The substances that make up the gasoline in your car's tank appeared on the planet about 360 million years ago. Despite the popular myth that oil comes from "former dinosaurs," we should actually thank ancient algae and plankton.
But the most interesting thing is that gasoline has its own expiration date. According to experts, fuel left in the tank for at least a month can lose a significant part of its properties. However, if you store fuel in tightly sealed special containers, the life of gasoline can be extended up to three years.
Why can gasoline spoil?
To produce gasoline, many components are removed from crude oil, leaving a certain proportion of paraffins, olefins, and cycloalkanes. Ethanol, a number of anti-corrosion additives, and other components specifically designed for use in the vehicle's fuel system are also added.
Ethanol, despite all its advantages, has one unpleasant property: it actively absorbs water. Thus, it can literally "suck" water vapor from the air into the gasoline, which harms the fuel system.
Olefin compounds are quite prone to oxidation: when they react with oxygen, a solid substance like resin is formed, which can lead to clogging of the system.
Finally, with too long improper storage of gasoline, many of its components will simply evaporate, as gasoline is extremely volatile. This can create problems, for example, when you start the car with the arrival of warm weather after it has been sitting in the garage with fuel in the tank all winter.
