Sta-Bil additive - any problems?

[Trueoo7]

I topped off the tank for the winter with Sunoco 94 and added the right amount of Sta-Bil. Almost immediately the engine started loading up. Since it's only about 2 miles to home I didn't think much of it but we've had a few nice days and Sunday I snuck out for one last spin. The car ran terrible, very very hard starting, felt like it was running on 7 cylinders, bucking in 4th gear, a lot of blackish smoke. Everything under the hood looks fine, nothing loose, wires plugs, distributor etc. Hate to have to siphon out 18 gals of gas, but at this point I'm at a loss. Someone said to add an octane boost to it but I'm afraid to leave it like this till spring.

Thanks
True

[Len Hurlburt]

Never had a problem with Sta-bil like the one you describing above. I use it in everything, sno-blower (in summer), lawn mower and Cobra in winter. Everything starts and runs fine. Possibly some tainted gas?

[Bill E]

Sta-bil Is good product but under some conditions it can turn in to a jelly like substances and causa just the problems you are having. Drain the fuel and try some fresh if it will still run. Let us know what happens.

[foothills gary]

True,is your favorite Sunoco adjacent to a car wash?I can't tell you how many times cars came in to my Dad's garage after a fillup with water in the tank and similar symptoms.A can of dry gas may be the remedy.You can remove gas line at carb,and run a little into a small glass.Water will be readily apparent if it's present.

[Lowell W]

I've used Sta-Bil for years in everythig that sits for awhile: mower, weed whacker, chainsaw, Bobcat, snow blower, snow plow, Cobra, motorcycles, you name it. Never had the problem you describe, although I have had some instances where a carb, especially one filled by gravity, will cycle enough gas through by evaporation to leave sludge behind. I've never heard of the addition of Sta-Bil causing an immediate problem. If you've drained some gas out and can't see any water or evidence of gelling, my advice would be to go buy a can of gas at a different gas station and about six feet of rubber gas line. Go get your fire extinguisher, move the car out of the garage, then disconnect the fuel line from the inlet side of the fuel pump, connect up the gas can to the car with the rubber gas line and try running the car on the new gas. This is a lot easier if you have a mechanical fuel pump but can be done with an electric pump, also. Do you have a carb or FI? I'm not familiar with the FI in 5.0's, but if it has a separate cold start injector, is it possible it has become energized constantly? Good luck and please post again when you solve the problem.

[Bill Wells]

I filled up once as a tanker was filling the station's underground tanks and got garbage in my tank, fortunately a civilian car and not a toy car. However, i learned the hard way that those tankers can stir up a lot of sediment in the bottom of the tanks that might find its way into your car tank..or water, as has already been suggested. It is possible that something else is causing the problem that was just coincidental timing with the sta-bil being added . change your fuel filter and see what happens. bill.

[Jackffr1846]

I did the same thing recently.....but have had no problems. It's so sunny and nice out today that I downed the scarf, snowmobile gloves and drove the Cobra to work. I'm down to 1/2 tank with no problems. Mine's a FI 302.

[casaleenie]

True007

Interesting you should mention this... I laid the car up for winter with a full tank of gas and an additive for the gas storage.
Weather turned great again and out I went with the car.. It didn't seem as trottle responsive as it should have been but until I read your posting I never thought about the additive in the gas...
It wasn't STABIL but another brand. I bought it at a auto parts store and picked it up by mistake... Now I'm wondering if I screwed up the fuel... Ran over half of the gas with the additive out of the tank and probably will take it out and fill up again without adding any additional stabilizer...
(it was a gasoline additive and not diesel)

Have used STABIL in the past and never any problem....

[Chaplin]

I can't believe all you guys are laying your cars up for the winter already- it's not even that cold out yet. As long as there's no snow, you should be out there driving it at least once a month. Then you don't have to worry about additives and the like. Bunch of Sissies, the whole lot of ya'

[Bob In Ct]

It's easier to drive it every so often. As long as the roads are clean and dry, the sun is out and the temps are reasonable we go for a drive. I block off the oil cooler with foam and and part of the radiator and the fluids are fine.

Bob

[cobrajeff]

I have used StaBil for years in all of my "toy" cars, and have never had a problem like you describe. Heck, StaBil is the stuff that you put in your gas so that your gas will NOT turn to jelly in your carburetor!

I'd be thinking along the lines of Bill's comment about the tanker - I have heard elsewhere about how much sediment gets stirred up when a tanker is filling the station's tanks - I NEVER stop for gas if I see the tanker on the premises. You may have gotten there just after the tanker filled & left.

I would suspect the gas before the stabilizer, and the other possibility is some other malfunction that just happened to occur in the same timeframe. Hope you are able to sort it out.

regards,

Jeff

[Hal Copple]

i get much the same problems when "winter gas" comes out in the fall, when my car is hot, it boils and percolates in the carb, floods, stalls, and in general makes my car quite cantankerous on a warm fall day. Once i get up to speed, and get some cool airflow thru the engine compartment, it is ok, and when it is cold out, it is not too bad. But i just detest traffic when i have a tank of "winter" gas. I run some race gas added, but generally i just swear under my breath at how lousy it is to have a boiling carburator.

After four years, i can tell precisely when it comes out in the fall, and when they go to the summer blend in the spring. My guess is that this is your problem.

[hog]

I have used Stabil in chainsaws, snowmobiles, tractors, motorcycles with no problems what so ever. Sounds like a dose of bad gas.
hog

[Trueoo7]

Thanks for all the replies. In the past I've used Sta Bil in everything, boats, lawnmowers, quads, weed wackers. I even yell at the guys at work if they don't use it, its supposed to work in diesel as well which I never knew. Never had a problem before. I've always kept an eye out for tankers at the gas station and avoided them for all the reasons stated. (if I'm home and I get an oil delivery I'll even shut the oil burner down, I know a bit anal !!) but who's to say one didn't leave there 5 minutes before I got there. I'm going to try that one suggestion about hooking up a 5 gal can of new gas to the fuel pump since I do have the mechanical one and not an electric one. Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of this over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm afraid to take the car out for fear I'll get stuck some where which brings up a good point. Is it possible to tow these cars or should you ask for a flatbed right off the bat.
I think I'll go for a new gas filter and plugs too while I'm at it. Anybody know what the gap is for a 302 ?
Thanks
True

[Lowell W]

Good point about the tanker stirring up trouble, guys. I never gave it a thought but I'll avoid getting gas when I see the tanker there.

True: a 1 gallon can or even a quart would be plenty to tell you whether there's a difference. I've even started and run a car for awhile on a beer can full! I'm sure it's "possible" to tow these cars but you'd need to make up a special tow bar to attach to the frame, since I doubt the bumpers are up to the task. I think newer tow trucks do have some sort of arrangement which lifts the car by the wheels, which might be OK if there's clearance for the straps, etc., but you couldn't lift either end very far before the other end started to scrape. I'd be a lot more comfortable with my car on a flatbed or a trailer. When you look up the plugs in the book at the store, the plug gap should be listed there, too. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Cal Metal]

If you decide to tow, remove your driveshaft; otherwise, you will run the risk of seizure of your transmission mainshaft. Expensive fix.