Is adding sta-bil necessary?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 613
Likes: 8
From: Lees Summit Missouri
Is adding sta-bil necessary?
Car went into storage last week. Fuel was topped off when I parked it, and putting it on the trickle charger today. Car will be in storage for roughly, 3 months. Do I really need to add stabil to the tank? Thanks
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 613
Likes: 8
From: Lees Summit Missouri
Well, the car had a full tank for the past month it hasn't been driven. I added 2 gallons to fill it. Instructions on bottle, also dont say it needed to be put in before a full tank. Just says add and let engine run 5 minutes. Thanks for the insight fellas! The Black Bitch is going to sleep for awhile!!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,789
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From: Northern Illinois
Oldtimer
I've used it for years. There are some that say it isn't necessary, but I always add it anyway. I run my tank down to almost empty and add it at the gas station just before I put it into storage. I usually drive 3-4 miles just to make sure it's throughout the fuel system. 
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,888
Likes: 230
From: Livingston County, Michigan
Like most of the previous posts, it can't hurt.
I use Sta-Bil most years, and I also like to add it when the fuel level is near zero. With the "dual tanks" in the C5s, my logic is that adding it when nearly full means that half the gas isn't treated.
I still make sure that I'm easy on the throttle when pulling my cars out of storage in the spring, until I get the first tankful of fresh gas into the car.
I use Sta-Bil most years, and I also like to add it when the fuel level is near zero. With the "dual tanks" in the C5s, my logic is that adding it when nearly full means that half the gas isn't treated.
I still make sure that I'm easy on the throttle when pulling my cars out of storage in the spring, until I get the first tankful of fresh gas into the car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 874
Likes: 107
From: Detroit MI
The biggest enemy of gas in storage is condensation. If the tank's full, there's minimal space for condensation to form. Since you're only storing it for 3 months, I say leave it alone since the tank's already full.
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,888
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From: Livingston County, Michigan
That's an excellent point that you make. For many years I stored cars with minimal gas in it, reasoning that I wanted to have as little "old" gas as possible in the tank as possible, come spring time. Then a couple of folks that I really respect told me the same thing as you posted.
Last edited by acrace; Dec 27, 2014 at 05:36 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 295
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From: Woodbridge Virginia
The real problem is with phase separation. The ethanol in the gas will separate with condensation and deposit on the bottom of the tank a sludge that is difficult if not impossible to remove with out cleaning the tanks. This problem comes up a lot with boats where there is a lot of gas and the boat sit for months at a time. My father had an older Christ Craft that we had to pull and completely drain the tanks on. The bottom of the tank was nasty with the phase separation. Additionally the gas will lose about one point of octane for every month it sit out. For the boat we would use high octane over the winter with the thought that the gas should be acceptable when spring came around. Sta-bil is supposed to help prevent both of these issues and for that reason alone I use it every fall when I put my car up for the winter.
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I put it in mine each year when I store my car for the winter.
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