Does petrol lose its power over time?

[jaydj]

Hey folks
Im trying to get my old car back on the road and want to know does petrol lose its power/strength over time?
The tank is half full and i dont know if petrol goes off?
I think its been sitting in there for about 9 years
thanks people

[maxi2]

Yes - petrol will deterioriate over time. It can get gummy. Best to ditch it (not literally!) and start again.

[Teddio]

The petrol in the tank may be OK but the petrol in the carburettor will almost certainly have gummed-up and your engine will be very difficult to start. Does your engine "turn-over" after all those years?

[ChuckFickens]

yes,

drain it, flush it through with fresh petrol, drain again and then should be fine

[Toureman]

petrol is pretty useless after 1 year.

[jaydj]

Yes The engine does turn over but does not fire

[Teddio]

This has worked for me many times on old motorbike engines and doesn't involve dismantling anything : Make sure your battery is fully charged and you're getting a good spark. Pour hot water over the inlet manifold, this will heat the manifold up and make the petrol easier to evaporate. Apply full throttle and no choke, then turn the engine over for a few seconds. Repeat a few more times, this will help remove the old petrol from the carb. Pour more hot water over the inlet manifold and turn the engine over again with a little choke and a little throttle. Good luck!

[colin6789]

Over 9 years it would have lost its low boiling point starting conponent and would have probably gained water and rust from the tank if it has a metal tank. Drain it out and use it for cleaning.