Hi, I have just got back into RC, I used to do it 1.5 - 2 yrs ago. I have a litre bottle of 18% fuel in my garage. It hasnt been opened I dont believe, the fuel looks the right colour, and it smells fine. I was wondering if this is okay to use as its about 1.5-2yrs old, or will it be bad for the car. If it has been opened it would only have been very briefly and nothing has been used from it, pretty much brand new?

The new RC Car Action has an article on nitro myths - they say that if the fuel was stored properly and doesn't appear to have any condensation then it should be fine - the fuel itself, unlike regular gas, does not go "bad".

Jelly

It'll work fine. Not as good as new stuff, but it isn't worth wasting. You may need to shake it a little before use. Some fuels tend to seperate from the castor oil (might see some sitting at the bottom).

Worst case is to buy a quart of fresh fuel, preferably the same brand & nitro content. Run a tank of each and compare the performance.
You'll probably be alright though as long as it was tightly sealed and stored somewhere relitivly cool and dark.

yep,, seems fine, im just gnna shake it as i think there is a little seperation, and a little brown oil seems to have dripped from the side of the lid, but it smells good, so I think its okay!

Josh

Well I wouldnt shake it up but i would swirl the fuel around real good. I used a 1/2 gallon of fuel that was open and was over 3 years old. And it ran fine so dont worry about it.

Thanks a lot, much appreciate it.

Is ther any chance you could help me with my other question below as I want this engine up and running asap:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4441480/tm.htm

Thanks

I have never experienced any bad fuel that hasn't been opened. At the rate I go through fuel a gallon lasts two+ months. I usually toss the last inch of a gallon because it has started going bad, the idle gets rough and throttle response suffers, making tuning erratic. This is of course from opened and closed many times. Alcohol is hydroscopic meaning it absorbs water. That is what causes the fuel to go bad. So basically, open the fuel bottle as few times as possible.