fuel storage for winter

[stangguy]

Well, Actually storing the car from now till next spring. About 10 to 11 months. It is a 1998 Mustang with the 3.8 v/6. I have a full tank of E-10 gas in it now. Should have put in the E-0, but to late now. I am thinking maybe if I put a double dose of Stabil in it that maybe there will be no problems??? It does sit in my attached garage that never even gets down to freezing in the winter, but it is hot now. Would there be something better for the ethanol than the standard red Stabil ?? Marine Stabil maybe? Or some other brand of stabilizer? Or is not a problem at all?

 

[Davejam]

Double dose of Stabil, maybe drive it around the block to mix up the Stabil and get some running through fuel lines/etc.
Should be ok.

Marine Stabil is more concentrated.

 

[Kestas]

Maybe I'm just lucky but I never had problems storing cars with E10. I don't think there is as much surface to volume ratio of the gas for thermal cycling to draw moisture into the fuel as it does with OPE. I definitely used to have phase separation problems with my OPE stored seasonally.

Do you live in a humid climate?

 

[stangguy]

Humid climate. not like Florida, but here in Nebraska it gets pretty humid, especially in the summer. My son and daughter moved here from Colorado, where they have lived for over 30 years, and are really complaining about the humidity. Even on days we think it is nice.

 

[stangguy]

I have used E10 in my cars ever since it came out, and never had any problems with it in any way, but then it was always in vehicles that were used on a regular basis. My classic cars I always run E0 in, and when storing for the winter added Stabil, and never a problem, but wasn't sure how the ethanol would be for storing.

 

[y_p_w]

I really wouldn't worry about it as long as everything is intact. Modern cars with emissions controls are pressurized with fuel vapor so there's not much free oxygen to oxidize the fuel or much water vapor where enough over time might cause phase separation. My wife's car sat pretty much unused with a half tank of gas for about 9 months when the transmission failed. We could move it short distances but it would eventually stop and we couldn't get it moving without letting it cool down. Might have moved it from the driveway to the garage. I made sure that the battery was charged, and it started up easily.

Now if it were a lawnmower or a leaf blower, all bets are off. I've seen E10 phase separation in a lawn mower tank, and it wasn't pretty. That has to be taken care of regularly.