# Is it OK to use 4 month old generator gas in Car?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 16, 2012, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019 "2012-02-16T10:46:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/1 "2012-02-16T10:46:25Z")
I added Star Tron stabilizer to the generator’s tank when it was fueled up in late Oct.
It’ll be four months old end of this month. I was going to siphon it out and replace with fresh gas and stabilizer. The gas available here is an Ethanol mix and the store where I bought the generator said it goes bad quicker than pure gasoline. Even with the stabilizer they aid to swap it every 4 to 6 months.
Can I pour this 4 month old, stabilizer gas in my car and use it? I was going to use a funnel with a built-in filter. I think there’s a gallon in the generator’s tank.
Will this screw up a modern cars smog devices?
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/2 "2012-02-16T14:58:02Z")
I do this all the time, and have never had an issue. The stabilizers are supposed to be OK for your car, and if your car tank is nearly full, the additives will be diluted quite a bit anyway.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/3 "2012-02-16T15:58:13Z")
I’ve had four month old gas in my Sierra and caused no problems. I have even dumped old mineral spirits and alcohol in the tank. If it burns, I use it.
I think your bigger problem is to make sure that you transfer no extra debris in the process. And you totally control that.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/4 "2012-02-16T18:54:43Z")
thanks. Disposing of old gas would be difficult. Using it in the car sounds like the easiest way.
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### Author:  [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/5 "2012-02-16T18:59:13Z")
I would make sure there was plenty of good gas in the tank to dilute the bad.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/6 "2012-02-16T19:21:32Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> thanks. \*\*Disposing of old gas would be difficult. \*\*Using it in the car sounds like the easiest way.
Nah man, you just pour it out over a couple tires and set them afire. Easy.
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/7 "2012-02-16T22:50:55Z")
Are the tires on the car of that neighbour who’s been bothering you? Just wondering…
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/8 "2012-02-17T02:47:21Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Can I pour this 4 month old, stabilizer gas in my car and use it?
I’ve done this with 3-year-old gasoline, without any detectable problems. The old gas was in this case about 15% of the total volume in the car’s tank.
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ok-to-use-4-month-old-generator-gas-in-car/613019/9 "2012-02-17T03:26:28Z")
I find cars and trucks the best way to handle old gas. The modern engine can handle a pretty wide range of fuel. 2 cycle chain saws and such not so much, the are much more finicky about what you feed them . If I question the fuel it gets dumped into the trucks tank. I’ve never had an issue.