I did a web search on gasoline to find out about the life of gas.
Under a ‘stability’ section the article says adding a stabilizer will extend the gas ‘life’ to 1-2 years without having any problems starting and running the engine.
Anyone have positive proof of this?
My Tahoe has a full tank and a one-half bottle of stabilizer in it that I ran long enough to get it past the injectors before I parked it.
I pulled the insurance off it (left comprehensive on only) to save money as it won’t be used for awhile.
It’s been parked since last October already.
Last month I took a chance and charged up the battery and ran it up and down the road until everything got lubed and moved then re-parked it.
I’m not sure when I’ll need it to pull the travel trailer. The price of gas has skyrocketed up here too.
Yes, “stabil” by all means. Modern gasoline WILL degrade with 24 months being the upper limit. Longer than that, it’s better to drain the fuel system. Actually, it’s better to SELL un-used vehicles as they are worth less every day you keep them…
While modern gas seems to have a longer life than in the past, the use of a stabilizer when you are anticipating storage of 6 months or longer is a good idea.
It is good to keep in mind that gasoline in the tank is not going bad because it is evaporating, but rather it is going bad because it is changing chemically. Gasoline is made up of various hydrocarbons including butane and octane and a bunch of other …tanes. As they sit in the tank they tend to mix and change but on the average they are getting bigger longer hydrocarbons until they become more like tar than gasoline. The stabilizers work by slowing this process.
I always thought gas started turning after 3-4 weeks.
Keep running it every month or so.
Staybuilt brand seems to be best
I have used the stabil product for many years now. I use it when storing the boats during the winter and in the power geneerator and small engines that don;t get used regularly. The generator is not used much - only when the power goes out. That gas often stays in the generator tank for over two years, The product seems to work, as I have no problem using the gas when needed in any of the applications. Getting the treated gas into complete fuel system is the right way to go. So don’t worry about the gas going bad. Keep the tank topped up to cut down on water condensation. As far as how much to use, the instructions call for 1 ounce of Stabil for every 2 and a half gallons of gas - I usually make it a little richer mix than that.
Thanks for your replies.
Funny how gas supposedly degrades so quickly. I had parked my Porsche a number of years ago. After about 4 years since it had seen a gas pump, it still started right up
When gasoline was a straight-run distillate, it had a long shelf life…Much of todays gasoline was made by a “alkalyization & catalylization” process during which products like asphalt can be broken down and refined into gasoline. This “synthetic” gasoline is unstable and depending on temperature and storage conditions will revert back to whatever form of petroleum it was made of. Most of todays gasoline contains 10% ethanol which further complicates the picture. I have seen a 440 Dodge motor home, unused for around two years, started and ran for about 10 minutes before the engine was destroyed when the intake valves jammed in their guides from fuel deposits (a tar-like goo), bent the pushrods, bent some valves…The entire fuel system from tank to carburetor had to be replaced with new parts, along with the engine repairs…
While I am not sure exactly what the current refining process produces, but it is very possible to take products like asphalt and turn them into products like octane which is exactly the same product and just as stable as it was in fuel produced 60 years ago. Modern fuels may be less stable as the mix of hydrocarbons may be different and the other additives may be different however. In theory it is possible to make the same product as simple distillation produced.
I was out of the country for a little over a year and my car started up with no problems. I did use Stabil and filled the tank before parking it. So, it certainly seemed to work for at least 1 year and a couple months.
Troubles with the 79 c10 stepside 1 & 1/2 years between fill ups AND trouble with the weed eater…after stabil…no problems.