Storing car for winter, we only have E10, do I need a stabilizer?

[brianl703]

I don't know if I agree with all that but in my motorcycle I let it sit for only 2 weeks and had issues with water separation

Water is getting into that bike's fuel system somehow.

I leave E10 gas in my riding mower all winter and never have a problem. I store it in my garage, it's not outside getting rained on. Why would I store a piece of equipment that would cost over $2000 to replace outside??? I see people who leave their riding mowers and other OPE out in the rain all the time. Guess they have money to burn.

 

[fitrucker]

I don't know if I agree with all that but in my motorcycle I let it sit for only 2 weeks and had issues with water separation and happened on two different occasions so anymore I try to run non ethanol when I can and treat it accordingly.

Both times the bike started fine and was idling but then shutoff when the water reached the injectors. I now use either Star Tron or Seafoam and haven't had any issues since. I figured that I was purchasing a fuel injected bike that I won't have any problems with ethanol but I was wrong, the manual states I can run 10% but honestly it's just not worth the hassle.

Was that with premium gas? Your tank is not sealed. Sorry to hear that but there is other issues.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Sta-Bil makes an ethanol specific stabilizer. I live 15 miles from an E0 available area, so I've only done the ethanol thing once or twice.

 

[fitrucker]

I know people don't like ethanol because it's new to them but ethanol has been here in Chicago for 50 plus years and never had these issues. Been driving my own vehicles for over 40 years. 10 percent ethanol lowers the octane requirement by 2 numbers so 91 e10 is equivalent to 93 no ethanol.

 

[Merek]

Was that with premium gas? Your tank is not sealed. Sorry to hear that but there is other issues.

Most likely 87, bike is a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 650, only around 6k miles or so. It was weird to have the issue twice, each time I took it to a different dealer and were the same thing which was water in the fuel. Unless it got pumped in there with the gas it would have to be phase separation. Riding season is practically over here, maybe a few more weeks but I need to get it out, topped off and treated before winter. It doesn't sit outside too often and mostly inside of a storage shed building. I keep it at my dad's because at my house I don't have a place to store it inside so the only time I leave it outside here is when I'm riding the next day and it's good weather.

 

[defury]

I know people don't like ethanol because it's new to them but ethanol has been here in Chicago for 50 plus years and never had these issues. Been driving my own vehicles for over 40 years. 10 percent ethanol lowers the octane requirement by 2 numbers so 91 e10 is equivalent to 93 no ethanol.

I have no issues with ethanol as all modern cars are engineered and designed to run on E10. My main question is regarding cold storage over winter for 5-6 months. I used to store with E0 but it's no longer available so I don't know if the E10 will be fine to fill tank and park for winter.

I'm using shell V power nitro for reference. And yes in Canada it had ethanol now despite many stations not marking it as such, I spoke to representatives of all the major Canadian retailers to try and find E0 and as of earlier this year it doesn't exist at commercial pumps.

I'm getting the sense that I can just leave the car with no additive as long as there's a full tank and just drive it lightly for the first tank in spring

 

[fitrucker]

It's a sealed system and should not have problems. You keep asking the same question after you answer your own question. Ethanol is not the bad guy water and air is.

 

[cmarshall78]

Just fill it up and park it. Don't worry about additives.

 

[Merek]

Fill the tank and you should be fine, ethanol is hygroscopic in that just like brake fluid it absorbs moisture from the air, with a full tank it helps alleviate that issue but the fact of the matter at hand is that the issue is still there. Ethanol is very bad, hard on fuel pumps, it's corrosive and turns into a mess... at the very least I'd add some Star Tron or Seafoam.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I’ve searched for definitive tests on corrosion and the only one that was particularly good is Project Farm’s test with Lucas stabilizer . The issue is real in that non ethanol gas does not have problems. E10 and up does. The product worked somewhat with E10 but not perfectly. I’d like to see other tests. Anyone seen anything other than opinions from Yahoos?

In the mean time try a non ethanol fuel for storage and if you can’t get ethanol free fuel try some stabilizer, try keep moisture and water out, and cross your fingers. Here is a chunk of aluminum in water contaminated fuel. Keep the darn water out and you’ll be fine.

 

[Snagglefoot]

For small engines you could fill the tank with True Fuel which is ethanol free and run it long enough to fill the carb.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here is the description for True Fuel 4 Stroke. There is no ethanol free fuel available in my area. Enjoy.

 

[defury]

I’ve searched for definitive tests on corrosion and the only one that was particularly good is Project Farm’s test with Lucas stabilizer . The issue is real in that non ethanol gas does not have problems. E10 and up does. The product worked somewhat with E10 but not perfectly. I’d like to see other tests. Anyone seen anything other than opinions from Yahoos?

In the mean time try a non ethanol fuel for storage and if you can’t get ethanol free fuel try some stabilizer, try keep moisture and water out, and cross your fingers. Here is a chunk of aluminum in water contaminated fuel. Keep the darn water out and you’ll be fine.

View attachment 185596

Yeah, no access to ethanol free, it already snowed here and I didn't use a stabilizer yet so I think I'm screwed either way and stuck without it since I can't drive to mix it.

I've seen questionable results with stabilizers anyway like here