Why does gasoline eventually go bad?
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I have a barn full of ATV (all terrain vehicles) and snowmobiles some go all the way back to the 1970s that still have fuel in them. The older vehicles will start without issue where as anything in the 2000s will not…why? in an attempt to have cleaner emissions the fuel companies will add detergents and ethanol in the fuel…once the fuel evaporates out of the carburetors the residual turns to varnish and clogs the jets, bowls etc…the ethanol is alcohol so it actually attracts water. Water is heavier than gas, so it fills the bowl and wont fire and or it will freeze and cause even more damage…this is why its important now to either drain your take (lets say on a lawn mower in storage) then run the fuel out of the system or have the tank 100% full to reduce how much water can actually get into the tank, then add a fuel stabilization product if its stored for an extended period of time to reduce how the water contamination mixes with the fuel (which is common in the colder climates).
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