How long does Diesel last.

[Pajaru]

Got a couple containers of diesel which the diesel is 3 months old. I presume that the diesel would still be good to use, so am i right and how long can you store diesel for.

[disco stu]

Being the heavier/less volatile molecules I would think that diesel would last a long time, especially in well sealed containers. 3 months wouldn't be a stress for petrol in my opinion, diesel even less of a stress

[Seigried]

6 to 12 months. You need to add some algaecide to the container.

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[geopaj]

3 months is no problem - tractors and farm vehicles often sit longer that this with fuel in their tanks

[Jasonmc73]

From memory Brisbane Airport change their gen set diesel every 6 months.
From memory only that is & they run the old fuel through the tractors, which has created havoc hence I know. WHat the problem has been is just water in fuel not bacteria

This attached seems like A credible report & states 1 year should be no problems, but read the whole report.

http://fueltechnologiesinternational.com/reference-from-authorities-regarding-long-term-diesel-storage.html

[Dicko1]

I had 5 x 200 litre drums of cheap Indonesian diesel given to me when I lived in Gove. The last drum was used after 12 months...no problems at all. . Just make sure it is well sealed.

[Keithyv]

I've got a jerry can of 2 stroke that is over 15 years old (I use the leaf blower VERY infrequently)

Last time I used it the blower worked just fine
Nothing to do with diesel or common rail engines but interesting all the same.

[Pajaru]

http://fueltechnologiesinternational...l-storage.html

interesting read with the point below which caught my attention

1994, University of Idaho scientists conducted tests to determine the timeline and percentage of degradation of stored diesel fuel #2. The result of this testing was that petroleum diesel fuel #2 degraded 26% after 28 days of storage.

Thanks for replies

[BruceandBobbi]

1994, University of Idaho scientists conducted tests to determine the timeline and percentage of degradation of stored diesel fuel #2. The result of this testing was that petroleum diesel fuel #2 degraded 26% after 28 days of storage.

Think things may have changed in 25 years.

[Jasonmc73]

1994, University of Idaho scientists conducted tests to determine the timeline and percentage of degradation of stored diesel fuel #2. The result of this testing was that petroleum diesel fuel #2 degraded 26% after 28 days of storage.

Think things may have changed in 25 years.

According to that report yes it has, see the end of the report, lower sulphur diesel is not as stable as it once was so it is correct things have changed compared to 25 years ago & our common rail fuel systems are much higher pressures & less forgiving to contamination.

I was talking to A tractor owner Friday, simple engine not common rail, old fuel, he never cleaned system from end to end which is the general remedy from old fuels being used, tank out all lines off & hopefully your injectors & pressure supply pump is ok? For him lots of new filters & after 200 odd hours it seems now to run properly. Small tractor in A school environment. So I gather lack of maintenence & old diesel, water perfect storm. In that environment its low hour use really, used little in winter months & plenty in Summer months.

I have seen tractors sit for easy 12 months & more for last 15 years & have never seen A problem with any of them.

But we do see through the workshop machines that have to have fuel systems stripped end to end & cleaned due to old fuel, that is the result of old fuel & even better add water left in tank long preiods of time. It's not common by the way
In my earlier reply I mentioned an airport, that tractor, old fuel & plenty of water, more the water than old fuel which you get in old fuels, $10,000 damage repair bill, Perkins 6.6 litre engine, common rail fuel systems don't like water & especially the Perkins engines from what i've seen.
This was not an isolated inncodent for these machines to have filter blockages either, but the end result was fatality for fuel system!!

What else has happened maybe 3 years ago is service intervals on one particular major tractor brand (Massey Ferguson) through schedule oil sample testing here in Asutralia has shown now in Australia that we have lower sulphur diesels , it is safe to run oil changes out to 400 hours like they have done for years in Europe & USA as per the operators manual for this brand for about 8 to 10 years of top of my head.
What use to be advised from oil samples is 250 hours due to the amount of sulphur in the diesel in the oil samples taken here in Australia, not to follow the Operators manual bring it back to 250 hours for our conditions & diesel sulphur contaminating the oil.
Which leads me to believe we now have at some stage we have changed to lower sulphur diesel fuels here in Aussie from this information.

I'm no expert & don't claim to be, just an opinion from my travels, things have changed

Quote below,
Stored diesel fuel stability has declined significantly over the past two or three decades. The EPA is pushing to further reduce sulfur in distillate fuel, which will leave tomorrow's fuel less stable than today's. It is the responsibility of everyone designing or installing a diesel fuel storage tank to inform their customer, the end user, of the inherent problems associated with long-term storage of diesel fuel. By addressing this issue with the end user, prior to design or installation, you will be confirming to your customer that they are working with a company, or individual, that is well informed.

& here is another article

https://diesel-fuels.com/real-story-of-bad-diesel-fuel/

[Pajaru]

Think things may have changed in 25 years.

LOL I didn't think that through should have occurred to me.

https://diesel-fuels.com/real-story-of-bad-diesel-fuel/

Another good read and i will highlight another point from the article.

Under normal storage conditions, today’s diesel fuel when stored at temperatures no higher that 68 deg. F (20 deg. C) can be expected to stay in usable condition for 12 months. Stored at temperatures higher than 86 deg. F (30 deg. C), Fuel can degrade to unusable condition in as little as 6 months. Increased use of above-ground storage tanks have made these problems even more wide-spread.

On another point ir Seems a bio-diesel have a shorter lifespan and and may be worst for your engine.

[Jasonmc73]

Change the filters & use good quality & fresh fuels, store fuel airtight in coolest places possible.

But I would be using the 3 month old diesel for sure

Out of interest only

Petrol 4 to 6 weeks these days

Toro mowers if you read their warranty they will not warrant their engine if the fuels is more than 1 month old.
How they would know its 29 days old is beyond me LOL! How long was it on the ship, how long in tank at servo!

Smell it out of bowser & smell it 1 months tme, biggest reason A mower comes through with engine problems is carby & fuel.
At home not being anal about it but i tip my mower's tank out & all handheld goods when I go to use them if they've been sitting around & put fresh fuel in them, it is not hard!
And I buy fuel regular & not in bulk
They always go, funnily enough