I just bought a 2006 Cobalt SS SC that has sat for around 4-5 years. It is covered in outdoor grime and needs a lot of TLC. It runs and drives, and started right up first try. (Well, first try after I realized I was pushing the brake, not the clutch!) I drove it off of the trailer and into my driveway.

I plan to drain all fluids and refill with new fresh fluids this weekend and after driving the car for a month or two will likely do that again. I have all new filters for the car as well.

My question is fuel. There is less than a quarter of a tank of fuel in the car. Should ...

1. Drain that four to five year old fuel
2. Run it down to empty and then fill
3. Top it off to dilute the old gas

Thanks for the input!

 

My first question would be - have you already replaced the fuel filter?

If so, I'd do 1 by dropping the tank (not hard); otherwise, I'd do either 1 (with the method I mention below) or 3, but I wouldn't do 2. Adding a fuel system cleaner might help either way; I tend to use the Lucas stuff every 10k miles or so. I'm not sure if it actually does anything worthwhile, but they're cheap enough that I don't care.

For draining the old gas through the old fuel filter, you can actually just disconnect the black flexible fuel line at the fuel rail (need the fuel line tool) and drain the system that way, if you choose to go that route. Hook some sort of hose onto the end of the line you remove and run it off into a 5 gal bucket, gas can, lawnmower, pile of wood, etc. There are ways you can jump the relay pins to get the fuel pump to turn on - can be "dangerous". I can't remember on this car how long the pump will run once you turn the key from off to on; I think it only runs for a few seconds to prime the system for start - but I might be thinking of one of my other cars.

 

After advice from a friend of mine, I diluted the fuel in the tank by filling it up. It was actually less than an 1/8 of a tank, not a 1/4 tank, so there wasn't much in there at all. In fact, according to literature I've read these cars have a 13 gallon tank. I put 11.2 gallons of fuel in it.

Fuel cleaner sounds like a good idea. I'll stop and get some and add that this evening.

 

I would say Option 3. Use Premimum gasoline. Option 2 runs the risk of damaging your fuel pump. However, stay out of boost until a few tanks of fresh 93 Octane fuel have been through it.