Bad Gas in Car: Check Engine Light On

What is Bad Gas?

Bad gas is gasoline that has gone bad. This can happen for a number of reasons, including:

Evaporation: Gasoline evaporates over time, and when it does, it leaves behind a residue that can clog your fuel system.
Oxidation: Gasoline also oxidizes over time, which means that it reacts with oxygen in the air to form gums and varnishes. These deposits can also clog your fuel system.
Contamination: Gasoline can become contaminated with water, dirt, or other foreign materials. This contamination can cause your fuel system to malfunction.

Symptoms of Bad Gas

There are a number of symptoms that can indicate that you have bad gas in your car. These symptoms include:

Engine knocking or pinging: This is a sign that your engine is not getting enough octane from the gas. Octane is a measure of a fuel’s resistance to knocking.
Rough idling: This can be caused by a number of factors, including bad gas.
Stalling: This can be caused by a number of factors, including bad gas.
Check engine light: This light can come on for a number of reasons, including bad gas.

How to Fix Bad Gas

If you think you have bad gas in your car, the first thing you should do is to add a fuel additive to your gas tank. Fuel additives can help to clean your fuel system and remove any deposits that may be causing problems. If the fuel additive does not solve the problem, you may need to have your fuel system flushed. This is a process that involves removing all of the old gas from your tank and replacing it with new gas.

Preventing Bad Gas

There are a few things you can do to prevent bad gas from getting into your car. These things include:

Buy gas from reputable gas stations: This will help to ensure that you are getting good quality gas.
Don’t store gas for long periods of time: Gasoline evaporates over time, so it is important to use it as soon as possible after you buy it.
Add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank: This will help to prevent gasoline from oxidizing and forming gums and varnishes.

Conclusion

Bad gas can cause a number of problems for your car, including engine knocking, rough idling, stalling, and a check engine light. If you think you have bad gas in your car, the first thing you should do is to add a fuel additive to your gas tank. If the fuel additive does not solve the problem, you may need to have your fuel system flushed. You can prevent bad gas from getting into your car by buying gas from reputable gas stations, not storing gas for long periods of time, and adding a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank.