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03-08-2010, 12:27 PM | #1 |
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storing car for a couple of month, what to do with gas in tank?
Hey guys,
so im planning to store my car of a couple of month, in a garage. I already bought a bottle of STP fuel treatment to prevent rusting,etc. Just wondering if I should have my tank full or have it near empty. I thought that it would be back to have a full tank of months old gas to burn it off after I start driving the car again... so should i leave my tank near empty so I can just add fresh gas at a nearby station when I'm driving the car again? thanks |
03-08-2010, 01:39 PM | #3 | |
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Put the highest octane rating fuel you can get your hands on and buy "Fuel Stabilizer" and follow the instructions on that. Once the Stabilizer is in your tank run it for a while so it can get into the cylinders. 2 months is not long so ask someone to start it once every 3 or 4 weeks and dont lock it (in a home garage of course) so the alarm doesnt drain the battery. Otherwise... Get a trickle charger if you cant have it started and make sure to overinflate the tires. I just took mine out of storage yesterday... Ohhhhhhhhh so sweet to drive it again!
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03-08-2010, 06:19 PM | #4 |
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If it were my car, I would make sure the tank was filled and also add the correct amount of fuel stabilizer. Although for 2 months, even adding the fuel stabilizer may be a bit much, but it can't hurt. I would use a battery tender. And I certainly wouldn't want anyone to start the car to just let it idle in the garage. That is one of THE worst things anyone can do to any vehicle. All that does is dump huge amounts of condensation into the oil and exhaust system because the engine never comes up to proper operating temperature. Even though the temp gauge may show the normal zone, only a 15 minute run on the freeway will warm up the engine properly and burn off the condensation.
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03-08-2010, 06:50 PM | #5 |
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In summary:
- NEVER run a car while in 'storage' without driving it at least 15 miles. The M3 has a lot of oil, and it takes a while to reach full operating temperature, and to burn all condensation formed up to that point. Otherwise you'll be rusting your engine internals and exhaust system; not smart. It's MUCH better not to start it at all, even for prolonged periods of time. - For 2 months it's not even necessary to put fuel stabilizer on the fuel, but since it can be longer than that, I recommend it. Once treated, fuel will stay fresh for ONE YEAR, so no worries there. Just make sure to drive the car for a few miles to ensure stabilized fuel reaches all the way to the injectors. - Always store a car with a FULL tank of gas, to avoid condensation. - And leave battery on a 'smart' trickle charger, but I prefer to charge it every 2 weeks myself, rather than leave it connected all the time, but that's a matter of preference. M3s are not easy on batteries while in storage, but once all systems are in 'sleep mode', it gets discharged a lot less. And also not mentioned, inflate your tires to at least 35 psi to avoid flat spots. Oh, and make sure there's NO FOOD in your garage, to avoid rodents making a nest out of your car. That's all man. |
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03-08-2010, 06:50 PM | #6 |
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Stabilizer and fill the puppy up to prevent condensation in the tank.
And the advice on the tyres too. Over inflate as Montreal said. Don't forget that bit as the 2 months will have more affect on that then the fuel. Fresh fuel should be good for about 5-6 months. Stabilizer will extend that to about 2 years if done correctly. |
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03-08-2010, 10:49 PM | #7 | |
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03-08-2010, 11:31 PM | #8 |
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I though you should keep gas to the lowest level, so you can fill it with freah gas so you don't have bad gas for a long period of time. How do you know if you have Condensation in your gas, maybe it's a good idea to add some dry gas like Isoheet. Any thoughts?
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03-08-2010, 11:46 PM | #9 | |
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Full is definitely the way to go to avoid condensation as long as it's only going to be in there for less than 6 months (say 4 for extra safety). However, you can leave it in for considerably longer if you use stabiliser. You get condensation in any container with liquid when there is a rapid change in temperature so it's actually quite unlikely to happen anyway as the temperature tends to change quite slowly inside the fuel tank. Better safe than sorry and one of the main things to do to avoid it is to fill up and get as much of the air out as possible. |
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03-09-2010, 03:56 AM | #10 | |
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I fully intend to burn through the tank in "record speed", so I am not concerned with the bad gas. If I get more than 13MPG on the tank of storage gas, I will disappoint myself!
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03-09-2010, 12:30 PM | #11 |
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so where do I get this "fuel stabilizer"? does the STP branded fuel treatment bottle from walmart count?
or should I look at stores like Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts? ill already inflated my tires to 35 psi cold, so that shouldn't be a problem. thanks for the advice! |
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03-09-2010, 12:40 PM | #12 | |
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this has been discussed many times, but heres a pretty good post I found:
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03-09-2010, 04:04 PM | #13 | |
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