Hey folks,

I was wondering if anyone out there on the interlands can help me with a problem I have. I put some old fuel that I think was preserved with a preservative in my tank. I had about a gallon left in an old five gallon jug I got from a friend. Anyhow, it took my fuel level to 50% and I went to the station to fill up the rest of my tank. I'm driving and I notice that the fuel economy gauge is acting really strange. It goes all the way down when I'm stopped, and then when I drive it starts to work kind of normally. When I stop, it goes back down, and the process repeats when I start driving.

I'm figuring that the sensor is reading lean or rich, and maybe the stuff that was in that jug may have contained a chemical that is throwing things way off. I'm figuring it's reading super rich at idle. It's tripping me out and I'm concerned that I've screwed my sensor up or am doing damage to my engine by putting fuel with an unknown additive in it in my car. Anybody have any clues?

The car seems to be running fine, so I hope the problem will resolve itself after this tank is burned through. I guess I just wanted your opinions.

 

Okay, so update. No Sat-Bil was in the gas. It was just old. Is my car jacked? It was only about 3/4 gallon..

 

This sounds perfectly accurate for instant gas mileage.
Your gas mileage is exactly zero while you aren't moving.



Side note, don't put unknown fuels in your car. You CAN damage stuff. Just think if there had been water in the bottom of that gas can. It happens.

 

Thanks, man. I guess I never really noticed it before I put that old funk gas in there.

 

yah, i use stabil in my hobby cars during hibernation and ive not really noticed mpg taking a great hit so i just wondered.

but chances are your car is fine. just put a fresh full tank of regular gas. the esc is programmed to change timing based on many things including fuel, so by the end of your next tank should be back to normal.