My car has been sitting for four years due to a wreck and previously unresolved BS with the bank. That is now all over and i'm rebuilding the car this weekend. The first year it sat in a salvage yard, but then I got it back. Every month since I got it back I have gone out and started the engine and let it ran for 30 seconds (no radiator). It starts up fine without hesitation and sounds like it is running fine. The tank has just over a quarter tank of fuel in it.

I'm getting conflicting suggestions from people regarding what to do with the gasoline that has been in the tank for four years. One guy initially said dump it but when he heard I had been starting it every month he said it is probably ok and just to fill the tank with as much fresh gas as possible, and add a fuel injector cleaner additive. Another guy said no way drop the tank and get the fuel out, clean it, and start completely fresh.

I can certainly respect the idea of that but I was really hoping to avoid that. I've never done it before but I suppose it can't be that hard.

What is your guys's suggestions based on experience? Should I not take the risk? Or with about 70% fresh fuel and an injector cleaner additive will I be ok? Thoughts?

 

Just take fuel pump out and suck gas out. I'm not saying it will hurt things or not but I'd be worried about what's in my tank ie rust etc.

 

I was looking at the FSM and removing the tank is a PITA... really don't want to do that. One guy at autozone suggested I take the fuel line off at the fuel rail and keep moving the key to the on position to pump all the fuel out each time it primes. That sounds like it would take awhile.

If I take the pump off how do I "suck gas out"?

Why don't they put drain plugs on these damn things anyway?

 

I have a friend who puts very little miles on his Miata every year; some years the car was not even driven. At one point, he realized that the fuel in the tank was about 4 or so years old, so he asked for my help to drain it. The fuel came out just fine, it was clear and it didn't have any strong, different odor associated with old degraded gasoline. He started the car beforehand and it ran just fine. He never mixed in any fuel conditioner or anything like that in this batch.

Considering that and considering that there is only a small amount left and the fact that there isn't a drain plug (this baffles me), I'd top off the tank with fresh gasoline mixed with a small amount of E85 (about a gallon) to alleviate possible problem with moisture condensate. In place of E85, "water remover" such as Dry Gas can be used.

 

Do this^.....only to a half tank, then drive normally until it gets low again. Then fill 'er up.

 

Should I still run some injector cleaner through it? Won't the fuel filter catch all the bad crap anyway? That's it's job...

I looked at the FSM and it appears the filter is part of the in tank pump. That really sucks. Maybe it isn't that hard to get to on the roadster but I really hate messing with fuel type things.

 

I put very little mileage on my Z, 32k since 2005. I had 3 consecutive years that it sat in the garage, even gas. No issues ever except a dead battery. Coolant was the only fluid that had issues with silicate drop out.

 

There's nothing to filter out. Dilute it with another 1/4 tank of fresh gas, run it down with some normal driving, and carry on.

 

Fuel injector cleaner will not dissolve solids trapped by the filter, only gum-like, wax-like deposits. Chances are the fuel in it is fine, maybe with water which E85 or Dry Gas would alleviate; nothing to it.

 

Where's the fuel filter?

 

There is none

 

That's what I thought.

 

There is a kind of particle screen, but it's non serviceable.

 

Other than pump out the gas and put in some fresh gas, I would also change the oil after 4 years...

 

I'm in agreement with tphss about putting a few gallons of fresh gas, change the oil,fresh coolant and then brake fluid as this is hydroscopic. By the way there is nothing worse for the bores of the engine when an engine is fired up for 15 seconds or so as this causes no end of condensation and this can cause rust/pitting in the bores of the engine although i appreciate you had no coolant in the car. Good Luck.

 

Pull the fuel pump fuse and run the engine until it stalls. That will relieve the fuel pressure, then unbolt the fuel damper on the passenger side. Run/extend the hose into a gas can. Replace the fuel pump fuse and turn on the key. It will pump out some gas, you might have to keep turning the key on and off. I've done this, my wife accidentally poured anti-freeze into the gas tank on her Xterra once. She was low on gas and I had an old gas can that I had emptied a radiator into. Ooops.