Bad gas even with stabilizer

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Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
I use double dose of StaBil and keep the cans under cover. It easily lasts a year without issues.


I use a double dose of StaBil with E0 gas in the snowblower, and it will not start a year later. Replacing with fresh gas will get the blower started.
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
I use a double dose of StaBil with E0 gas in the snowblower, and it will not start a year later. Replacing with fresh gas will get the blower started.


You likely have water (from condensation) in the fuel. Try a shot of HEET or use E10 gasoline for off season storage.
 
The gas in this area (almost all of it E10) must be pretty good ... as I have not had any fuel related problems with anything sitting one year or less.

Some thoughts as I was reading this thread: Yes, you are asking for trouble when leaving a piece of OPE sitting outside.

I see people saying "Sta-Bil" and assume they are still using the original Sta-Bil ... the red formula. I truly believe this stuff is completely out of date and you are just wasting your money.

Either use the good stuff (plenty of good brands mentioned in these forums) that expressly mentions ethanol on the label or don't bother. Sta-Bil has a marine formula, I use Briggs & Stratton 3-in-1 fuel stabilizer (which has been replaced by a B&S 5-in-1 formula) and there are a lot of others to choose from.

Rotate your fuel religiously. After 6 months, dump any leftover gasoline in your car/truck/SUV to burn it up and buy new for OPE use.
 
Bror Jace,

I have always enjoyed your posts over the years, maybe because my ideas generally mirror yours - good, basic common sense information without any smoke and mirrors.

If you haven't visited the Stabil products recently, they have had some changes this past year. I agree with your assessment of the red Stabil, and if you compare the cost per treated gallon, the red stuff loses out. http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/sta-bil

Wishing everyone a good 2016 and beyond.
 
Originally Posted By: Oldtom
I store my small engine gas in Eagle metal safety cans and add a half ounce of Pri - G fuel stabilizer to each 5 gallon can. I use the gas within 6 months of purchase. With all those precautions, you would think I would have zero ethanol problems. I had a riding mower that sat for 6 weeks outdoors covered with tarps and filled with stabilized gas. Today I went to use it and the smell of spoiled gas was overpowering. I drained the tank, refilled with E zero gas and the mower fired up and ran fine. I am shocked that the gas spoiled when treated with Pri-G. Is there another stabilizer that works better? I am so [censored] about this I may start running E zero, but, it is $3.40 per gallon here.

Thanks in advance for any advice.


It isn't the stabilizer or ethanol. It is the fact that you store it outdoors under a tarp. That is the worst way to store anything with gas in it. You would be better off leaving it untarped than tarped.
 
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
...I see people saying "Sta-Bil" and assume they are still using the original Sta-Bil ... the red formula. I truly believe this stuff is completely out of date and you are just wasting your money.

Either use the good stuff (plenty of good brands mentioned in these forums) that expressly mentions ethanol on the label or don't bother...


"Effective in all gasoline, including Ethanol blends" says GoldEagle about the red formula.

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/sta-bil
 
I generally store OPE with the tank full of e-0, (which we can get readily here) and a double or even triple dose of sta-bil. Last year (2014) the snowblower started right up in october and ran fine. Then in November when it snowed it wouldn't start till I changed the gas, Which smelled and looked fine . Has worked fine since. This fall, after the same treatment last spring, it works fine. Gas can be finicky it seems. I have used startron also, and probably my favorite is sta-bil marine, the blue (or is it green) stuff. I don't know why, just have the gut feeling it works better, no proof though.
 
Stabil, Startron, and all the others is just more money out of pocket for the water sucking E10 that's sucked millions out of this country because of subsidies.

I just laugh when I hear people say it is because it's sitting outside is the reason it won't start. I have left tillers and mowers under open sheds(just a roof) year after year, and they would crank just fine come Spring when there was REAL gas.
 
Sta-Bil claims: "Effective in all gasoline, including Ethanol blends."

OK, I have a few theories about that:

1) They may have tweaked the formula to be more ethanol friendly since the original came out decades ago.

2) It is the original formula, but have run internal tests with some E10 blends and found that it is still a little better than nothing ... and so they can make the updated claim ... even if real-world results aren't terribly significant (based on the criticisms I have heard over the past 15+ years).

Just some thoughts. Because, if Sta-Bil "red" could deal with ethanol, why come out with the blue marine formula at all??

Any other ideas?
 
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
,,, if Sta-Bil "red" could deal with ethanol, why come out with the blue marine formula at all??...


The Marine formula is unique because:

"...STA-BIL 360° MARINE accomplishes everything our current STA-BIL products offer, including keeping fuel fresh, removing water, cleaning the fuel system and more, but this revolutionary new product provides an exciting new level of protection for ultimate performance. For the first time, STA-BIL 360° MARINE delivers corrosion protection above and below the fuel line by releasing an innovative vapor that coats all metal parts within the fuel system to prevent corrosion…"

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-360-marine
 
SubLGT, their "360" formulas are relatively new ... I think they have only been out for about 2 years at the most. What about years ago when they first came out with the "marine" formula (non-360)?
 
FWIW I've always used Seafoam as a gas preservative and it's worked for me. Disclaimer: we have a fairly long mowing season here in southern/central part of VA.
 
So, OldTom, you never tell us what "spoiled gas" smells like, or if it ran or how well it ran.

A couple of other people have asked. Do the rest realize they've been trolled?
 
I recommend 93 octane in small engines. Don't use the red stabil it doesn't do any good. I actually don't use any stabil at all anymore since I turn over enough fuel that it's not really an issue. Plus none of my stuff sits for more than a month at a time. That seems to be the key. After about 1.5 months of sitting chances of it starting dwindle in the wind, depending on how good your fuel was to begin with.
 
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The old gas had a foul odor, difficult to describe unless you have smelled it. I drained the old gas and refilled the tank with some fresh E0 I just bought. I was worried about using the old gas and getting crud and sediment in my carb. the mower has a fuel filter but they are little more than a fine metal screen. Hope this answers your question.
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
,,, if Sta-Bil "red" could deal with ethanol, why come out with the blue marine formula at all??...


The Marine formula is unique because:

"...STA-BIL 360° MARINE accomplishes everything our current STA-BIL products offer, including keeping fuel fresh, removing water, cleaning the fuel system and more, but this revolutionary new product provides an exciting new level of protection for ultimate performance. For the first time, STA-BIL 360° MARINE delivers corrosion protection above and below the fuel line by releasing an innovative vapor that coats all metal parts within the fuel system to prevent corrosion…"

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-360-marine


I think this year I may try the combo of E0 gas + Sta-Bil Marine when it is time to store the snowblower. If nothing else it should prevent rusting of the gas tank. The combo of E0 + Sta-Bil Red has led to a no-start situation over the last 2 winters, requiring draining out the old fuel, and adding fresh fuel.
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
,,, if Sta-Bil "red" could deal with ethanol, why come out with the blue marine formula at all??...


The Marine formula is unique because:

"...STA-BIL 360° MARINE accomplishes everything our current STA-BIL products offer, including keeping fuel fresh, removing water, cleaning the fuel system and more, but this revolutionary new product provides an exciting new level of protection for ultimate performance. For the first time, STA-BIL 360° MARINE delivers corrosion protection above and below the fuel line by releasing an innovative vapor that coats all metal parts within the fuel system to prevent corrosion…"

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-360-marine


I think this year I may try the combo of E0 gas + Sta-Bil Marine when it is time to store the snowblower. If nothing else it should prevent rusting of the gas tank. The combo of E0 + Sta-Bil Red has led to a no-start situation over the last 2 winters, requiring draining out the old fuel, and adding fresh fuel.
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
,,, if Sta-Bil "red" could deal with ethanol, why come out with the blue marine formula at all??...


The Marine formula is unique because:

"...STA-BIL 360° MARINE accomplishes everything our current STA-BIL products offer, including keeping fuel fresh, removing water, cleaning the fuel system and more, but this revolutionary new product provides an exciting new level of protection for ultimate performance. For the first time, STA-BIL 360° MARINE delivers corrosion protection above and below the fuel line by releasing an innovative vapor that coats all metal parts within the fuel system to prevent corrosion…"

http://www.goldeagle.com/product/sta-bil-360-marine


I think this year I may try the combo of E0 gas + Sta-Bil Marine when it is time to store the snowblower. If nothing else it should prevent rusting of the gas tank. The combo of E0 + Sta-Bil Red has led to a no-start situation over the last 2 winters, requiring draining out the old fuel, and adding fresh fuel.

Pick up a pail VPracing C9 storage fuel and call it good.
 
I bought some Sta-Bil Marine 360 yesterday at Walmart. I did the self checkout, and got an alert message when I scanned it: "must be over 18 to purchase".

It's hard to imagine teenagers wanting to sniff Sta-Bil, but I guess it happens.
 
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