Is about 2/3 months of a full tank too long when buying a new car?

Posted by Icy-Development6599@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 22 comments

I'm looking at buying a new car that was listed about 100 days ago based on visor.vin info. It has had a full tank of gas in it, I assume it was filled up on arrival at the dealership.

How long is too long for a gas to have a full tank? I know gas oxides etc and can cause issues

Would this be a deal breaker, and if so after how many days? I'm excited about this car, but want to address this...

Thank you.

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CockroachVarious2761@reddit

Yea - don't worry about it - I WFH, and some months it takes me 6 weeks to use a full tank in my truck.

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prairie-man@reddit

I would not be overly concerned. I have a collection of cars that sit in my garage all winter. I've never had a problem each Spring, including this one.

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Icy-Development6599@reddit (OP)

you leave them with a full tank? asking sincerely. thank you.

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prairie-man@reddit

It's not a policy for me to ensure they are all full before winter weather arrives. I put 'em to sleep with whatever is in the tank.

I drive all of them as late in the Fall as practical, and get them out one at a time in the Spring. Occasionally, we can get a period of nice weather during the winter and I will go for a drive with one or two. None of them ever gets below a 1/2 tank all year.

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DeltaAlphaGulf@reddit

Personally I would put in non ethanol in on the last fill up before storage just to be safe.

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prairie-man@reddit

Only 100% gasoline going into my small fleet. The majority require premium.

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DeltaAlphaGulf@reddit

Oh I see 👍

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prairie-man@reddit

I agree with you. I have nothing good to say about the entire ethanol industry from an environmental viewpoint. The same feeling as a consumer. Cars, trucks, mowers, chainsaws, weed whackers, etc. - no thank you.

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Icy-Development6599@reddit (OP)

perfect, thank you!

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KingWolfsburg@reddit

Not original commenter but yes I do as well. With modern fuel its not even necessary to use a stabilizer although I and other often do. 100 days isnt even anything to remotely worry about

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Icy-Development6599@reddit (OP)

thanks that makes me feel better!

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seang86s@reddit

They will probably fill the tank before they hand it over so it'll have 1/3 fresh fuel. The ECU will compensate with the mixture. You'll be fine.

If they don't fill it, take it to a gas station and fill it with premium on your way home. That should put your mind at ease. For the rest of your ownership, use the grade of fuel recommended by the manufacturer.

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Icy-Development6599@reddit (OP)

I'm have it shipped via flat bed. So I'm thinking the carrier may need to drain the fuel before shipping, for safety reasons.

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throwaway007676@reddit

One year isn’t a concern at all, just start it and go.

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CompetitiveBox314@reddit

An oil and gas engineer friend told me the time scale you measure stale gas in is years, not months.

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Numerous_Historian37@reddit

10% ethanol has a 3 month shelf life. Straight gas, 1 year. With that said, a sealed fuel system of a modern car isn't allowing the ethanol to evaporate. As long as they are running the car at a somewhat regular intervals, say every few weeks, it will be fine.

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