Is there a shelf life to a bottle of Sta-Bil once it is opened? Thanks in advance! Jon
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Re: shelf life?
Jon,
The current sta-bil is red in color. The clerk told me that as long as it is red it is good. He said when it gradually turns yellow/golden in color at which point it will not preserve the fuel. I then asked him how to dispose of the unused product and he said just put it in the gas tank as once it turns color it is basically a fuel system cleaner. How much of what he told me is BS I do not know as I didn't have my BS detector with me.
Wayne -
Re: shelf life?
I wouldn't use after it changed color the stuff i had had chunks in it and was thick when it went bad. I just dispose of it with used oil.Comment
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Re: shelf life?
Unless you're storing a car for more than a year, you don't need to preserve the gasoline.Comment
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Re: shelf life?
...agree with Mike. I've been storing cars for 3-9 months, including over the summer, for over 15 years. I always fill the tank with fresh fuel prior to storage, never use Stabil or any similar product, and have never had any fuel system problems.
The colder the storage temperature, the slower the fuel deteriorates, so 4-6 months of winter storage with fresh fuel is no big deal.
Commercial gasolines have a stabilizer additive added by the refineries and the shelf life is at least a year at moderate temperatures.
Change the oil prior to storage and coolant and brake fluid if it will expire prior to the end of storage.
My experience and many others is that the biggest storage risk is rodent damage, so take proper precautions.
DukeComment
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Rodent Damage?
Perhaps this should start a new thread, but to pick up on Duke's comment: What steps/practices are most effective in discouraging rodents from nesting in our cars?Comment
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Re: Rodent Damage?
Traps on the floor under the car and poison bars in the engine compartment, interior, and truck, and monthly inpections, if possible. Keep all HVAC inlets closed.
Rodents will eat/chew virtually any organic materials - even silicone. Wiring harnesses are a favorite.
DukeComment
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Re: shelf life?
Mike, I don't agree with your answer. It used to be that you could let a car sit for a year with no problems but those days are over. Today's gas will gel or gum up in much less time. I see it happening all the time. I hear about it happening is a better term. Guys think they can park their fuel car in November and take it out in the spring and have no problems. Well every spring I sell a ton a lot of drive cables because the pumps have seized up with varnish from the crappy gas. JohnComment
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Re: Rodent Damage?
I do not know if what I have done for years has helped. My home setting is pretty much rural. Anyway the first winter here a couple of mice chewed the weatherstripping at the right side bottom of the garage door to get in. Did the usual placed traps and caught the mice. Repaired the weatherstripping. I didn't know what else to do so tried placing a cup of moth balls at both corners of the garage door. Add fresh every year. Have not had any more chewing of the weatherstrip to gain entry. Like I said I don't know if the moth ball smell keeps them away or not. This will be my 17th winter here.Comment
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Re: shelf life?
So if you put in a complete tank of fresh fuel in November, it's turned to gum by springtime?
Bet you the fuel in the tank had been there 2-3 years to start with. Trailer queens.Comment
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Re: Rodent Damage?
It's that time again, didn't we talk about this last year - I think.
Some other ideas were using sheets of "Bounce", yes the washing stuff. Also a lot of people use chunks of "Irish Spring", the soap. Used a new product last year called "Mouse Magic" that even smells nice. No problem with my winter storage which was outside under a tent (solid floor) now if I can just kill the little monsters in the attic things will be good. Moth Balls also have good reports.
Bet all these things work due to smell!Comment
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Re: shelf life?
Most of my experience in this area is with motorcycles. I have had brand new carburated bikes clog up the jets to where the carbs had to be dismantled and cleaned after having gas in them for only a couple of months. The smaller the carb jets, the quicker you would have problems. Scooters were a major problem. My mechanics would pour the gas drained from the bikes into their car tanks, figuring they'd use up the gas before it would get bad enough to mess up their carbs. My routine is to fill up my Vette, Stabilize it, drive a few miles, drain the carb, and put up the Christmas lights.Comment
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Re: shelf life?
We've had "reformulated gas" in California for about five years now both with MTBE and ethanol. I've had no fuel system problems with fuel up to nearly a year old from the time I bought it, and I don't use a supplemental "fuel stabilizer".
I manage the fuel so that the tank is nearly empty just prior to storage and then drive to a high volume station and fill the tank after I've done the pre storage oil change.
Last year I changed the fuel filter on the 190E that had been installed for nearly ten years, but only had 30K miles. It offered no more resistance to blowing through it than the new filter, and the Merc gets stored during the summer months and sees temperatures up to the 90s on occasion.
DukeComment
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