Does fuel stabilizer go bad?

[Jim 5]

Getting ready to winterize outdoor power equipment and motorcycles.

I bought a good supply of fuel stabilizer last fall and have enough left for this fall and next. Can I depend on this 1 year old stabilizer for winterizing the gasoline in my equipment this year?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[bigmike]

Not sure what brand you purchased, but this is from Stabil's website:

What is the shelf life of STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer?
A: 2 years after the bottle has been opened, provided it has been tightly capped and stored in a cool, dry place. If the bottle is never opened and under the original factory seal, than the shelf life is 5 to 6 years from manufacture.

 

[JHZR2]

wow, fuel stabilizer isnt very stable...

 

[eljefino]

I'm working on the same bottle of stabil I bought about 7 years ago. And I overdose everything.

 

[Jim 5]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I am OK at least for this year. I guess I shouldn't buy so much at a time. Hoarding is something that's become a bit of a problem since joining BITOG.

 

[tinmanSC]

Good question, but I had to laugh at the irony.

 

[SZR48207]

Good timing. I was wondering the same thing about the bottle of Sta-bil I bought last year.

I figure, even if it is slightly less potent than new, it'll still work well enough to keep the OPE from gumming up over the winter.

 

[Vikas]

Hey, this gives a good reason to buy the new big bottle of Stabil! That is the best bottle for adding TC-W3 or MMO in the gas.

 

[Boomer]

There might be a niche market here. Produce a new Stabil to add to Stadil to extend its life!!

 

[jc1990]

i kid you not i used to buy this stuff every year for a ford conversion van that i only drove from april to oct sat rest of time one year i had half bottle left from previous yr pored it in but it had a whole bunch of tannish crud at the bottem of bottle and it was only 8 months from time opened

 

[mechtech2]

I wonder how we know how fresh it is when we buy it? It could be sitting on the shelves for years.

Also, this points to another problem. Once it is in the gas tank, many feel it is good for years. I say it extends gas life from 6 months to maybe a year or two at most..

 

[bigmike]

The shelf life is longer unopened, but you're right. We could be buying old product - who knows, unless there is some date code? I do like how oil companies (Pennzoil, for instance) put the date on the bottle. Wish more products were like that.

 

[CharBaby]

I usually buy 1 years worth.

 

[mjoekingz28]

I asked SeaFoam this question and they said it lasts forever.

 

[Rick in PA]

I never had a problem with Sta-Bil. The bottle usually last me a couple / few years. I swear by the stuff.

 

[Craig in Canada]

Sta-bil is reported to have a two year shelf life.

You can usually notice it change colour from red to brownish. I think the label may even have the shelf life on it. There have been threads here before.

Sta-bil did a very poor job actually "stabilizing" fuel for me (even E0). I switched to Amsoil AST and it's worked very well since - noticeably better than Sta-bil in my OPE. No indication of a shelf life either.

 

[M1Accord]

You can always buy Stabilizer Additive from Stabil. Think of it as Fuel Stabilizer's Stabilizer.

Sike. What a rip-off these junk additives are. For the cost of the junk, just use the fuel until empty.