Maintaining Gas quality

[ckrsFusion]

I see a lot of folks posting here that they are still on dealer gas after 3 or more months.  I am worried that the gas will begin to degrade after extended periods like that.  I would like to hear folks opinions on this.  If I am lucky enough to be in that same situation of not refueling for 3 months, should I add a fuel stabilizer?

CKRS

[Russael]

No need for a stabilizer.  Fuel itself has a load of additives now to keep it fresher, longer, and not only that, the Fusion Energi has a unique fuel system that's completely sealed - no EVAP system (which is why the Energi models have a button for the fuel door - it's to release pressure and then to pop the hatch).  Ford states that fuel will not go sour until 18 months in, which is how long the car will allow a tank of fuel to last (down to 1 gallon).

 

Automatic oil maintenance and fuel maintenance modes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPPs5cGJQoI

 

Couple people here have had the car 3 months in and have driven it exclusively as an EV during that time and they have not yet had this mode kick in.  I've had the car 6 1/2 weeks and haven't seen it either.

[ckrsFusion]

Cool.  Sounds like a well engineered solution to the problem.  Thanks for pointing that out.

CKRS

[Depauwler]

Whoops.  Sorry!  Didn't realize all of that information was in the video posted above.

 

Actually I asked about this at the dealership and they told me and I found it in the manual (page 145) (copy/paste below this).  Basically, since old gas is such a concern for the engine, the Energi is programmed to use the gas before it becomes too old.  This means that keeping your fuel for a long time may lead to poor gas mileage as the car will run the engine just to burn up the gas.  If you think this may be a concern for you (the manual says you can go 18 months without adding gas before the 'fuel freshness mode' engages), you should get out of the habit of topping off and try to only get to half a tank at the pump.

 

Fuel Freshness Mode (Energi

Vehicles Only)

This feature helps keeps the fuel system

functional and the fuel fresh.

If you operate your vehicle mainly in plug-in

power mode using electricity from plugging

in without refueling, the gasoline in your

tank eventually becomes old. Old fuel can

damage the engine and fuel system.

To prevent the fuel from becoming old,

your vehicle will automatically enter fuel

freshness mode. In fuel freshness mode

operates, your vehicle will operate in hybrid

mode causing the gasoline engine to run

in order to consume the fuel in the fuel

tank.

Note:

If new fuel is not added during an 18

month period, fuel freshness mode will

consume fuel until about 1 gallon (3.8 liters)

is left in the tank.

During fuel freshness mode:

• The information display screen will

indicate that fuel freshness mode is

active.

• The vehicle will only run in hybrid mode.

EV Now will not be available.

• Most of the plug-in power will be

stored until fuel freshness mode is

completed.

Note:

EV Now can resume if less than 1

gallon (3.8 liters) of fuel is left in the tank.

Note:

In most cases, when the fuel level is

below 1/4 tank, refueling the vehicle will end

fuel freshness mode and EV Now will now

become available. Refueling after

consuming a full tank in fuel freshness mode

will end the mode.

Note:

It is recommended to use a fuel

stabilizer if you consume less than a full

tank of fuel during an 18 month period.

Edited July 11, 2013 at 11:03 PM by Depauwler

[FusionEnergi]

Well,

My Energi was built on March 19th 2013(17months ago). By my calculation the fuel freshness mode could be activated on or around September 19, 2014.

I have over 1/4 of the original tank in the car. Now the vehicle arrived at the dealership April 1st 2013 and I think that is when my dealer filled the tank, that could make Oct 1st my 18 month mark if the system calculated that as my starting point.

Edited August 18, 2014 at 02:31 AM by FusionEnergi

[Hybridbear]

Well,

My Energi was built on March 19th 2013(17months ago). By my calculation the fuel freshness mode could be activated on or around September 19, 2014.

I have over 1/4 of the original tank in the car. Now the vehicle arrived at the dealership April 1st 2013 and I think that is when my dealer filled the tank, that could make Oct 1st my 18 month mark if the system calculated that as my starting point.

Please keep us posted on how it goes? In our normal driving we shouldn't use any gas at all because longer trips will be in the Focus Electric. It's only on really long trips (100+ miles) that we'll need gas for the Energi which are rather unpredictable. This first tank will go fast because of driving 225 miles home from the dealer and I have two trips to one of our plant locations for work in the next two weeks which is 120 miles round trip, so about 100 miles on gas. I made the trip this past Tuesday and used 0.9 gallons one way and 1.0 gallons the other way. Knowing how the car just truncates and doesn't round those figures I know that I actually used 1.9-2.09 gallons of gas. I saved almost a full gallon versus driving our old Fusion Hybrid which usually took 1.4 gallons each way.

Edited September 10, 2014 at 06:22 PM by Hybridbear

[FusionEnergi]

We will let you know for sure, it should be very soon. The car was fueled almost 18 months ago, just another week till October. We now have a fourth a tank-on the line.

Edited September 23, 2014 at 11:02 PM by FusionEnergi

[Russael]

That's awesome that you managed to keep a tank of gas for 1 1/2 years.  I managed 14 months due to the brutal winter and having to use gas.  I also took a couple trips (1, 90 mile round trip, 1 190 mile round trip) which required me to refuel.

 

You also have more miles than I do (I'm at 5900).  Darn you and your mild climate!  ;)

[Pavman]

I always try and fill up with non-ethanol fuel.  The fuel will last MUCH, MUCH longer, and you will get about 15 to 20% better gas mileage.   I am not sure if there are any rubber or plastic parts in the fuel system, and I suppose there is, if so the non-ethanol fuel will save that from falling apart as well.  Ethanol is pure garbage and very destructive.

[HotLap]

Pman, where do you get non-ethanol, I admit I generally don't pay much attention, but had thought Ethanol was added to most all fuel?

[Russael]

Pman, where do you get non-ethanol, I admit I generally don't pay much attention, but had thought Ethanol was added to most all fuel?

 

Some gas stations still sell pure gas as recreational fuel (boats, outboards, etc), or fuel for small engines (lawn mower, snow blower, etc).  You'll pay through the nose for it though, so it isn't worth it to put that in a car.

 

www.pure-gas.org is a site that will show you your local gas stations that still carry non-ethanol blended fuels.

[garymkrieg]

There is also an app for the Iphone, don't know about Andriod, called Pure Gas that will locate those stations.

 

Gary

[Kybuck]

I always try and fill up with non-ethanol fuel.  The fuel will last MUCH, MUCH longer, and you will get about 15 to 20% better gas mileage.   I am not sure if there are any rubber or plastic parts in the fuel system, and I suppose there is, if so the non-ethanol fuel will save that from falling apart as well.  Ethanol is pure garbage and very destructive.

 

Ethanol is less energy-dense than standard gasoline (about 33% less).  However, excluding E85 (85% ethanol, which should only be used in certified vehicles - the FFE is not E85 compatible), you'll only really come across E10, and maybe E15.  Even E15 is only 5% less energy dense than traditional gasoline (which, as mentioned above, is extremely difficult to find given government regulations around blending of renewable fuels). 

[FusionEnergi]

We now have driven almost 15,000EV miles. Still under 230 miles on the ICE and have about a fourth a tank remaining from the original dealer fill April 1, 2013. I do plan a longer trip next month to use up the old gas, but am curious why the Engine has not forced the gas to be burned. It will be 20 months of ownership very soon.

Anyone else experiencing this yet?

Edited November 27, 2014 at 06:25 PM by FusionEnergi

[Russael]

I think you're the only one who has managed to get a tank of gas to last nearly 2 years.  I've topped mine off 2 times, so I doubt I'll ever see fuel freshness mode.

 

I was wondering if your car activated that feature.  I'm surprised it hasn't... unless the car thinks fuel was added at some point (maybe accidentally popping the fuel door) but then it's also supposed to know how much gas was put in.

[FusionEnergi]

Question for anyone who may have knowledge and experience on how gasoline and a vehicles engine functions.

With my fuel being 20 months old this brings me to a question of I should I use it up. I came up with three options and wonder your thoughts on them.

1) add half a tank before my road trip to help the old fuel become fresher... but there would still be some left after the trip, resulting in old/new fuel mixed together sitting in my tank for even more months.

2) begin my trip and drive as much as possible, fueling just before empty.

3) begin the trip in EV later, then when engine is sucked dry(no gasoline), use EVNow to get me to a gas station(could this hurt anything since it's not diesel)

Option 2 is what I am leaning towards, but option 3 is enticing as long as no harm would result.

[murphy]

This is covered in the Owner's Manual.  If fuel freshness mode activates, adding 1 gallon of gasoline will cause it to abort and recalculate when it should next activate the mode.  You should have hit oil freshness mode a long time ago.  The car knows how to take care of itself.  It is not necessary for you to worry about helping it out.

 

Do not run the car out of gasoline.  That is bad for the fuel pump and the emission control system.

[FusionEnergi]

Option 2 it is then, thanks.

Yes, I have seen oil freshness mode a time or two.

Happy thanksgiving.

Edited November 27, 2014 at 06:24 PM by FusionEnergi

[smokewagon]

yes I would do option 2 also.  But I did put in non ethanol.

 

I have gone 11 months without going to that weird place where people stand outside their cars holding that funny looking hose.  I call it the "heritage store" What's heritage daddy? Something grandpa started and didn't work.

 

smoke,

[shaggy314]

I'm averaging only 3-4 months per tank, as my mother, emergency vet, and drop zone are all outside of my range... so I use gas.

[FusionEnergi]

Drove a little on the ICE, fuel quality still seems fine. Smooth but loud ride. Strange to see smoke coming from behind the car; oh yea that's from the tailpipe. We do have one of those don't we.

And (Wow) the ICE has more acceleration power than our Camry. 

Not sure how long the original fuel will last. Maybe we can make it to the 2 year mark.

We still have about a fifth of a tank of gasoline left from the dealer original fill up(April 1 2013).

Now with over 20 months of ownership and still have not added fuel.

Yes, I know at 18 months the ICE was suppose to have come on.

Yep, continuing to make the impossible possible, that's one of the things I enjoy so much in my life- Philippians 4:13.

Edited December 23, 2014 at 01:54 PM by FusionEnergi

[HotLap]

FE, thanks for posting that pic of your "Lifetime Summary"...I must have missed that only thought we had individual trip summary and Trip Meter summary that are from the point you reset trip meter A or B forward.  Funny I was just scrolling thorough all the gauges/settings, etc. (sometime we tend to forget options we don't use much) and still didn't see the Lifetime Summary in there...

[FusionEnergi]

The lifetime summary shows up in my 2013 Energi when I turn off the vehicle. It shows up just after the trip summary. Maybe yours is different.

[jeff_h]

The lifetime summary shows up in my 2013 Energi when I turn off the vehicle. It shows up just after the trip summary. Maybe yours is different.

 

I believe the 2013 is the only model year with that lifetime summary, i think it was not included with the 2014 or 2015, for whatever reason.