Fuel contamination

[SteveSkinner]

Today I noticed some hesitation at full throttle
The coach has done 2500 miles on this trip and was serviced prior to departure
The coach has been parked in Florida with a 3/4 full fuel tank for 3 months
Lesson 456
Never leave the tank not full and loaded with fuel doctor
The coach has 2 water trap/ fuel filters and I replaced both
I know for the future that I only need to replace the first filter based on the condition of the second
I bought 3 more for less than $50 for the 3
I can't believe how cheap consumables are here compared to Australia.
I'll load up with fuel doctor at the next refill tomorrow and replace the filter again in a few days.
I can't believe I let that happen. I should know better. I guess it's easy to get blasé about these things when you are in a hurry.

[moisheh]

Good Morning:

You might get better answers if you added your unit info to the signature. I am not familiar with "Fuel Doctor" but Google did show an Australian fuel additive?? I doubt that 3 months in Florida did much damage but if you really added a lot of that stuff then maybe the crud from the bottom of your tank was loosened. If you are near any marinas there are companies that will do fuel polishing. They pump all your fuel through a portable fuel filter device. Others may have different ideas.

[Mike Canter]

It is very possible that you have Black Slime in your tank. Either from parking it in the high humidity in Florida or from previous storage. This Black Slime is a algae that will block your primary fuel filter in a short time. One sure way to find out what the problem is causing this is to cut the top off the fuel filter and take and look and see if there is anything blocking it. If you have Black Slime then you will see it right away. If you have it then go to a marine supply store and buy some Biobor JF Microbiocide and do a shock treatment of your tank. It will kill it within 24 hours. Then always use some when you store the MH.

Hammonds Companies | Biobor JF

[SteveSkinner]

Thanks for your reply Mike
That's exactly what I have. I didn't need to cut the filter in half, it was obvious from the top when I removed it. I found some bug killer / microbe in the coach and double dosed a full tank yesterday.
I'm now parked for 3 days. So I expect to be changing filters before I get to Dallas via Austin.
I had a similar problem with my boat when I first bought it. I had the fuel polished but discovered nothing beats using it so the fuel sloshes around picking up the slime.
Luckily 2 big Racor filters had the job done in a couple of outings.
I've searched for a good bio-side at truck stops but obviously I'm off to a marine dealer as all I can find is anti-gel.
I originally posted because I thought this issue would be a regular problem with motor homes and was hoping to get some debate.
Steve Skinner
Monaco Dynasty

[Mike Canter]

It maybe a big problem and people just don't know they have it. It seems to be a bigger problem for people that live in high humidity areas such as the Texas Gulf Coast of Florida. It does take the presence of water in the tank to get the Black Slime. Keeping a full tank while the MH is stored is the best preventive measure but I still store mine with Biobar JF in it. Usually on my last known trip before storage I will but in an additive to make sure there is no water then at the last fillup before storage I will add the Biobar. I live in Georgia which has high humidity

[SKP Kirk]

As well as filling the fuel tank, you may find it also helpful if you use some type of fuel stabilizer such as Sta-Bil or SeaFoam. There are different products for gasoline and for diesel.