Can gas get 'bad' if it sits too long?
My car hasn't been driven in about 3 weeks. I had heard rumors that gasoline can seperate a little and not burn as well if it sits too long.

How long does it take for that to happen (if it happens at all)?

 

i usually fire mine up at least once a week, just to help prevent that from happening

my guess would be a month.

 

Yes, gasoline can go bad. But, it depends on a lot of things and it is very rare. Usually, gas going bad is a problem for people who use something very infrequently, like maybe once a year or less? I think the gas actually turns to varnish or something similar, when it goes bad. Some people use a gas additive like Stabil to prevent gas from going bad.

In reality, if you have a very small amount of gas in your car's tank (and therefore, a lot of air) and let it sit for about 6 months, you *might* have a problem. Personally, I have never had a problem with any engine (car, lawn mower, motorcycle, etc.). If you start reading too much of the advertising of fuel stabilizers like Stabil, you'll get paranoid and start using it unecessarily!

b-man