honeybee
Well-Known Member
Looking to find out what is the correct procedure to be safe from water gathering in the fuel?
Full or empty tank for winter ? - Petrol
- Thread starter honeybee
- Start date
carlton
Well-Known Member
Mine's usually low for the winter as I don't see the sense in allowing petrol to deteriorate over that time. Never had a problem.
ricky_s
Well-Known Member
I think empty, Petrol goes stale if left too long.
ian38_39
Well-Known Member
Always left mine low over winter. May be totally wrong but I think petrol engines cope ok with a small amount of water and no worry's with that nasty diesel bug.
I fill mine completely at the start of the season so there is plenty of fresh stuff for that first run.
Heard petrol goes off but bought current boat with full tanks after it had been on the hard for 3 years and the engines ran fine on it with no noticeable difference after new stuff was put in.
I fill mine completely at the start of the season so there is plenty of fresh stuff for that first run.
Heard petrol goes off but bought current boat with full tanks after it had been on the hard for 3 years and the engines ran fine on it with no noticeable difference after new stuff was put in.
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mil1194
Well-Known Member
People keep telling me that petrol goes off etc but have various machines that have been on occassion left for long periods (years.....) and have never had a problem with the petrol going off. (I'm talking about 4-stroke here thou' - all 2-strokes I'd ditch the fuel and start again)
GrahamHR
Well-Known Member
I always fill the boat tank (with petrol) after the summer, like I do with lawnmowers. If there's no leak allowing the more volatile ingredients to escape, in my experience petrol doesn't "go off". No doubt the sellers of fuel stabilisers disagree!
Graham
Graham
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
Mercury make a product, as no doubt others will, to add to the petrol for just this problem.
Our season is starting, so I've added some to the tank. Could be a waste of money, but it can't hurt either.
tinkicker0
Well-Known Member
I have done both and had no problems. I just dose the fuel with Startron and forget about it. What's in the tank at lift out stays in the tank. Petrol should keep for six months or so without problems in a fuel tank.
I only add Startron to avoid possible problems in the carb float bowl.
More to the point is changing your water separator filter at the end of the season when the boat is lifted and having a spare on board just in case.
If you are really concerned with condensation, fasten a plastic bag over the tank vent with laggy bands so the tank can breathe without introducing moisture laden air in, bag would theoretically just inflate and deflate as the air pressure changes.
Fuel sep should remove any water tho.
I only add Startron to avoid possible problems in the carb float bowl.
More to the point is changing your water separator filter at the end of the season when the boat is lifted and having a spare on board just in case.
If you are really concerned with condensation, fasten a plastic bag over the tank vent with laggy bands so the tank can breathe without introducing moisture laden air in, bag would theoretically just inflate and deflate as the air pressure changes.
Fuel sep should remove any water tho.
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Major Catastrophe
Well-Known Member
No it doesn't.
It can gum up in a carburettor, but petrol in a sealed container will last for years.
I have had my boat for six years and I have never had a problem. My lawn mower has worked every year for eleven years with no problem with petrol left in the tank.
colingr
Well-Known Member
Mymobo
Well-Known Member
On t last boat I kept it full through the winter and had no problems. On this boat she has a big tank so currently using it slowly over the winter.
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
The "Lights" in petrol evaporate over time, so unless your fuel system is completely sealed, you will lose some of these, which are the highly calorific element of your fuel. In my experience, this loss is quite gradual, and I don't think you will experience any significant degredation over 6-12 months, unless your engine is very highly tuned.
Starting might be a bit more difficult, but once running, the engine should be OK.
You will not experience the dreaded diesel bug, for obvious reasons.
Starting might be a bit more difficult, but once running, the engine should be OK.
You will not experience the dreaded diesel bug, for obvious reasons.
Warpa
Well-Known Member
I have read many posts saying, full, empty and whatever is in the tank. Full sounds better as there is less space for condensation to occur. I would just add an additive to stop it possibly gumming up in the carb.
petem
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised by the responses above because I understood best practice was to fill the tank to the brim over winter to prevent condensation and corrosion.
Pete
Pete
PaulGooch
Well-Known Member
There are no fuel bug issues with petrol, so the two considerations are, condensation causing water in the fuel and the fuel becoming stale.
A partially full tank will condensate and lead to water in the fuel.
Modern petrol will not go stale over Winter. Highly unlikely you'd have a problem if you left it in the boat a year or more. Any fuel left in the tank will quickly be consumed next season anyway.
So, the choice is simple, would you prefer some water in the tank or some immeasurable, unnoticeable fuel degradation ?
Although my boat is diesel, the tank is always full to the brim. When we return from a trip, we fill up. She gets used all rear round, so no layup consideration, but if she was laid up, she'd have full tanks, as always.
A partially full tank will condensate and lead to water in the fuel.
Modern petrol will not go stale over Winter. Highly unlikely you'd have a problem if you left it in the boat a year or more. Any fuel left in the tank will quickly be consumed next season anyway.
So, the choice is simple, would you prefer some water in the tank or some immeasurable, unnoticeable fuel degradation ?
Although my boat is diesel, the tank is always full to the brim. When we return from a trip, we fill up. She gets used all rear round, so no layup consideration, but if she was laid up, she'd have full tanks, as always.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Petrol can go stale but it depends how it is stored. If sealed and full metal containers/tanks, to prevent loss of more volatile components and contact with air, are used then it should keep for at least 1 year.
Less happy about modern fuels and if we start getting ethanol in our fuel that will cause problems.
A fuel stabiliser is the way to go for long term storage and even for not so long term storage of ethanol fuels.
Sta-bil is a favourite in the USA but I don't know if its available in the UK
Less happy about modern fuels and if we start getting ethanol in our fuel that will cause problems.
A fuel stabiliser is the way to go for long term storage and even for not so long term storage of ethanol fuels.
Sta-bil is a favourite in the USA but I don't know if its available in the UK
lovezoo
Well-Known Member
When I lived in the UK I always left my tank with whatever amount of petrol it happens to have in it at the end of the seaon - and the boat always started no problems in the spring.
You also want to consider where you are going to be leaving your boat and if you are happy about having a few hundreds quids worth of petrol just a short syphon away from being nicked. Of course with interest rates low and petrol prices rising, a full tank of petrol might end up being a sensible investment.
You also want to consider where you are going to be leaving your boat and if you are happy about having a few hundreds quids worth of petrol just a short syphon away from being nicked. Of course with interest rates low and petrol prices rising, a full tank of petrol might end up being a sensible investment.
