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

Published: May 25, 2021, 4:24 a.m.

Fuel \u2018going bad\u2019. Spoiling in the tank. Thanks to COVID, lockdown and consequential driving inactivity.

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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.

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But is this really something you need to worry about?

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BP Fact Sheet on fuel life: https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/cou...

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Today's video is an attempt to answer the following question from a viewer named Paul:  

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"I\u2019ve 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