STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment - Anyone Believe in This Stuff?

I already use STA-BIL gas treatment when I store my car each winter. I was wondering if their ethanol treatment has any useful purpose when using gasoline with ethanol in it? It says that it reduces the corrosion that can develop while using this type of fuel but I'm not completely sold on this. I've been looking for a gas station that definitively has ethonal free fuel but haven't been successful (yes I did check that website everyone talks about but the one near me actually serves only 10% ethanol laced fuels).

I already use STA-BIL gas treatment when I store my car each winter. I was wondering if their ethanol treatment has any useful purpose when using gasoline with ethanol in it? It says that it reduces the corrosion that can develop while using this type of fuel but I'm not completely sold on this. I've been looking for a gas station that definitively has ethonal free fuel but haven't been successful (yes I did check that website everyone talks about but the one near me actually serves only 10% ethanol laced fuels).

According to what I've read, the stuff does work. What it does is keep the alcohol in suspension in the fuel instead of separating out and settling on the bottom, which leads to corrosion. What leads to problems in

alcohol laced fuels is allowing the car to sit for months without being driven.

If you drive it at least every month for a short distance you probably wouldn't have any problems if you didn't even use Stabil. Since you have to store the car for prolonged periods during the winter, I would use Stabil when you put the car up for the winter. During the summer, if you drive the car regularly it isn't necessary. Being in Texas, I drive all my collector cars at least once a month year round and haven't had any problems with alcohol

laced fuel whatsoever.

I believe it is mostly effective with preventing separation as Seafoam describes, preventing moisture/in tank condensation and varnishing issues. The corrosion issue is part of that whole story. For marine use, it's a ritual at the end of the season to top off the tank and add Stabil. In spring, boaters can be divided into to camps: Guys whose boats fire right up because they used Stabil and the other guys who just left the boat as is and run down the battery trying to get the thing to start. Its worked for me and it's cheap insurance. PRL

Thanks Winston and Pete I appreciate your personal experiences while using Ethanol fuels and your opinions about STA-BIL. I do try very hard to drive my car at least every weekend during the spring, summer, and fall months, taking it out on the freeway and getting everything up to operating temperature. I was hoping that would be enough to keep the moisture to a minimum and help curb any corrosion that may come from using this type fuel. Thanks!

Marvels mystery oil will do exactly the same thing and is good for lubricating the top end

Marvels mystery oil will do exactly the same thing and is good for lubricating the top end

Thanks for the tip!

I was looking at the TruFuel website the other night. Seems they have a TruShield product now, which is supposed to prevent "phase separation" for something like 2 years, IF I remember correctly.

I believe there are TWO Sta-bil products now. Red and blue. Red is the stuff we've seen for years. Blue is attuned to ethanol'd fuels.

It seems that people who regularly drive their cars can seem to have the least trouble with ethanol'd fuels, BUT as ethanol dries the rubber from the inside out (the part it contacts or soaks into first, on the inside of the rubber hoses and such), it CAN cause problems with hoses not tolerant of it. All rubber hoses were upgraded about 1992 to deal with the then-new "RFG" reformulated fuel (which typically contained about 5% ethanol). I believe there were some further upgrades in rubber formulations in more recent times? There are MANY YouTube videos on how it all plays out and the "failure mode" of the rubber hoses.

One other thing to be aware of is the fuel pump diaphrams. They might be made of ethanol-resistant neoprene compounds, but if they ever are allowed to dry out (i.e., no fuel on them), then the diaphragm can become brittle and fail.

Another item normally overlooked is that some of the older Rochester 4bbls have fuel passages which are sealed with solder and a ball bearing peened into place. The ethanol will degrade the solder and that provides a direct leak from the fuel passages onto the engine's intake manifold.

End result, don't ignore ANY fuel-related smells on the vehicle, especially underhood. Or near the fuel tank area.

As to how well Sta-Bil red works, in another thread about a year or so ago, Carb King noted that they got a carb in for rebuild. The owner had used red Sta-Bil for storage, but it was longer than the recommended time as the inside of the carb was "red". He noted that it took a good bit to get that coating off of the insides of the carb.

Personally, I have used Lucas "Green Stuff" Ethanol Fuel Treatment in my lawn mower. It also says it's ok to "overtreat" the fuel. It keeps the spark plug spotless! Fires up on the first pull every time, too! Supposed to neutralize the effects of ethanol, too. I know that one mower I had was starting to act funny and the "Green Stuff" fixed it and made it run better with no other changes.

KEY thing is to keep the fuel being used and re-filled regularly, which also benefits the whole car itself.

Sorry for the length.

NTX5467

Thanks NTX5467 for the information. I see ethanol does much evil to our collector cars. I will have to check to see if there are anymore original hoses left in the fuel system....