Aged fuel message

BillyJay · Sep 30th, 2021, 14:57

I got this when I had just under half a tankful so I filled up and still get the message. The tank is now about a third full. How low should it get before I top it up again? I should say that I do very little mileage.

nu11eaf · Sep 30th, 2021, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyJay

I got this when I had just under half a tankful so I filled up and still get the message. The tank is now about a third full. How low should it get before I top it up again? I should say that I do very little mileage.

If it is going to be stood for long periods or with little use and small trips I would not fill the tank, just add small amounts as you need it. (I did not know they gave this warning)

Boatie · Sep 30th, 2021, 18:35

You're actually in a bit of a catch 22. On the one hand you're being warned that your fuel is 'aged' (I didn't know it told you this either. I assume it times how long since the gauge went up). On the other hand if you don't keep the tank fairly well topped up condensation build up can result in increased water content in the fuel which in turn encourages diesel bug. Have you noticed any drop off in performance or difficulty starting? I'd be interested in knowing why Volvo incorporated the warning into the software.

Tony H · Oct 1st, 2021, 14:45

Is it a T8?

My wife has a plug in hybrid, (Mitsubishi) during the first lockdown she drove so few miles (and all on electric) that her car generated a similar message and refused to tun on battery only until the petrol had been burned off.

It is part of the system Mitsubishi employ to prevent stale fuel damaging the engine. (She then stupidly put another full tank of petrol in and had to go through the same problem a few months later)

nu11eaf · Oct 1st, 2021, 16:23

I can see that being a problem with a plug in hybrid car, especially if mainly only doing short trips on battery only. In that case It would make sense to just keep a small amount of petrol in the tank and top it up if planning a longer journey.

key76 · Oct 1st, 2021, 17:13

At what point is petrol considered stale? I always keep my tank at about 3/4 full and now I'm working from home most of the time, I can go a few weeks without needing to drive.

And if I use 1/4 and then top back up, does it "renew" the fuel as it's been mixed with fresh, or does it need to have the tank pretty much emptied and start again?

Tony H · Oct 2nd, 2021, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by key76

At what point is petrol considered stale? I always keep my tank at about 3/4 full and now I'm working from home most of the time, I can go a few weeks without needing to drive.

And if I use 1/4 and then top back up, does it "renew" the fuel as it's been mixed with fresh, or does it need to have the tank pretty much emptied and start again?

For the Mitsi the warning comes on if the car has not been refuelled for 3 months, to clear the warning you need to refill at least 15 litres.

Not sure how Volvo do it, but I wouldn't expect it to be very different among all the manufacturers

BillyJay · Oct 3rd, 2021, 07:58

Thanks. I have the same trouble as your wife, the Volvo won’t let me drive electric as it tries to use up the “aged fuel”. The trouble is that many weeks I only drive about ten miles so fuel is going down rather slowly. I will let it get down to about a quarter full but then how much do I have to add to get rid of the warning?

ovlov04v · Oct 3rd, 2021, 12:15

When I was active in the petrochem sector the basic storage standards (UK) for fuel in cans or small containers held at 20 degrees C were max of 6 months for petrol and up to 12 months for diesel. Higher temperature will reduce those time spans. Those standards aimed at folk who were storing fuel in ‘jerry cans’ etc for use with garden machinery or carrying small quantities in their car boot. Clearly though, storage in your car tank is not quite the same and deterioration would likely occur far more slowly on average. I quote them for indicative purposes only.

I don’t know how this ‘aged fuel’ sensing system in cars work but I would guess it is a timer switched by a simple increase in the fuel level indicator.

Is it only hybrids that have this warning? We have all been driving much less than normal throughout the pandemic here in the UK at least. We have also just been switched to E10 fuel from E5 (except for premium octane petrol) so it will likely become something to be aware of for many more drivers as we recover from lockdowns etc.

To refresh the fuel in your tank I would suggest about 30% volume of your max tank volume would be plenty. So around 20 litres for an average tank?

Ulrikas PA · Apr 15th, 2023, 20:52

Just got this today, out of the blue.

The weird thing is that I had just filled up with diesel (from 2 bars left on the display) and it wouldn't go anywhere from the forecourt. I thought I'd forgotten to press start.

I've done plenty of miles in the last month with 3 refills, so could this mean that the new fuel itself is dodgy or the sensoring is faulty ?

Any ideas please ?!

Sep 30th, 2021, 14:57	#1
BillyJay Member Last Online: Jul 12th, 2022 14:31 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Warrington	Aged fuel message I got this when I had just under half a tankful so I filled up and still get the message. The tank is now about a third full. How low should it get before I top it up again? I should say that I do very little mileage.

Sep 30th, 2021, 18:35	#3
Boatie Master Member Last Online: Today 14:38 Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Watford	You're actually in a bit of a catch 22. On the one hand you're being warned that your fuel is 'aged' (I didn't know it told you this either. I assume it times how long since the gauge went up). On the other hand if you don't keep the tank fairly well topped up condensation build up can result in increased water content in the fuel which in turn encourages diesel bug. Have you noticed any drop off in performance or difficulty starting? I'd be interested in knowing why Volvo incorporated the warning into the software. __________________ V90 R Design 2019my

Oct 1st, 2021, 16:23	#5
nu11eaf Premier Member Last Online: Today 11:13 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Yorkshire man living in County Durham	I can see that being a problem with a plug in hybrid car, especially if mainly only doing short trips on battery only. In that case It would make sense to just keep a small amount of petrol in the tank and top it up if planning a longer journey. __________________ XC90 Inscription D5 Power pulse, 2017 MY, Savile grey, Blond Nappa, Leather dash/door tops, Walnut inlays, Dark tinted windows, Air suspension, Bliss/Cross traffic alert, Xenium/7 seat comfort/Family/Winter packs, 4 zone climate, Heated rear seats.

Oct 1st, 2021, 17:13	#6
key76 Member Last Online: Oct 23rd, 2022 16:59 Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: South	At what point is petrol considered stale? I always keep my tank at about 3/4 full and now I'm working from home most of the time, I can go a few weeks without needing to drive. And if I use 1/4 and then top back up, does it "renew" the fuel as it's been mixed with fresh, or does it need to have the tank pretty much emptied and start again? __________________ S90 T5 R-Design (MY20) in Onyx Black with Polestar Optimisation Perforated Charcoal Nappa Leather with Power Passenger Seat with Memory, Harmon Kardon, Winter Pack, Heated Windscreen, Xenium Pack with IntelliSafe Surround

Oct 3rd, 2021, 12:15	#9
ovlov04v Just Cruising. Last Online: May 26th, 2023 09:32 Join Date: May 2019 Location: A bit South of West View Photos By: ovlov04v	When I was active in the petrochem sector the basic storage standards (UK) for fuel in cans or small containers held at 20 degrees C were max of 6 months for petrol and up to 12 months for diesel. Higher temperature will reduce those time spans. Those standards aimed at folk who were storing fuel in ‘jerry cans’ etc for use with garden machinery or carrying small quantities in their car boot. Clearly though, storage in your car tank is not quite the same and deterioration would likely occur far more slowly on average. I quote them for indicative purposes only. I don’t know how this ‘aged fuel’ sensing system in cars work but I would guess it is a timer switched by a simple increase in the fuel level indicator. Is it only hybrids that have this warning? We have all been driving much less than normal throughout the pandemic here in the UK at least. We have also just been switched to E10 fuel from E5 (except for premium octane petrol) so it will likely become something to be aware of for many more drivers as we recover from lockdowns etc. To refresh the fuel in your tank I would suggest about 30% volume of your max tank volume would be plenty. So around 20 litres for an average tank? __________________ --------------------- MY20 S60 Inscription Plus T5. Pebble Grey.

Oct 1st, 2021, 14:45	#4
Tony H Member Last Online: Apr 23rd, 2024 17:32 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Glasgow	Is it a T8? My wife has a plug in hybrid, (Mitsubishi) during the first lockdown she drove so few miles (and all on electric) that her car generated a similar message and refused to tun on battery only until the petrol had been burned off. It is part of the system Mitsubishi employ to prevent stale fuel damaging the engine. (She then stupidly put another full tank of petrol in and had to go through the same problem a few months later)

Oct 3rd, 2021, 07:58	#8
BillyJay Member Last Online: Jul 12th, 2022 14:31 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Warrington	Thanks. I have the same trouble as your wife, the Volvo won’t let me drive electric as it tries to use up the “aged fuel”. The trouble is that many weeks I only drive about ten miles so fuel is going down rather slowly. I will let it get down to about a quarter full but then how much do I have to add to get rid of the warning?

Apr 15th, 2023, 20:52	#10
Ulrikas PA Master Member Last Online: Jan 7th, 2024 21:44 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Ex-owner: V60 D6 Polestar	Just got this today, out of the blue. The weird thing is that I had just filled up with diesel (from 2 bars left on the display) and it wouldn't go anywhere from the forecourt. I thought I'd forgotten to press start. I've done plenty of miles in the last month with 3 refills, so could this mean that the new fuel itself is dodgy or the sensoring is faulty ? Any ideas please ?!

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