Just a lil bad gas

well i was changeing out the gas in my emergancy generator it had been in the generator for about two years has fule stablizer in it . It was only abot 2 gallons and did not know what to do with it so i look at my wifes 2008 nissan sentra say hell it is only 2 gallons and her tank is almost full so i dump it in …well as you would expect it has had a hard time starting every since…once started it restarts fine . unless i set it over night then it it has a hard time starting. welll since then i have put a bottle of “heet” in it and some seafoam and 9 gallons of primum gas . I also tryeed a little starting fluid in the air cleaner when i tryed to start and no differant effect. once it is warm it starts of with just a touch of the key. Needless to say i am in the dog house for being enviormentaly concious and next time i will just dump the gas on the" fire ant mounds" like everyone elce dose here in the south

Is it an instant-on generator to protect critical systems during a power failure, or is it a convenience generator that you start when the power goes out? Unless you live at a hospital or a data center, just fill the generator with gas when you need it, and leave it empty the rest of the time.

Change your fuel filter after running an entire tank of fresh gas through with some fuel injector cleaner. Try to cycle the gas through the generator every 3 months and you will never have this problem. Also run the generator for a bit each time you do this so fresh gas gets through all the lines and carburator.

Also, premium gas does nothing unless the engine is designed to take it. I would guess that a Sentra calls for 87 octane so use that. Premium gas is harder to burn and better suited to high compression and turbo/supercharger applications. It will do nothing and maybe hurt if your car doesn’t call for it. Use Top Tier gas of the octane called for in the manual and don’t look back. Top Tier has more detergents and will clean the fuel system.

Dumping old gas on the ground as bug or weed killer isn’t a good idea either. Gas is full of many not so nice chemicals that are carcinogens, etc. that you don’t want in your groundwater. If you are on a well, this is bad for you or anyone around you.

If the gas is so bad a couple of gallons affected the car; what about the generator? I wonder if it will run at all?

I was wondering the same thing. The generator may be pretty gummed up and the carb might need cleaning at the very least. I went out after reading this post and dumped a couple gas cans storing gas for a generator into a vehicle and then refilled the cans when I got gas. I try to do this every few months but this was a good reminder.

There’s a Tom and Ray column about this very issue. From last week I think. You can find what Tom and Ray and reader’s say about this very issue, click on “Tom and Ray” link on the main Car Talk page.

Hopefully the additives and just running clean new gas through the system will clear things up eventually. If not, save up, as you’ll be looking at potential fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, O2 sensor(s), and/or injector repairs.

Im thinking that the ONLY way 2 Gals of " Old Gas " from a piece of equipment could affect the running ability of a CAR that had an almost FULL TANK of good fuel is if the " Old Gas " was more WATER than fuel.

You see if it affected the Nissan immediately…then this is the only way that it could have done so… BECAUSE…Lets say you had a HALF Gal of water in the bad fuel… THAT WATER went DIRECTLY to the BOTTOM of your gas tank…and right up your fuel pump pickup tube unfortunately.

See if your fuel tank has a drain bolt…MANY Nissans actually DO believe it or not… The only other way to effectively get that water out of there is to disconnect your fuel line at the fuel rail and then Jumper Pins 87 and 30 at your fuel pump relay to get the pump to run constant for you… THAT will get it pumped right out for you !!! Use a clear container to see if you can spot any fuel separation after you pump some out. Let me know if you need more help getting the fuel pump to run constant… Its just pins 87 and 30 you will need to jumper with a piece of wire…otherwise when you turn the key it will simply PRIME…and not run until it gets a tach signal. Hope this helps…should work like a charm for you.

Blackbird

Also, premium gas does nothing unless the engine is designed to take it.

Very  true, and few people seem to know know it.