How long does fuel last in your car before it goes bad?

from AutoExpert · host John Cadogan

Fuel ‘going bad’. Spoiling in the tank. Thanks to COVID, lockdown and consequential driving inactivity. Oxidation, evaporation, sedimentation, instability, phase separation... been getting this question a lot, through COVID. Lots of cars sitting around, not doing much driving. And certainly fuel - petrol and diesel - both change chemically over time. But is this really something you need to worry about? BP Fact Sheet on fuel life: https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/cou... Help support my independent reporting, securely, via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=54778969 Save thousands on any new car (Australia-only): https://autoexpert.com.au/contact AutoExpert discount roadside assistance package: https://247roadservices.com.au/autoex... Did you like this report? You can help support the channel, securely via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... Today's video is an attempt to answer the following question from a viewer named Paul:   "I’ve been reading up on how long petrol lasts before it "goes bad" both in the tank in my car and in a sealed fuel Jerry can. Then there are fuel stabilizers  which extends the life. Then I saw an article stating fuel stored in steel cans lasts longer than plastic. What would be a plausible explanation for that? Or they might be saying the can itself lasts longer,  dunno on that." - Paul

What this episode covers

Fuel ‘going bad’. Spoiling in the tank. Thanks to COVID, lockdown and consequential driving inactivity. Oxidation, evaporation, sedimentation, instability, phase separation... been getting this question a lot, through COVID. Lots of cars sitting around, not doing much driving. And certainly fuel - petrol and diesel - both change chemically over time. But is this really something you need to worry about? BP Fact Sheet on fuel life: https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/cou... Help support my independent reporting, securely, via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=54778969 Save thousands on any new car (Australia-only): https://autoexpert.com.au/contact AutoExpert discount roadside assistance package: https://247roadservices.com.au/autoex... Did you like this report? You can help support the channel, securely via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... Today's video is an attempt to answer the following question from a viewer named Paul: "I’ve been reading up on how long petrol lasts before it "goes bad" both in the tank in my car and in a sealed fuel Jerry can. Then there are fuel stabilizers which extends the life. Then I saw an article stating fuel stored in steel cans lasts longer than plastic. What would be a plausible explanation for that? Or they might be saying the can itself lasts longer, dunno on that." - Paul