how long does it take for gas to turn bad if its just sitting in your quad

[minichopper214]

how long does it take for gas to turn bad my quads been sitting for 2 months because it was broken and now that i fixed it im worried about the gas cause it doesnt start like it kicks over but doesnt start

[420ripper]

as long as there isnt any water in it then you should be fine. If its in your quad just try turning your gas tank on reserve and drain a little out of your carb. and see if there is any water. But i wouldnt worry about it.

[GPracer2500]

If the carb had gas sitting in for those two months that is probably why it won't start (dirty carb). Two months is too long to leave gas in a carb. At least that's the only guess I've got from what you've said. More details about your starting problem might point to other troubles.



As far as the gas in the tank going bad, here's my take: I'd say under most (or at least many) situations, gas stored in the tank for two months should work well enough for a mostly stock 400EX. Draining it or at least mixing it with some fresh gas isn't a bad idea but a stock piston'd 400EX should at least run on old gas. Might not run all that well but it should run unless it's contaminated with water (as ripper pointed out).

Generally speaking, gas does degrade over time though. Cold start performance and octane rating are at least two things gas can loose while being stored. The conditions of storage dictate how fast the gas degrades. Poor storage for a really long time could render a gas useless. But a gas that is simply a bit past its prime should at least be able to attempt to do it's job. It doesn't go bad overnight--it slowly gets worse and worse.

Most ATV gas tanks vent to free air so they're not very good for longer storage. Gas needs to be kept sealed tight so fumes can't escape. Sealed metal containers can solve most any gasoline storage ambition. Sealed plastic containers can get most people by. Keeping it out of the sun and in a cool location helps. The main thing is you don't want the gasoline to have free contact with the air.

Also, the point at which gas "goes bad" can depend on the engine. Different engines place different demands upon the gasoline they burn. Some need every bit of octane rating they can get while others have octane rating to spare. And the particulars of an engine's fuel delivery (jetting? carb? efi?) matter too. Some engines start fine even after many of the lightest fractions of the gas have already evaporated away while others depend on those light fractions for cold starts.

Plus, there's the gas itself. All pump gasolines are not created equal. Some store better than others because of their makeup.

I think I'm rambling so I'll just stop there. :chinese:

[TRXRacer1]

There are several things that could be causing your starting issues but 2 month old gas is 100% NOT your problem. I have machines that sit much longer then that every winter and this has never been a problem. For example I pulled my old 125m out for a spin last week and it had been sitting for 4 months. It started easy, ran good and will sit parked with the same gas for another couple months. I'm willing to bet by the time I run that tank out the gas will be about a year old. Gas does degrade over time but not enough to be a problem in this short of a time.