Fuel additive for PHEV

[jbutch]

Hi BITOG,

Been a while since I posted here, missed you guys.

So, I just traded in my Forester for a Rav4 Prime, very happy about the switch.

Being a PHEV, I can realistically go on months on a full gas tank, already going weeks without have the ICE starting.

My concern is fuel related, since it's almost impossible nowadays to find ethanol free fuel, I don't like the idea of having this kind of fuel in the tank and fuel lines for extended periods of time.

Does anybody have any recommendations for fuel stabilizers / additives to protect the fuel system?

Thanks!

 

[JohnnyG]

Probably won't need them. If Toyota is as smart as GM was with the Volt, it will have a fuel maintenance program built in. On the Volt, once the car sensed that gasoline hadn't been used for say 10 months or so, the dash would tell you it's going into fuel maintenance. Therefore, when you drove the car, the gas engine would run even if you had a full charge. The car would know when enough fuel was burned, then suggest you fill up.
Run 93 premium and see how your usage goes. If you find yourself adding gas a couple times a year, you'll be in fine shape.
I'd avoid additives.

 

[jbutch]

Probably won't need them. If Toyota is as smart as GM was with the Volt, it will have a fuel maintenance program built in. On the Volt, once the car sensed that gasoline hadn't been used for say 10 months or so, the dash would tell you it's going into fuel maintenance. Therefore, when you drove the car, the gas engine would run even if you had a full charge. The car would know when enough fuel was burned, then suggest you fill up.
Run 93 premium and see how your usage goes. If you find yourself adding gas a couple times a year, you'll be in fine shape.
I'd avoid additives.

The premium fuel here used to be ethanol free but I doubt it is anymore... That would have reassured me a bit.

Also not a fan of putting additives in a brand new car, that's why I wanted input.

Thanks!

 

[JohnnyG]

The premium fuel here used to be ethanol free but I doubt it is anymore... That would have reassured me a bit.

Also not a fan of putting additives in a brand new car, that's why I wanted input.

Thanks!

Don't worry about the Ethanol either.

 

[OilyOrangutan]

The premium fuel here used to be ethanol free but I doubt it is anymore... That would have reassured me a bit.

Also not a fan of putting additives in a brand new car, that's why I wanted input.

Thanks!

I am in Canada like yourself. Both Shell, and Chevron 93 and 94 octane respectively are ethanol free. Esso 91 might still be ethanol free as well. When Esso was still Top-Tier certified fuel they told me via email more than once their 91 was ethanol free. I have not asked them since they dropped out of the Top-Tier program. I have a Prius Prime PHEV, and I only put ethanol free (used to use Esso) now I use Chevron first, Shell second. I have had a tank of gas be in there for 7-8 months and have no discernable issues. To go that 7-8 months I REALLY had to try. Usually I fill my tank every 1-2 months. As I changed my opinion on engine longevity and actually choosing to run the engine more often. Plus then I don't feel so bad changing the oil every 6 months and it actually looking used, as opposed to looking practically new lol

 

[dogememe]

Probably won't need them. If Toyota is as smart as GM was with the Volt, it will have a fuel maintenance program built in. On the Volt, once the car sensed that gasoline hadn't been used for say 10 months or so, the dash would tell you it's going into fuel maintenance. Therefore, when you drove the car, the gas engine would run even if you had a full charge. The car would know when enough fuel was burned, then suggest you fill up.
Run 93 premium and see how your usage goes. If you find yourself adding gas a couple times a year, you'll be in fine shape.
I'd avoid additives.

Yep, and first gen Volts ask for premium fuel. Not because it's a powerful beast but because, well, 10 years ago, premium was usually ethanol free as far as I understand, so it lasted longer if you didn't use gas much? I guess that depends on the state though and now pretty much all gas has ethanol anyway so who knows how much it really matters.

 

[Davejam]

Stabil claims to keep gas fresh for 2 years. Since you're only talking months you can use a 1/4 dose or less.
Honestly pump gas should be ok for a few months, this would just be protection should it go a little long.

 

[JavierH19]

I'd keep just a third of a tank full on a phev at most for daily driving and forget about additives. "but it needs to be submerged it'll overheat" If you need 10 miles of gas range to get you where you need to go heat isn't an issue. If you need to go far enough to worry about overheating the fuel pump you'll be filling the tank up for the trip anyway.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Stabil at recommended dosage at every fill up. Nothing else is needed.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Hi BITOG,

Been a while since I posted here, missed you guys.

So, I just traded in my Forester for a Rav4 Prime, very happy about the switch.

Being a PHEV, I can realistically go on months on a full gas tank, already going weeks without have the ICE starting.

My concern is fuel related, since it's almost impossible nowadays to find ethanol free fuel, I don't like the idea of having this kind of fuel in the tank and fuel lines for extended periods of time.

Does anybody have any recommendations for fuel stabilizers / additives to protect the fuel system?

Thanks!

In a high temp, high humidity environment it takes about 3 months for ethanol to absorb so much moisture that it will fall out of phase siting in a small engine fuel tank. In a closed system like an automotive fuel tank the probability of that occurring is a little better than zero.

 

[jbutch]

I am in Canada like yourself. Both Shell, and Chevron 93 and 94 octane respectively are ethanol free. Esso 91 might still be ethanol free as well. When Esso was still Top-Tier certified fuel they told me via email more than once their 91 was ethanol free. I have not asked them since they dropped out of the Top-Tier program. I have a Prius Prime PHEV, and I only put ethanol free (used to use Esso) now I use Chevron first, Shell second. I have had a tank of gas be in there for 7-8 months and have no discernable issues. To go that 7-8 months I REALLY had to try. Usually I fill my tank every 1-2 months. As I changed my opinion on engine longevity and actually choosing to run the engine more often. Plus then I don't feel so bad changing the oil every 6 months and it actually looking used, as opposed to looking practically new lol

I'm in the east coast, no 93 or 94, only 91 and no Chevron...

I thought Esso was still Top Tier, I've look it over and a lot of gas stations are not in the Top Tier program anymore, what happened?

I agree about the oil changes.

Of the 16 000 km oil change, I expect about only about 5000 km of ICE usage.

Thanks everyone for the input, I guess I'll plan a roadtrip every 1-2 months to burn the rest of the tank

 

[oil pan 4]

Don't worry about it. The old Chevy volt was programed to start and run the car so it would burn a least 1 tank of gas per year. Try to buy ethanol free if you can.
I thought my wife's hybrid car could do longer oil changes. Nope, the oil likes to load up with fuel especially in the winter. Winter oil gets about 3,000 miles and up to 4,500 miles max of we do some winter time road trips. Summer oil change gets up to 7,000 miles.

 

[JohnnyG]

Yep, and first gen Volts ask for premium fuel. Not because it's a powerful beast but because, well, 10 years ago, premium was usually ethanol free as far as I understand, so it lasted longer if you didn't use gas much? I guess that depends on the state though and now pretty much all gas has ethanol anyway so who knows how much it really matters.

Not really. 10 years ago all gasoline in the USA had ethanol in it. Yes, even premium. It was a federal mandate, and still is. The only way around it was to find gas typically destined for recreational use, i.e. boats, etc.
I would guess that California was no different, except for lower sulfur content.

The reason premium was recommended by GM was, at the time, premium gas typically meant a higher detergent additive level. And a better distillation profile. Top tier gas was just getting started. I was going to recommend that to the OP, but not sure if that's a thing in Canada.

 

[dogememe]

Not really. 10 years ago all gasoline in the USA had ethanol in it. Yes, even premium. It was a federal mandate, and still is. The only way around it was to find gas typically destined for recreational use, i.e. boats, etc.
I would guess that California was no different, except for lower sulfur content.

The reason premium was recommended by GM was, at the time, premium gas typically meant a higher detergent additive level. And a better distillation profile. Top tier gas was just getting started. I was going to recommend that to the OP, but not sure if that's a thing in Canada.

Thanks, now I know

 

[y_p_w]

Not really. 10 years ago all gasoline in the USA had ethanol in it. Yes, even premium. It was a federal mandate, and still is. The only way around it was to find gas typically destined for recreational use, i.e. boats, etc.
I would guess that California was no different, except for lower sulfur content.

The reason premium was recommended by GM was, at the time, premium gas typically meant a higher detergent additive level. And a better distillation profile. Top tier gas was just getting started. I was going to recommend that to the OP, but not sure if that's a thing in Canada.

I don't believe there was any specific requirement that there be an oxygenate in all fuel sold at the pump. There's an overall target and specific areas where oyxgenated fuel has been mandated - especially during the winter months. I think the federal mandate is for 2.7% ethanol by weight and E10 is 3.5%. So that leaves some room for the sale of non-oxygenated fuel. I've heard of various things for sale including E0 93 octane.

In any case, there are certain areas where there's high demand for high-octane fuel and ethanol is generally the cheapest octane booster available.

 

[oil pan 4]

I appear to have ethanol free gasoline all around me and I can easily find ethanol free when I go on road trips, just have to internet search for it.