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Do You Need A Fuel Stabilizer?

Fuel Stabilizer

At Fuel Ox, we are often asked “Is a fuel stabilizer really necessary?” The answer: Yes, it really is.

The biggest issue with gasoline today is that it contains ethanol (10-15% in most cases) in the form of E10 or E15 blends. Ethanol is made from common farm crops and is used to cut the amount of crude oil used in gas to reduce emissions. What sounds like a positive addition to our fuel comes with one major negative. Small engines – ATV’s, UTV’s, lawn mowers, chain saws, etc. — are not designed to withstand the corrosive effects of ethanol. Considering ethanol has the tendency to be corrosive, it can loosen varnish and debris from your fuel tank and introduce it into your injectors, carburetors, and fuel pumps – clogging and corroding the entire fuel system.

Ethanol also attracts water. Gasoline blended with ethanol can accumulate up to .49% water saturation, and when this limit is reached it results in phase separation. Phase separation is the result of ethanol and water separating from the gas and sinking to the bottom of the tank, creating two separate layers. Consequently, the water/ethanol layer is normally the first to be pulled through the engine. This can be disastrous for your engine and can cause it to run poorly, losing octane, torque, and acceleration. In addition, if the water sits in the engine for a prolonged period of time it corrodes the inside of the tank and requires costly repairs.

How Quickly Can Your Fuel Spoil?

It can take as quickly as three weeks for gasoline to begin to expire due to oxidation. Most small equipment tanks have ventilation systems, but these are not sophisticated enough to prevent 100% of water and oxygen from entering the fuel system. Stale gas can turn to sludge, clog the openings in an engine, and inhibit a vehicle from starting.

What Can A Fuel Stabilizer Do For Your Engine?

Adding a fuel stabilizer to your routine engine maintenance is key to alleviate the issues above. They prevent fuel from going stale when it sits for extended periods of time. In addition, many fuel stabilizers also come with water separators and ethanol protection to avoid the risk of corrosion as well as phase separation. Fortunately, Fuel Ox has incorporated a fuel stabilizer in the formula to prevent your fuel from spoiling for two years. In addition, Fuel Ox can protect against internal tank corrosion as well as safely filtering water out through the appropriate channels. To avoid costly repairs of fuel lines, injectors, pumping out stale fuel from your tank: be sure to use a fuel stabilizer, whether it is Fuel Ox or not, and protect yourself from the risks of prolonged exposure of gasoline.

Guy, Tech. “Why Use Fuel Stabilizer.” Fuel & Friction, Boost Performance Products, 10 Aug. 2016, fuelandfriction.com/weekend-warrior/why-use-fuel-stabilizer/.

“The Importance of Fuel Stabilizer.” Briggs & Stratton, Briggs & Stratton, www.briggsandstratton.com/na/en_us/support/maintenance-how-to/browse/the-importance-of-fuel-stabilizer-by-briggsandstratton-stratton.html.

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