Adding fuel additive to both tanks?

[pradgo Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close pradgo]

What's the best way to add fuel additive for long storage so it's distributed in both tanks? Assuming I start with one tank empty and the other less than half full and then fill both tanks.

Should I:

- Add additive at beginning of fill, then drive for, say, 100 km. Does the fuel circulate through both tanks?
- Add 1/2 additive at start of fill; after ensuring first tank is full, add 1/2 additive and complete fill.
- Fill tanks then add additive.

Our Prado (D4D) will be sitting for a few months in N Qld i.e. warm and moist. It'll be driven every 3 weeks or so, but not far.

I've heard it's best to store vehicles with tanks full - is this still correct, or outdated info?

Thanks!

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

if you know the contents of the first tank, add conditioner if you must then add fuel to a point where you know the
first tank is full then add second dose, the issue will be the first tank will have a higher concentration as it
already has some conditioner in it.

I don't know how much fuel is bypassed from the injector pump back to the tank or which tank it goes into, ie the fuel
is sucked from the second tank to keep the first tank full, as you need full flowing through the venturi I would hazard a
guess and say the fuel goes into the first tank to ensure all the fuel will be sucked out of the second tank but I may
be wrong. If this is the case the fuel in the first tank will never be blended properly with the first tank fuel. Also how
much fuel is circulated this way and how long would it take to mix all the fuel would be a question?


Storing fuel with fuel tanks full to stop moisture, don't know about that one these days as fuel tanks are sealed. The fuel
tank can only vent out via the charcoal canister and various values, generally this means if the car has been sitting for
some time that when you open the filler cap you hear the pressure build up escape. On the other hand when driving
and you fill up you generally hear the air rush in when you remove the cap due to the partial vacuum in the tank.
To me this indicates moisture is more likely to enter the tank when your driving than when the car is parked for
long periods, but again could be wrong.

Then there is the one about don't use diesel from jerry if it has been stored for a long time as it absorbs moisture
and water condenses out in the jerry. After our trip each year I empty the contents of one jerry into the diesel heater
tank (another jerry can) I have never found any evidence of water in the jerry, if jerry can has a faulty lid seal you might'
get water in the can but with good seals I have never found any.

[pradgo Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close pradgo]

Thanks Leigh,

I'm not worried about adding too much conditioner, or a slight difference in concentration between the tanks - I just want to be sure the concentration is high enough and that it's (reasonably) evenly distributed in all the stored fuel.

I use additive only for storage, so the obvious solution is to add the additive when refilling both tanks by adding 1/2 immediately (to the first tank), and the second 1/2 after the first tank is obviously full. But it would be convenient to learn that sufficient fuel is circulated to mix this.