Has anybody ever had any STA-BIL® fuel stabilizer go bad??? I reached up on the shelf the other day for a bottle I got last year to put in the tank and it was all brown instead of blue-green. It smelled really bad too! WHAAATTT??? Let's hear some of your bad gas stories.
Not yet. I've been using it steady for the last 3-4 years or so, add 1 oz to every 5 gal container that I keep around for all my yard equipment and anything that may sit unused for long periods of time. It has really cut down on the number of fuel issues that I used to have since they started pushing the "new gas". Think I remember reading once that it does have a shelf life of it's own though. Ed
the stabil that I have used is red in color. I have never seen blue green. I have never had any go bad but don't keep it that long without using it up. jim
Nope never had it go bad....that I know of. A buddy has a small engine repair shop and he told me; 'if everyone used a fuel stabilizer I would be out of business'. I've used it for years (+15) without any issues.
Yep, I had a bottle do the same thing. It was older than one year. The current bottle I'm using is a bit newer and it's still red, but I'll have to keep an eye on it too.
Blue green stuff is for ethanol gas, I believe red is for regular old no lead. I have also used Startron works great.
Yes!!! I had a bottle go bad that was open for over a year. I called Sta-Bil and they confirmed that once opened the shelf life is approx. a year. Lucky for me I had only added it to my 5 gallon gas can that I use for my lawn mower. It sort of ruined the gas. At the price gas is/was I was not about to throw a full 5 gallons of gas out. I had to keep emptying the mower's carb bowl and cleaning out a sandy, gritty material all season until the gas was used up.
There's 2 varieties, reg is red- marine 360 is blue-green. Used both but have always used em up before going bad.
I've used the red Sta-Bil in the winter storage drill on my lawn and yard implements and all my cars. I'm convinced that all my engine take additional cranking time to start when the tank has a few parts of Sta-Bil. One engine that never was winterized did gum up over a six month period of hibernation a few years ago. Cleaned the carburetor and all was good again. They all stated hard with that stuff in the fuel system however.
I used to use Sta-Bill but the last couple of years switched to Sea-foam. I've had good luck with both but always use non ethanol gas in my old cars and small engines
Been using it for years along with Marvel Mystery Oil. I buy the marine grade as it is a better deal & MMO by the gallon @ Wally World or O'Reilly. I see they have come out with an ethanol additive now. I also have had some that turned brown from setting on the shelf. My cars set for 6 months & always start quickly when I start them up from their winter storage. I like to use premium grade non ethanol fuel for storing if I can get it. When I had my 66 vette I would buy racing fuel or aviation fuel when ever I could. Good gas sure does make a difference in how the engines run. ethanol tends to gum up the valve guides & lifters & the MMO helps keep them free.
I use Stabil in carb'd cars that don't get driven much. Use Stabil in all yard equipment, 4 and 2 stroke. Drain the tank, carb'd and fuel lines in the winter, either run them dry or pull the float bowl and wipe them out. I also buy lawn equipment gas in small quantities, 3 or 4 times a year, and always buy new gas for winter, snowblower. Just dump the old mower gas into a daily driver a few gallons at a time and top off the tank. Using up a jug of red stabil, I'll watch for a color or smell change. I'll switch to green ethanol stabil on the next bottle. No reliable source for ethanol free near me, I take a few cans with me when I travel downstate to buy when I can.
I find it funny (strange) that the very stuff that's supposed to keep the gas from going bad... goes bad! lol!
Checked in with a buddy if mine who has had many boats with in or outboard motors and he swears by Yamalube. Treats the ethanol in the gas and keeps the rings free. He never "winterized" anything by just using a cap full of this stuff every fillup. He lives in rhe NE. I have been using it and have had no problems, but, I do live in Virginia which gives me the opportunity to drive my car during the winter more so than in a colder/snowier winter clime ....
It states on the bottle that it is only good for a year, the new bottles have a place to write the date you open on them now. Also it is only good for fairly new gas, I wouldn't add it to months old gas and expect it to work.
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