then they are also trying to sell a product.

MG

 

Just had some old Xmas turkey. Talk about BAD GAS!

 

no problem.... just keep away the cats

 

I see your point (s) about the full gas tank, but I don't see why anyone would want to periodically start the car. The 1st start after sitting for weeks is going to be the most damaging cold start you can do. Why not just do 1 of these cold starts at the end of the storage period, instead of 8 throughout the storage period?

I may have to rethink my lawn mower storage strategy a bit, but I have always run it out of gas (completely), drained the oil, and put it in my shed. The next season, I would put the fluids back in, and start it up. It has always run like new, and it is 7 years old.

 

It's important to run the carburator dry on small engine equipment. If you want to believe the fuel stabilizer companies, I think it might be OK for one season. But if you store the equipment for more than a year, I wouldn't consider doing anything but what the equipment owner's manual says (which often includes a tablespoon of oil down the spark plug hole, pulling the starter cord a couple times, and reinstalling the spark plug)

With a fuel injected engine, you can push through fresh fuel into the fuel lines just by turning the key from ACC to ON several times. You can hear the fuel pump run. As long as your fuel regulator is downstream of the fuel rail, you'll circulate gasoline from the tank to the fuel rails and back through the return line to the tank.

This being the case, if I was to do long-term storage of the S2000, I would probably (1) use dry-gas on the last fill-up, (2) run the gas really low before storage, then (3) when removing it from storage I would bring 5 gallons of fresh fuel and run it through before starting it up.

I think the full tank of gasoline comes from the days when condensation was a problem. Fuel systems are sealed from atmosphere, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Destiny2002
[B]

I think the full tank of gasoline comes from the days when condensation was a problem.

 

Gernby,

And I'll concede that maybe starting the car every few weeks is probably more wear on the oil-starved engine than just leaving it cold through the winter. The only value I can see is some recharge to the battery and getthe coolant flowing through the engine rather than stagnant all winter.

That's not gonna stop me, though! I need the sound of my F20C every few weeks to keep my sanity through the winter!