Winter storage / fuel stabilizer
 

Our car is a nice-weather-in-the-summer-only toy (and boy is it fun). I don't even drive it if I think it's going to rain and this summer no rain touched it.

My city being Edmonton, the snow can start flying at any time now. Next week there's a good chance of it.

At first each snowfall will quickly disappear and the streets will dry, but, in a few weeks or possibly even days, snow will become a problem at intersections and the city will start spreading sand at least in these locations. When that happens I'll put the car into its winter-storage position in our garage (with our snow-blower and back-pack blower sitting ready-to-go between the Z and the garage door, instead of the other way around). There the car will sit until perhaps mid to late May of next year, so perhaps 7 months.

I will install an "intelligent" battery charger to keep the battery topped up at all times.

I intend to add fuel stabilizer to the fuel in the tank. Presently there is half a tank of fuel in the tank, so I have two questions for those of you who use fuel stabilizer.

1. If you were in my shoes, just exactly how would you add the fuel stabilizer so that it ends up being well-mixed in all the fuel?

2. After adding the fuel stabilizer to the tank, assuming that the stabilizer is well-mixed in the tank, how long should the engine be run to ensure that the stabilized fuel has made its way from the tank to the engine and, therefore, is "resident" throughout the entire fuel system?

Thanks.

Instructions are on the bottle.

boom

x2

Fill your car with 94 octane fuel :tup:

As Cooltoy suggests, follow the instructions. I use Stabil, and IIRC the instructions recommend adding about 250 mL to a 70L tank. So, add the recommended amount to your half-full tank, fill the tank to full (... which will mix the stabilizer in the tank), and drive the car for 5-10 minutes to ensure the stabilizer is spread through the entire system. Trust this helps.

Pour it in the tank and take a short drive. A 5 minute trip around town, making lots of turns, should do the trick.

I use a batter tender Jr. Used for 2 years no issue. Have the actual prongs connected to the battery so the quick disconnect line literally stays with the battery compartment during summer.

I usually do it by early mid November depending on the air temperature.

Can be -5 and no snow but your tires will not work.

If you can, look for fuel with no ethanol. I believe that there are some stations that are still offering it. The problem is not really with the actual fuel since today's fuel is so refined that it shouldn't break down in 7 months. The problem is with the 10% ethanol (limit in Canada) added to today's fuels. Ethanol is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs water (same as brake fluid). This is what can do the most damage to cars stored over the winter. Using Sta-bil fuel stabilizer will help keep your gas fresh.

Thanks for all your suggestions, particularly for the photo of the Stabil label, which states that its stabilizing effect lasts for 12 months.

I already have some Motomaster fuel stabilizer that I have used previously for various gas tools, so I took a look at its label, which I've photographed below. As you can see, it states "for 6 months", which is what I thought I remembered.

This length of time significant because, in order to make absolutely certain that the fuel would indeed be stable for our possibly-7-month winter, I was going to siphon the older 1/2-tank of gas out of the Z's tank, put it into our Outlander for immediate use, then re-fill the Z's tank with Costco's fresh-almost-daily premium while periodically adding portions of the correct total dosage of the stabilizer.

If Stabil's claim of 12-month stability is indeed true, I won't feel compelled to siphon any fuel from the Z, which will no doubt be a hassle. I guess there must be significant differences in the formulation of Stabil versus Motomaster fuel stabilizer and I thought I'd report this to other people living in long-winter locations.

Again, thanks for the help and the opportunity.

BTW, I don't know of any local brand of gas that does not contain ethanol. If you know of one, please tell me.

I guess ethanol does indeed have its downsides, as Cyber370 pointed out so well.
Gasoline Expiration - Ethanol Blend Fuels Have a Short Shelf Life

I hope the above link overstates the problem. I'd hate to think that after 3 months I'd have to siphon a full tank of gas out of the Z and somehow haul a full tank's worth of gas back to, and re-fill the stored Z.

I suppose I could also add some Drygas
https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/what-is-dry-gas

Hey Darwin, I'm in Edmonton too.

For non-ethanol gas, pretty much any 91 octane gas has no ethanol. Shell and Petro Canada are my preferred gasolines. All 87, 89 and 94 octane gasolines here will have ethanol in them.

Thanks very much, Nithmo! FWIW, I just called Costco and they said that their 91 does have ethanol, but they're "not 100% certain".

Here in the states there is an app. Pure gas. If that isn't available in Canada, I found most boat marinas that sell gas and small air ports sell ethanol free gas!
Boats and air planes can't use gas with ethanol. And in the case of air ports you can get 100/ 104 octane!

Shell premium is the only one that has no ethanol.

A constructive post. Repped.

Notice point number 11 here:
Shell V-Power NiTRO+ FAQs | Shell Canada

"Shell V-Power NiTRO+ premium gasoline in Canada does not contain ethanol."

So V it will B in our Z. (I just couldn't resist the opportunity!)

I just tried siphoning Costco's premium gas+ethanol from our Z's fuel tank. The Z must have some kind of anti-siphon design, because I can't get the hose into the fuel.

Therefore, I'm just going to have to figure out some way to get that 1/2 tank of gas out of there before the snow files. Let's see ..................;)

It is the only gas I put in my Z.

:happydance:

It what you have in it has ethanol don't worry. It'll be fine just start using she'll go forward.

Next year run a tank with the water fuel treatment then a fuel system cleaner before your oil change

I usually run a tank or two through the car after storage before getting the oil changed. I mean it's generally fresh oil since I do change pre storage too.

You need to fill the tank as high as you can and then add a can Sea-Foam (Sea Foam Sales Company). I've been doing this for at least 20-years with zero issues when taking the car out of hibernation. I get mine at Walmart for about $9 (US) and I swear by this stuff.

Living in Cleveland during the winter can be brutal as well...

Thanks, mishuko.

The northeast leg of Edmonton's Anthony Henday Drive "ring road" has finally been completed.
Electronic sign shows vulgar message of relief about Anthony Henday - Edmonton - CBC News

It was a difficult, expensive project that made life a living heII for those who had to make their way through that part of the city.

Because the weather is so nice today, my wife and I are going to use the Z for our maiden voyage all the way around Edmonton on the Henday, starting and ending at the 111 St. south access. This will burn a good portion of the 1/2 tank that remains, and on the remaining good-weather days before snow, we'll continue to use the Z for the necessary short trips that we would normally make in our Outlander.

When the gas-gauge reads "---", we'll drive another 30 or so KM and then fill to about 3/4 with V, plus the recommended dosage of Stabil; then do some spirited driving to mix; then go back and fill to the nuts with V.

After our drive around the Henday and trips to burn the remaining fuel, I think we will have put on about 1,400 km (870 mi) on the Z this driving season, so the vehicle will have approximately 10,200 km on the odo when we put it into storage.

Don't drive the tank that low it's bad for your fuel pump. And fuel starve...

Driver to under half tank. Add stabil and then rip around the block make a few spirited right and lefts. Then park. You want as much gas as reasonable in the tank cause any air in the tank can condense. More air more potential for humidity.

For me I go for a nice drive. Put stabil in and the fill up. Then do a little loop 5k drive and then park it. I'll pull it out of the garage for 1 last wash and wax then do my storage regime.

Edmonton's first substantial snow started this evening, but we are not the first in the prairies to get snow. Saskatoon got dumped on a few days ago and my wife's brother in Cranberry Portage, MB claims that he has "half a metre" of snow in his long, long driveway and "the snow is still coming down hard".

Therefore, as incredible as this may seem to many people living below the 49th parallel, it is quite possible that our great Z ride this afternoon (which brought the amount of fuel in the tank down to a remaining "range" of only 60 kms / 37 miles), was our last of this driving season. That's a real shame, but we'll have something great to look forward to next spring.

In the next few days I'll be filling the tank with V while I add portions of Sta-bil for winter storage. I welcome suggestions on whether to fill right up to the top of the fill-pipe, or stop the first time the nozzle clicks, or something in between. (The Shell station is less than a mile from our home.)

Thanks.

Stabil work's well,
I know you guy's don't have that BS Ethanol added to your fuel,,,i steer clear of it in my ~Z~ & a couple old chevy truck's.
But if you got the extra $$ & it's available....VP Racing Fuel's C-10 & a few other's are non-oxygenated (non-ethanol enriched) & have a lot longer life than gas out of the ground.
+,,,the C-10 is 100 octane....the factory 11:1 compression loves it & is unleaded.

You guy's shouldn't have any trouble finding e-free gas...some stations even have 94octane.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...b5a76eeeca.png


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A lot of air space in the tank will promote condensation but there's not going to be much difference between first-click and slam full.

I suggest:
1) Fill tank about 3/4 full.
2) Add stabilizer.
3) Drive around for 10 minutes or so to mix gas/stabilizer in tank and get some of the stabilizer into the piping/injectors.
4) Top off tank as you normally do.

Done!

Down to about 40 km range remaining, I filled to 3/4 with V, adding about 1 ounce per 10 litres during the fill, then a 15-minute mixing ride with plenty of back-and-forth jockeying which, to my surprise, my wife really enjoyed, then back to the station to fill to the second click while adding the final two ounces of Sta-bil. The reason I bother reporting all this is that during the mixing ride I believe I noticed an improvement in engine performance and power, but maybe it was "just in my head".

So much trouble just for a winter storage.

I have stored various Corvettes for winter for over 13 years (late October to early-mid May) and all I do regarding fuel is to completely top off the fuel tanks to minimize air space thus minimizing moisture condensate. I have never used a fuel stabilizer and I never had a fuel-related problem.

Totally get what you're saying. I consider the fuel stabilizer like a yearly flu shot. Not getting a flu shot does not mean you'll automatically get the flu but you'll have a much better chance of not getting sick. Same thing with the stabilizer. You can go for years without it and never have issues. It takes that one time and............ damn! You'll be wishing you'd used it.


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I agree 100%. It's a preventive measure.

Over my decades of gas-powered-tool ownership, I have had several spring-times when I had to rebuild lawn-mower carbs on my own and other peoples' engines.

This year I had to take apart the carb on a 13-hp Princess Auto wood chipper
13 HP Chipper/Shredder | Princess Auto
that we've owned for only 3 years. I used the chipper once in the summer of 2015 and didn't need it again until late July of this year to grind up a neighbor's dead birch. Stupidly, I did not add fuel stabilzer to the fuel in the interim.

In short, the engine would not start, so I removed the carb-bowl drain bolt and very little fuel drained out, so I instantly knew what was wrong. The needle valve was stuck closed.

I took apart the carb and, sure enough, the needle and the sides of the body of the valve were coated with enough "gum" so that the valve did not fall from the hole in its doughnut-shaped "seat".

I cleaned the needle and seat; reassembled and installed the carb and, after promising my fearful, skeptical neighbor that I'd run buck naked down the street if the engine did not start in less than 4 pulls, I crossed my fingers, pulled twice, and the engine rose from the dead and ran like new.

For this rarely-used tool, I've now learned to keep stabilizer in its fuel at all times.

Anyway, that was a very easy, perhaps 25-minute job. I can not imagine having to deal with a gummed-up fuel system on our Z, so I want to ensure with absolute certainty that that NEVER happens. And that is why I went through all the terrible "trouble" (which was really not one bit of trouble) I described above.

As you can see from the photo below, our fantastic Z has been ensconced in its winter storage position in our garage since the day of the V-power fill-up. (You can see the green chipper on the right, the back-pack leaf and snow blowers in their winter, at-the-ready position on the left, as well as the intelligent battery charger sitting on the B&D workmate bench keeping the Z's battery at peak condition.) I have absolutely no doubt that come April or May the Z's engine will also rise from the dead and run perfectly.

To sum up, all of you cold-climate folks who put your Zs into storage for the long winter months, don't bother with all that "stabilizer" crap. Go right ahead and roll the dice, but before you step on that brake and press that start button in the spring, make the sign of the cross, keep your fingers crossed and put your mouth in exactly the right configuration. THOSE are the real keys to a smooth-running engine! :D

i cringe when i look at that pic

so many things so close to car

get a cover at least asap