# Restoring stale gasoline **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 8:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191 "2014-05-27T08:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![firobug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@firobug](https://community.cartalk.com/u/firobug)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/61 "2016-11-26T15:45:37Z")
I am strictly speaking theoretical here but it may be possible to do this using a similar method as synthing a biofuel…add a little detergent like comet and a pure ethanol like moonshine or everclear and mix…much like dish soap will allow oil and water to combine the detergent allows the ethanol to bind with the oil… ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/62 "2016-11-26T16:03:26Z")
> [@firobug](#): > > add a little detergent like comet 😱 _Comet_ is a scouring powder, and the **abrasives** in it are definitely NOT something that you want to introduce into an internal combustion engine. 😵 ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/63 "2016-11-26T17:10:41Z")
> [@firobug](#): > > I am strictly speaking theoretical here No, you are not. You have posted nonsense to a 2 year old thread. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/64 "2016-11-26T17:30:18Z")
> [@VOLVO\_V70](#): > > You have posted nonsense to a 2 year old thread. Nonsense–per se–isn’t so bad. However, posting **dangerous** nonsense is almost inexcusable, IMHO. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/65 "2016-11-26T23:22:27Z")
I don’t think Goodwill takes old TVs anymore, at least around here. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/66 "2016-11-27T15:13:00Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > I don’t think Goodwill takes old TVs anymore, at least around here. They no longer take CRT (cathode ray tube) devices (TVs or monitors) around here either. Back 2-1/2 years ago when I posted the thought they still did! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/67 "2016-11-27T15:22:12Z")
I just checked the full ingredient list of _Comet Cleanser_, and in addition to an abrasive that would help to destroy an engine, it also contains **bleach**! As I stated previously, your suggestion about using Comet to “restore” stale gasoline is just totally wrong–on multiple counts. Here are the ingredients of the product that you suggested adding to gasoline: _Ingredient/Purpose: **Calcium Carbonate=Scrubbing Agent** , Calcium Hydroxide=pH Adjuster, Fragrance, Green 7= Colorant, Sodium Carbonate=Builder/Sequestering Agent, Sodium Linear Alkylbenzenesulfonate=Surfactant-Cleaning Agent, **Trichloro-s-triazinetrione=Bleach** _ Firobug’s suggestion is just plain…irresponsible…and I really hope that nobody attempts to follow his dangerous suggestion. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/68 "2016-11-27T15:57:04Z")
@cdaquila Carolyn, VDCdriver has offered proof that firobug has posted a really bad idea. It might be a good idea to remove it just in case someone does not see the rebuttal and actually tries it. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/69 "2016-11-27T19:09:36Z")
For me, it’s easy enough to get rid of them My city has designated collection centers for old computers, TVs of any kind . . . including CRT . . . old paint, used oil, etc. You just load it in your vehicle, go there, and they unload it and put it away. You don’t even get out of the car. They just ask for your zip code and send you on your way. No forms to fill out, nothing The only drawback is they’re only open saturday and sunday ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/70 "2016-11-27T21:07:56Z")
I’m sorry, but I cannot support removing people’s posts simply because we disagree with them, even if they actually are bad ideas. That is a very slippery slope. 😐 ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/71 "2016-11-27T22:32:19Z")
Well if it was old two years ago, it’s really old gas now. Reminds me I need to fill my gas can. I use premium non-oxy for the lawn mower and snow blower and always use B&S fuel stabilizer year round. I never buy more than 5 gallons at a time. Yeah and Comet is more expensive than gas. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/72 "2016-11-27T22:47:33Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Comet is more expensive than gas …and introducing that doubly-caustic substance into the engine will wind up being REALLY expensive. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![cdaquila](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cdaquila/32/18089_2.png) [@cdaquila](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdaquila)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/73 "2016-11-28T02:14:55Z")
I saw when I was “paged” earlier, but I didn’t respond initially. I’m not going to remove the post from firobug because it seems to have been debunked as a uniquely bad idea. I am no arbiter of what’s actual good car advice. This isn’t illegal – it just seems to be very, very misguided. It’s not obscene or spammy, either. If somebody came in this forum looking for ways to revive stale gas, there are a lot of threads about it. If they took _this_ advice from only _this_ thread, dropped everything and rushed to dump Comet in the tank without reading any further, only to find that it ruined their engine…well, I don’t know what to tell them. Comments get disputed, dismissed, or worse all the time, but I don’t delete the ones most roundly disliked. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/74 "2016-11-28T02:20:35Z")
I am going to disagree Carolyn. People go to forums like this for advice and can receive wrong advice but when someone posts something that is without any doubt harmful it should be removed or at least have a disclaimer added to the post. ---
**Author:** ![cdaquila](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cdaquila/32/18089_2.png) [@cdaquila](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdaquila)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/75 "2016-11-28T02:31:34Z")
Please know I’m not being cheeky when I say that I consider VDCdriver’s post(s) a disclaimer. Practically speaking, how am I to police the accuracy of the information presented here? Our forum doesn’t claim to give people officially-sanctioned advice under the Car Talk name. The suggestion was immediately pounced on, better than I could ever say myself. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/76 "2016-11-28T15:08:12Z")
> [@cdaquila](#): > > Please know I’m not being cheeky when I say that I consider VDCdriver’s post(s) a disclaimer. Practically speaking, how am I to police the accuracy of the information presented here? Our forum doesn’t claim to give people officially-sanctioned advice under the Car Talk name. The suggestion was immediately pounced on, better than I could ever say myself. Thank you, Carolyn! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![cdaquila](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cdaquila/32/18089_2.png) [@cdaquila](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdaquila)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/77 "2016-11-28T15:52:03Z")
Sure. Hey, a moderator’s got to know her limitations. (Not that Dirty Harry is usually one of my philosophical touchstones.) ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/78 "2016-11-28T17:21:39Z")
It doesn’t hurt to channel Clint Eastwood, as long as you’re channeling pre-empty-chair-monologue Clint, from before he lost his marbles. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/79 "2016-11-28T18:47:14Z")
If you put that in your gas you have to ask yourself if you feel lucky? Well do you? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191/80 "2016-11-28T22:10:51Z")
> [@cdaquila](#): > > Hey, a moderator’s got to know her limitations I thought that being Moderator meant being able to wield ( Thor’s Hammer ) at will. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191.md?page=3) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/restoring-stale-gasoline/85191.md?page=5)