As you get ready to put your boat to bed for the winter, don’t overlook the importance of stabilizing the fuel in your gas tank. Gasoline has a “shelf life” and only stays fresh for a short period of time before it begins to degrade and lose its’ octane rating. This process actually begins within a month. It will eventually “varnish” or “gum-up” your carburetor or fuel injection system, which will then require a costly visit to your mechanic. For that reason, it’s not a bad idea to use stabilizer year round as the gas in your tank may end up sitting for some time.
If your gas goes bad, you’ll have the added bonus of having to pump out your entire tank and properly disposing of the bad gas. Sound like fun? Not to me. My advice is to spend a few extra cents per gallon of gas and properly treat your gas all the time. Year round use will ensure that your fuel system stays clean and trouble free, offering you more on-water time.
For those that have concerns about Ethanol, all of the major brands of fuel stabilizers are offered in an Ethanol version to keep its’ ill effects at bay. Note, that the Ethanol versions do not affect the ability of the additive to stabilize the fuel.
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