I am fairly stumped - or at least I was, until I tried a second car.
2 cars, parked next to each other, haven't ran for approx 6 to 8 months.
First car is a carb fed manual choke mechanical pump petrol. I threw a gallon of super into it before trying but then found it very difficult to get started. I checked all the spark and fuel circuits and everything is fine but eventually just before I started to cry it coughed, and I persevered until I got it to start and run. However, it will not take any throttle at all, any applied just makes it bog down, stutter and conk out. I've run it up to temperature a couple of times, no difference. After a while it is now hard to start again, runs worse, sounds like it's off a cylinder and won't run for long. I have to keep playing with the choke to keep it just so, and touching the throttle will kill it.
I was perplexed until I also started and moved the car next to it, a moderner injection petrol. It also sounded rough and wouldn't take a rev. After a few moments idling, badly, it would take a small press of the throttle but not very much. It doesn't die out, it just peaks at 1500rpm and won't go any further even if the throttle pedal is pressed more.
My question is this, do you think these symptoms could be caused by stale fuel?
I have had stale fuel before but not as bad as this, although if they unfortunately had E10 put into them by accident it would explain it. I also think that I should have burned through most of what was in the tank on car 1 as well, so it should be running better by now.
I'm confident the cars are both essentially working correctly and nothing is broken but my hunch is fuel now and I'm asking if any of you have seen similarly awful effects from recent stale fuel?
2 cars, parked next to each other, haven't ran for approx 6 to 8 months.
First car is a carb fed manual choke mechanical pump petrol. I threw a gallon of super into it before trying but then found it very difficult to get started. I checked all the spark and fuel circuits and everything is fine but eventually just before I started to cry it coughed, and I persevered until I got it to start and run. However, it will not take any throttle at all, any applied just makes it bog down, stutter and conk out. I've run it up to temperature a couple of times, no difference. After a while it is now hard to start again, runs worse, sounds like it's off a cylinder and won't run for long. I have to keep playing with the choke to keep it just so, and touching the throttle will kill it.
I was perplexed until I also started and moved the car next to it, a moderner injection petrol. It also sounded rough and wouldn't take a rev. After a few moments idling, badly, it would take a small press of the throttle but not very much. It doesn't die out, it just peaks at 1500rpm and won't go any further even if the throttle pedal is pressed more.
My question is this, do you think these symptoms could be caused by stale fuel?
I have had stale fuel before but not as bad as this, although if they unfortunately had E10 put into them by accident it would explain it. I also think that I should have burned through most of what was in the tank on car 1 as well, so it should be running better by now.
I'm confident the cars are both essentially working correctly and nothing is broken but my hunch is fuel now and I'm asking if any of you have seen similarly awful effects from recent stale fuel?