Hello everyone, Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holidays. My question today about what fuel additive/stabilizer to all of you use when parking your cars for the winter? I generally don't put 20 miles on my car a year so sometimes the gas can get a little old since the car is sitting. Gas might be a year or two old before it gets used up. I generally use Ethanol free gas and vary on the octane level. What would you recommend to add to the gas tank that will aid in keeping gas good?
This is for a few cars. I have a 1922 touring but also have a 1969 Corvette and 57 Nomad. Would you use the same additive in all of the cars or is there something different thats better for different year cars?
Thanks for the help and look forward to hearing back from you all.
I use Stabil because it makes me feel better. I have never done any type of comparison testing. I do know that I do not have issues with fuel degradation. One difference is that I put a lot more miles on our car during the season, at least 500. So I start the winter storage with a full tank of fresh fuel.
I will note that even Stabil has a limited life.an unopened bottle has a shelf life of 5 years. It is no longer effective for storage after 2 years.
Marine formula Stabil gives the best protection against alcohol damage to fuel system,. I use one oz. per 5 gallons of gas. The marine formula is blue.
I use the blue marine Stabil. The bottle says 1oz per 10gal. Is using 2x the recommended amount OK? I don't mind using more, if it doesn't hurt anything...
FWIW considering I'm no expert, my experience is that keeping the fuel from exposure to the air is critical. I've read that what Stabil does is it creates a skim coat over the fuel preventing the air from getting to it. I have no clue as to whether that is factual or not but I do have a metal gallon can of gas that has to be 10 years old that I use in my chain saw. I only open the can when I put gas in the saw. The gas smells good and the saw runs great on it. I treated the gas with Stabil when I filled it those years ago. I use red Stabil in my mower when I put it away for the winter.
VCCA Member 43216 Save a life, adopt a senior shelter pet. 1938 HB Business Coupe 1953 210 Sedan
I've been a Schaeffer Oil man for 50 years. They make premium quality products that make real world differences. I use their Nutra Fuel Treatment/Fuel Stabilizer. It does much more than stabilize fuel. It addresses alcahol and the lack of lead in today's gas. You can find it on-line as well as local retailers found under "Retail Locator" at their Web Site.
I just add it whenever I fill a 'fun' car that does not see many miles or a gas can. I used to use Stabil in all my gas engines. Now I use MACs (NAPA brand) since it is a little less. Also the bottle is identical to the Stabil brands. Have never had a bad gas issue but then again I have never not used it. Piece of mind for a few bucks.
I have found that having an old car is a constant project that is never done. I think that is a good thing. Keeps me learning new things. Having two from different eras is just a form of higher education.
