How to Add Fuel Stabilizer to Gasoline

Gasoline is made of organic compounds that change over time. What was once a substance that, when mixed with oxygen, provided power for an internal combustion engine, instead becomes a substance that can form a gummy residue or take on a varnish-like quality that can clog up fuel lines. However, if you know that you have gasoline that will not be used for at least 2 months, you can preserve it by adding fuel stabilizer. This will not only preserve the gasoline, but it will also help prevent damage occurring to your fuel system from degraded gasoline.

Things You'll Need

• Fuel stabilizer
• Gasoline

Instructions

1. Buy a fuel stabilizer such as STA-BIL and enough gasoline to fill the tank of the machine to which you're adding the stabilizer.

2. Determine how much stabilizer you need to add to the tank. The general rule is to add 1 ounce of stabilizer for every 3 to 5 gallons of gas, but read the label on the bottle of stabilizer to see what the manufacturer recommends. If you don't know how big your gas tank is, your owner's manual should have that information. Add the stabilizer to the tank.

3. Fill the gas tank up (this will help prevent condensation from occurring), and run the engine for about 10 minutes so that the stabilizer goes completely through the fuel system.

References

• AlphaRubicon.com: Gasoline Storage Practices
• TheFarm.org: STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer
• Winterizing a Marine Engine