One to two year-old diesel fuel in tank of "new" 2016 GWS TDI

Lou Como

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Location
SMA, Mexico
TDI
2016 GSW TDI SE
I'm supposed to take delivery on my 2016 with 50 miles on the odometer. It's a Mexican car originally destined for the US, and has been in limbo because of dieselgate. As far as I know, the fuel could have been in the tank for a year or two.
Problems? Suggestions?
I was thinking I'd add a diesel fuel stabilizer, or perhaps a different additive?
Drain and refill the tank?
Thanks
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
I wouldn't. Supposedly they were being taken care of. Ask the dealer about what they did if anything for the fuel. I did nothing to mine when I got it a few months ago. No issues.
 

Lou Como

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Location
SMA, Mexico
TDI
2016 GSW TDI SE
Thanks for the advice. Another forum member reported his "new" deiselgate car ran well after sitting around for a year or two.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
A year of sitting won't do a darn thing to diesel fuel. Drive more, worry less.
Hmm...since diesel is highly hygroscopic, sitting for a year would give ME concern, especially since it's doubtful the car sat with a FULL TANK of diesel. It probably had only enough fuel to jockey it on/off transport vehicles.

Unless VWoA did the right thing and fully drained/siphoned the tank, I would be concerned about residual water. The fuel filter is supposedly designed to keep water molecules from passing through, and residual water will settle to the bottom of the FF canister. If it were my car, I'd check the canister after burning through a tank or 2 of fuel... but hey, I'm OCD!!!
 
Last edited:

flee

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Location
Chatsworth, CA
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS wagon
Hmm...since diesel is highly hygroscopic, sitting for a year would give ME concern, especially since it's doubtful the car sat with a FULL TANK of diesel. It probably had only enough fuel to jockey it on/off transport vehicles.
Unless VWoA did the right thing and fully drained/siphoned the tank, I would be concerned about residual water. The fuel filter is supposedly designed to keep water molecules from passing through, and residual water will settle to the bottom of the FF canister. If it were my car, I'd check the canister after burning through a tank or 2 of fuel... but hey, I'm OCD!!!
It's no more hygroscopic than the oil in the crankcase. Are you thinking of gasoline?
 

turbovan+tdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Location
Abbotsford, BC.
TDI
2003 TDI 2.0L ALH, auto, silver wagon, lowered, Colt stage 2 cam, ported head,205 injectors, 1756 turbo, Malone 2.0, 3" exhaust, 18" BBS RC GLI rims. 2004 blue GSW TDI, 5 speed, lowered, GLI BBS wheels painted black, Malone stage 2, Aerotur
Diesel can sit for years and years and years and years and years with nothing happening to it, as said above, drive more, worry less.

If you want, add some white bottled Power Service.
 

ketchupshirt88

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Location
waupaca, WI
TDI
2005 Passat daily, a bunch of others in the graveyard out back...
while obviously less susceptible to water issues than a CR, ive had tractors sit with diesel in them for nearly a decade... new battery, prime the pump and start doing field work.

Ive also bought my B4 that had sat for 8 years. Got it running in spring and it ran fine all summer but had to drain and rinse the tank once winter came because the tank was full of algae looking gunk that gelled in the filter when cold.

End of the day, its your ride and your peace of mind but 1-2 years wouldnt bother me any.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Diesel can sit for years and years and years and years and years with nothing happening to it, as said above, drive more, worry less.

If you want, add some white bottled Power Service.

That and add a bottle or two of dry gas if you're really concerned :D ;)
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
I know it is not a common rail .. but, I'm wringing my hands over the 10 year old Diesel Fuel in my RV (5.9 Cummins) ... same thing with my Yanmar Excavator and Dodge 5.9 Cummins Pick-up that I do not drive very often.

I have about 10 gallons of Diesel Fuel from the Katrina Era (hint: 2005). It still looks like and smells like Diesel Fuel.

Lastly, what about those cars that sit on car lots for months and months........ surely that fuel is old and no good! Hmmmm.

As Turocharged798 said, drive more and worry less!
 

Lou Como

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Location
SMA, Mexico
TDI
2016 GSW TDI SE
Well, VW de Mexico did syphon the tank. I know because it was delivered to me bone-dry.
I'm loving the TDI, the forced-induction and big torque is perfect for high-altitude mountain driving.
 

rrgrassi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2006
Location
Royse City, TX
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI 5 speed
Diesel is a light oil, not a distillate like gasoline. It can sit for years with out any issues. That said, any moisture present, and a fungus can develop. Add some biocide found at any marina to kill off any potential fungus. Make sure you have plenty of fule filters as well.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
Diesel is a light oil, not a distillate like gasoline. It can sit for years with out any issues. That said, any moisture present, and a fungus can develop. Add some biocide found at any marina to kill off any potential fungus. Make sure you have plenty of fule filters as well.
it's already sat for years

if it had algae in it the problem is well and over with by now
you'll notice black schmutz caked fuel filters if that's the case. Warranty should cover it.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I have brought diesels back to life that had been sitting for years (like, over a decade in some cases), and they had no issues with the fuel. I just filled the tank the rest of the way up with fresh fuel and off they went.

Gasoline is a VERY different story. That stuff starts to go bad in weeks, and gets downright rotten in months.
 

RabbitGTI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 20, 1997
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
B4 Passat Sedan
Kinda off topic, but I pickle my snowblower, mower and track car with Sta-Bil. Does it really work or is there something better? I've never had any problems after six months or so of sitting.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
I like to run my gas equipment empty before storing it away for the winter/summer. I hate having to clean out the carb on a generator when the power goes down.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
I'd still run everything dry before storing for a period of months. You just never know when something is going to leak.
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
Ethanol is an enemy of sitting around fuel.. Stabilize all your gas engines,if you can buy pure gas do it. . The diesel in my sail boat would go for many years and still be fine.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
<- runs e10 in all his junk, don't run stabilizer

maybe it's cause I'm lazy and always give a shot of brake clean in the intake before pulling the rope
either way, everything starts first or second pull
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
<- runs e10 in all his junk, don't run stabilizer

maybe it's cause I'm lazy and always give a shot of brake clean in the intake before pulling the rope
either way, everything starts first or second pull
Renegade!

first time in 3 seasons i had to resort to the electric start this season on the Airens Snow blower, I swear I put stabil in the fuel mix last year and ran it dry.

I bought the fogger spray, just never got around to properly fogging it
 

93celicaconv

Veteran Member
Joined
May 22, 2013
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
Turned in my 2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition to VW, DSG, Nav, Sunroof / Replaced with a 2015 Passat TDI SEL Premium
Diesel is a light oil, not a distillate like gasoline. It can sit for years with out any issues. That said, any moisture present, and a fungus can develop. Add some biocide found at any marina to kill off any potential fungus. Make sure you have plenty of fule filters as well.
Biodiesel is not a distillate. But conventional petroleum-derived diesel is a specific fractional distillate of crude oil, just as gasoline is.
 
Top