Greg Lab

I always add STA-BIL to my car when I put it up for a couple months. But I am wondering if I should use it year round, as the gasoline quality is so poor today with ethanol in it. Are there negative affects on the fuel system if STA-BIL is used all the time?

No HTwo O

Just buy quality gas from a busy station. How many miles do you drive per driving-season?

Try this web site to find Pure Gas ethanol free fuel. Even 91 octane without ethanol is an improvement:

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=TX

Greg Lab

Unfortunately, near Houston, TX, no ethanol free gaso is listed on the link... I guess I burn a tank of fuel every 2 months during driving season.

BSL

Just need to up the driving! Tank a week should help out.


Nothing in the western Chicago 'burbs either...

Mike J

You figure Houston would have the good stuff!! :-)

Paul902

Hi Greg,

a few data points for you, as I store my car each year, generally from Nov to May:
- A fuel supplier customer service in Canada told me their fuel was ok without stabilizer for 6 months. They recommended it for storage beyond that.
- Some years I did store without stabilizer. I noticed no performance difference in the spring whether I used it or not.

Mike J

I will admit i have never used this in any of my p-cars in the last 17 years and had zero problems. Storage is not that long, like max 3 months.

Quadcammer

a tank every 2 months.

drive the sumbitch more and it won't be a problem.

IXLR8

A couple of months? Not even necessary.

I do use Sta-Bil, but in a vehicle that sits for 10.5 months a year.

IXLR8

The only time I've noticed gas go bad quickly is in areas of small volumes such as the float bowl of a lawn mower engine or similar. Yet I've never had a fuel injector get gummed up. Could it be that the latter is due to it being a sealed system?

Mike J

'
You may not know about the conditions of your injectors....my engine pulled fine but when I had the injectors clean, two were partially blocked. Since I rebuilt the engine as part of it, it was hard to tell where the power came from later... :-)

Porsche70T

Coincidentally, Eastwood sent out an advertisement this week on a new fuel additive that is suppose to keep the ethanol in check. I guess it's especially bad on rubber, plactic, etc. if ethonol gas sits for a length of time. There are 2 formulas, one per tank fill and one for long term storage. I asked and they told me that it could be considered an alternative to Sta-Bil and they would not recommend using it in conjunction with Sta-Bil. I may try it in the lawn mower first, but sounds like it might be what you are looking for. Let us know if you try it and what you think.

cannon1000

This is a great explanation.
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/sta-bil.htm

They now make one specifically for "high ethanol" gas. I use Stabil in my boat every year and have had no fuel problems in the spring.

jnicol

I have seen the gummed up gas in the bottom of jerry cans I use for the boat. Can't recall how long it was sitting but not more than the winter .... it was not a pretty sight. I would not want that in my engine and therefore, for the $5 and a minute of my time I take the insurance and put fuel stabilizer in everything even if it will be left for just a few months.

95_993

After a couple months of sitting, I was amazed at ow bad the gas in my snow blower got without STA-BIL. Completely foul.