Fuel Octane and Hard Starting

[F56JCW]

Update for all who are interested, firstly thank you for all your responses, I appreciate your time.

I drained the tank and float bowl and went out to get some standard E10, 95 octane fuel. Filled the tank and it fired 4th pull.

I haven’t had the chance to check the previous fuel for any water content, but with it being 0% ethanol and in a dry atmosphere I’d be sceptical, my 2 stroke equipment also still runs fine on it which is a surprise! The mystery I’d say, remains mostly unsolved

 

[X580]

Two additional thoughts from someone who aspires to be considered an amateur: 1) gotta agree with @Oddjob - we run four jet skis and it took some racers to open my eyes to how, “spark plugs are cheap” and how a new plug can make a world of difference in less than ideal (I.e., marine, wet, cold, damp) conditions after as few as 30 hours in wet environs (I.e., IN the water); and, 2) even non ethanol goes “stale” but, we’ve had Absotively ZERO a fuel issues since a neighbor who works in the international petroleum industry turned us onto PRI-G: https://www.amazon.com/PRI-PRI-16-G...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583589115258382&psc=1

PRI-G is NOT a fuel “stabilizer” (Sta-bil is a rudimentary stabilizer) - I am not a chemist but I have had a petrol chemist explain to me how, molecularly, PRI-G is a fuel RESTORER and in a decade I have racked up a half dozen experiences that approach defying logic in getting friends abandoned and neglected car, small engine and boat engines running when nothing else worked!

PRI-D is for diesel.

I don’t even debate the unmatched efficacy of PRI-G any longer but, here are some additional independent sources of info:

Fuel Storage⎜Long-Term, Cost, Safety, Gas, Diesel, Kerosene | Country Homestead Living

Proper long-term fuel storage is something anyone can learn to do. Whether you are storing fuel for a generator, your chainsaw or other equipment. It…

www.countryhomesteadliving.com

Review of PRI-G Fuel Stabilizer (Hands-Down the Best Available) – reThinkSurvival.com

rethinksurvival.com

Fuel Stabilizers: Sta-bil or Sea Foam - Weingartz

Fuel Stabilizers provide time-saving and performance-based benefits when storing your machine for the off-season. Click to learn more!

www.weingartz.com

 

[bertsmobile1]

Update for all who are interested, firstly thank you for all your responses, I appreciate your time.

I drained the tank and float bowl and went out to get some standard E10, 95 octane fuel. Filled the tank and it fired 4th pull.

I haven’t had the chance to check the previous fuel for any water content, but with it being 0% ethanol and in a dry atmosphere I’d be sceptical, my 2 stroke equipment also still runs fine on it which is a surprise! The mystery I’d say, remains mostly unsolved

Once again read my previous post.
If there are no volatiles left in the fuel then it will not start because there is no GAS in the cylinder, just drops of fuel.
This applies to e0 e10 e15 e 85, 91 octane, 95 octane ,98 octane or even 100+ octane avgas
In summer the volatiles evaporate readily but in winter they don't because they are too cold.
Just like trying to get a kerro lamp to burn, you have to heat the burner first with metho to get it hot enough to vapourise the liquid kerro.
This is one reason why summer & winter fuels are different.

 

[LMPPLUS]

Thanks for the reply, plug is sparking as that was the first thing I checked. The same fuel was fine in the summer, but again just difficult to start from cold. Regardless, I’ve drained the tank and going to try with some different fuel another day

F56JCW If you are using an gas containing ethanol it will basically be of no use in small engines after a couple of months and in a vented fuel system will absorb a lot of moisture( water), use non-ethanol gas if available.