1999 Challenger Fuel Requirements

[mmckim]

Hi everyone,

I just bought a '99 Challenger 1800 and I'm wondering what fuel is best and, what is 'ok' to run through it. The previous owner said he only ran ethanol free premium. At $4 a gallon, fill ups will be a little hard on the wallet.
I've heard not to let it sit for longer than 2 weeks with ethanol fuel in the tank as it can rust carbs etc. But if I fill a tank with ethanol fuel and burn through it all in a weekend then refill it with ethanol free if it sits for awhile, is that ok?
I've also heard adding stabilizer to the ethanol fuel is a good idea.

As you can tell, I'm a total noob. Any ideas and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Dr Honda]

No reason to use anything other than "Normal" pump fuel. There are guys who say you have to use the ethanol free stuff... but honestly... it's not a big deal, assuming you use fuel from a good source, and you are burning it. (not letting it sit) Also... there's no reason to use the higher octane fuels in our engines. They are designed to burn 87 just fine.

I personally run "Regular" from whatever gas station I'm driving past, on the way to the lake... and I've NEVER had any issues. Ethanol free fuel is getting harder to find, and it's more expensive when you do. (So you have to add the extra drive time onto that price when you go out of your way for it)


With that said... I almost always add a little Marine Sta-Bil when I fill up. It will make sure that you don't have any water issues, and keeps the ethanol from separating out of the fuel.



That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[3littlepigs]

I just bought a 97 Speedster and the previous owner told me the same thing about only using alcohol free gas.
I know that alcohol eats curtain kinds of rubbers and plastics. This is the main reason you can't run E85 in car that haven't been setup for it.
Two years ago I had a problem with a Stihl weedwacker after owning it for only one year. I called a regional repair shop. The senior tech told me that even though they say you can run up to 10% alcohol he wouldn't. This is because he's seen the carb gaskets being eaten away by the alcohol. He told me that they are looking into better materials to replace what they're currently using but until then he would stay away from alcohol.
I don't know if this is the same reason that people are saying this on the older Seadoos.
Here's a good read on the issue.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a6244/e15-gasoline-damage-engine/
Take Care.

 

[mmckim]

Thanks for your input guys. If I can I think I'll fill with ethanol free when I can stomach the gas bill but otherwise, it sounds like its ok to run good regular fuel with added stabilizer if I don't intend to let it sit.

Also I posted another thread about the fuel gauge not working but the 'low fuel' warning still works. I haven't had time to check the fuse or the floats, mostly because I don't really know what i'm doing and haven't had much time to mess with it.

Also, I haven't had a full tank of gas in it since I bought it. Is it possible the float is just stuck and a full tank of gas might losen it up? Again, I'm a total noob here

 

[Dr Honda]

3littlepigs: Yes... there is some truth to issues in small engines. For some reason, they never updated the carb internals to work with E10. (FYI, You can't run E85 in anything other than a flex fuel engine) The big thins is that the primer pump will rot... and so will the fuel lines. AND... because of that... for the past 10 years or so... I haven't run anything other than camping fuel in my small engines. (chain saw, weed eater, hedge trimmer, RC models, and so on) White fuel is "Pure" fuel. NO ADDITIVES AT ALL, so it can't turn to varnish !! And the best part is, it smells like a charcoal BBQ being lit. (lol)


mmckim: Doubt the float is stuck... but if its the original float... then the magnet probably came off of it, and is stuck. You need to pull the sender, and check it out.



To All: I can't say that E10 fuel doesn't cause any issues. It destroys the fuel sender float, and eats the Tempo fuel lines. But once those issues are addressed, then there are no real issues. Heck... some states have been using "Oxygenated" fuels for 20 years now. (with ethanol) So... this isn't a new thing. I've never personally sought out ethanol free fuel, and I know for a fact that I've been using it in my skis for at least 15 years now. (about the time PA pushed it on us) So... keep up on your normal maintenance... and ride. :thumbsup: