Service station Fuel or Marina Fuel

W

Wolverlion

New Member
Jan 11, 2021
9
Boat Info
Sea ray sundancer 260
Engines
Mercruiser 6.2 359 bravo drive
Does it matter what fuel you use.
I've read about you shouldn't use fuel from a service station for your boat.

Does it really matter as long as it's ethanol free.
 
I'm not sure where you're located but it's very difficult to find ethanol-free fuels at service stations in Michigan...
 
spikedaddy99 said:
No 91 Octane?
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I think most of our premium is still 8% ethanol. I can't say for sure but I think you need to find a station selling rec gas to get the good stuff. And it's usually wicked pricey....and definitely not available on every corner.

I used to run 100 octane race gas in dirt bikes. Man I loved the way that stuff smelled :)
 
I started with a 2006 260DA and ran the cheapest gas station gas I could find. I started treating it with SeaFoam, but that got to be expensive. Changed over to StarTron on a well known CSR member's recommendation and never, ever in 3 years had an issue. I doubled up when winterizing, but never an issue. Just my $0.02....

Bennett
 
bbwhitejr said:
I started with a 2006 260DA and ran the cheapest gas station gas I could find. I started treating it with SeaFoam, but that got to be expensive. Changed over to StarTron on a well known CSR member's recommendation and never, ever in 3 years had an issue. I doubled up when winterizing, but never an issue. Just my $0.02....

Bennett
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Much appreciated thanks for your input
 
bbwhitejr said:
I started with a 2006 260DA and ran the cheapest gas station gas I could find. I started treating it with SeaFoam, but that got to be expensive. Changed over to StarTron on a well known CSR member's recommendation and never, ever in 3 years had an issue. I doubled up when winterizing, but never an issue. Just my $0.02....

Bennett
Click to expand...
Stee6043 said:
I think most of our premium is still 8% ethanol. I can't say for sure but I think you need to find a station selling rec gas to get the good stuff. And it's usually wicked pricey....and definitely not available on every corner.

I used to run 100 octane race gas in dirt bikes. Man I loved the way that stuff smelled :)
Click to expand...
 
Service station fuel is usually "fresher" than marina fuel. If your marina fuel is ethanol free then I would chose the marina fuel. If both contain ethanol, then I would chose the service station fuel. Use fuel stabilizer/treatment (Stabil, Startron, etc.) every time no matter what fuel you use.
 
Chip S said:
Service station fuel is usually "fresher" than marina fuel. If your marina fuel is ethanol free then I would chose the marina fuel. If both contain ethanol, then I would chose the service station fuel. Use fuel stabilizer/treatment (Stabil, Startron, etc.) every time no matter what fuel you use.
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Seems like a waste of money? I move my fuel through the tanks plenty quick. And I pay quite a premium at the marina for that ethanol free premium. No way am I dumping more dollar bills into those tanks every time :)
 
It doesn't make one bit of difference as long as you're not letting your fuel sit in the tank for extended periods of time. In fact, if you save your gas receipts you can get a refund for the state and federal highway taxes built into the price at the pump!
 
If your marina sells ValvTec marine fuel (gas or diesel) you don't need any additional additives.
 
In my area ethanol free is available at several local land stations, I usually fill at marinas because using the stations takes much longer and can be frustrating. That said, prices at marinas in my area are rising rapidly and vary $1 / gallon between some marinas, so I call ahead to check, although I don't like the land stations I may be using them more as prices rise. :eek:
 
Stee6043 said:
Seems like a waste of money? I move my fuel through the tanks plenty quick. And I pay quite a premium at the marina for that ethanol free premium. No way am I dumping more dollar bills into those tanks every time :)
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Gasoline without stabilizer lasts for about 1 month. If you are going through each tank in less than a month and the gas is ethanol free it is not necessary to use stabilizer. I use about 1/2 a tank per month of ethanol containing gasoline, so stabilizer is definitely necessary for my engine to keep running smooth.
 
Here in SC we have ethanol free available at a chain called QT Quick Trip

Currently $3.04 same price as premium auto gas.
 
Chip S said:
Gasoline without stabilizer lasts for about 1 month. If you are going through each tank in less than a month and the gas is ethanol free it is not necessary to use stabilizer. I use about 1/2 a tank per month of ethanol containing gasoline, so stabilizer is definitely necessary for my engine to keep running smooth.
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Holy smokes...1 month? For quite a number of years I've been storing untreated fuel for 6+ months without ever having an issue. I must have found some kind of unicorn fuel supply :):)
 
I use this website to find stations near where I'll be that have ethanol free gas. I always try to store the boat with ethanol free and fill up in season with it when I can. I use Stabil 360 Marine after every fill either way. Never had a fuel problem so I keep doing it the same way.
https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp
 
Non ethanol would be preferred - does not really matter if it comes from gas station or marina. For me and probably a lot of marinas, they don't allow you to fuel a boat from cans at the marina.
 
Stingrayaxe said:
I use this website to find stations near where I'll be that have ethanol free gas. I always try to store the boat with ethanol free and fill up in season with it when I can. I use Stabil 360 Marine after every fill either way. Never had a fuel problem so I keep doing it the same way.
https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info
 
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