Fuel additive update and new question

[sailsail]

My original post:
We discovered about a month after haulout that the marina did not fill the fuel tank when they took it over for haulout. We had requested they fill it.....we have always filled it other years. But they said diesel fuel tanks did not need to be filled. I never heard this before, but as it was after the fact, the tank sat 1/3 filled all winter. We did add Biofor.
Do we need to add something before starting the engine? I have read somethings about moisture condensation and am concerned.

I appreciate all the varied answers....and they were certainly varied.But new situation....the marina manager has acknowledged the problem and offered to drain the fuel and polish it.
Question is....Should we have it polished....or just have it drained and thrown away?And would that solve the problem?
Thanks for input.

 

[Rich Stidger]

I used to fill my tank before storage and I stopped that practice several years ago. Since I have to travel 5 miles to buy fuel, it got to be just a nuisance.

I no store with whatever I happen to have in the tank. I have seen no problem with condensation with a partial tank. As an added benefit, in the Spring I have less old fuel to burn out before filling with fresh new fuel.

If the marina is going to polish the fuel at no cost to you, and you think that they will actually do it, then have them go ahead if you think it may help. I doubt that it would hurt.

Bottom line- I wouldn't worry about your partial tank. However, I would be concerned about the marina not following your instructions regardless if they agreed with them or not.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Question is....Should we have it polished....or just have it drained and thrown away?And would that solve the problem?
Thanks for input.

Firstly, it is highly unlikely there is anything wrong with your fuel unless you've seen something to indicate otherwise. It spent the winter in cold storage.

Don't throw out the fuel unless you have a rich uncle who's just died.

The marina manager sounds a little soft in the head to even agree with this crazy idea that "the fuel is now contaminated with water" but depending on how they do it, it may be a good idea.

I saw it done once in our marina, and the process was to use the originall fuel to pressure wash the interior of your tank while polishing the fuel as it made the continuous round trip. If he's looking at having a contractor perform a similar process, it sounds like a good way to have your tank cleaned free.

However, be careful. I just can't see a marina mgr. going along with this if it's going to cost him money. If it's some homemade polishing job he's planning, he may actually be causing problems.

 

[sailsail]

Just more info that I forgot to mention......the fuel in the tank is left over from the fill-up in November 2012. And there is only about 8-10 gallons in there, so it would not be that great a loss.
The manager offered to do the polishing because he acknowledged they goofed up by not filling it as requested.

 

[mystery117]

Why not?

...The manager offered to do the polishing because he acknowledged they goofed up by not filling it as requested.

A professional fuel polishing would be far more advantageous. Even draining the tank and adding fresh fuel will not provide any cleaning effect on the tank. Polishing the fuel is merely passing it through filters until it is clean. The added benefit is stirring up the tank and washing away any growth which may or may not have accumulated. So fresh or polished - no real difference. An opportunity to have the tank cleaned? Why not?
As for a marina not offering a free service to offset an oversight on a valued customers request - why stay if they wouldn't even admit their error in not following your wishes.

(Do a search for fuel polishing on the web. Some of the sites will have videos of the process. You will be amazed at what they clean out!)

 

[centerline]

if the fuel is cloudy, then it should be discarded.... if its clear, then it will be fine to use.
it may be slightly colored.... red, green, yellow, or very little color at all and this is normal, but cloudy is not... its an indicator of highly degraded fuel.