I just wanted to pass this along -- hopefully you find it helpful. Without getting into a debate of whether one "has" to run an additive or not, for those that like to play it safe I'll offer some info that can help save you a bit of money. I'm a firm believer in what Startron (Marine Stabil, etc) can do (or help to prevent) with the lousy gas we have nowadays. Between the gas not lasting as long in your tank and the myriad of ethanol issues, it's a constant battle. Like in a car, if you use up the gas quick enough, you can probably get away without using an additive. But there are other benefits to using it such as helping to keep the fuel system cleaner. Something else to think about is that, with the exception of the newest boats, the fuel tank in a boat is MUCH more open to the environment than in a car. Given that boats, by nature, are constantly around humidity, that equals a greater chance of moisture being drawn into the fuel - causing 'phase separation'.
I've always used Startron (before ethanol I used the red Stabil) at higher doses than required. There are other options out there for ethanol-fighting additives - I personally use the Startron because they are the ones that initially did all the research on ethanol and it also turns out to be the least expensive. You can't do anything wrong by using extra and it's really only pennies a gallon - cheap insurance in my book. However, I'm also not opposed to saving money where I can, and that's where I'm finally going with all this. A little while ago, I was having a conversation with my rep from Star Brite - the makers of, among other things, Startron. They have two formulations - a gas formulation to be used at 16:1 ratio and a diesel formulation at 32:1 (although if you buy it from some hardware stores and maybe places like Walmart, it's only 8:1 at only a very small cost savings per bottle - just check to be sure). Here's the kicker... the gas formula and the diesel formula... it's the same thing! It's just that the diesel formulation is more concentrated since most diesel engines will have larger fuel tanks. You can use the diesel formula with gasoline.
If you're picking up what I'm putting down, you've already figured out that the diesel formula (per ounce) goes twice as far. So, then you're thinking, "Yeah, but it probably costs twice as much, so it's a wash". Nope. At least as far as the pricing I have on our shelves at the marina, the diesel formula is only about 25% more. I'll let you do the exact math, but it's pretty plain to see that the diesel formula is less expensive, per ounce. You can probably deduce what formula I have on the boat... :mrgreen:
I've always used Startron (before ethanol I used the red Stabil) at higher doses than required. There are other options out there for ethanol-fighting additives - I personally use the Startron because they are the ones that initially did all the research on ethanol and it also turns out to be the least expensive. You can't do anything wrong by using extra and it's really only pennies a gallon - cheap insurance in my book. However, I'm also not opposed to saving money where I can, and that's where I'm finally going with all this. A little while ago, I was having a conversation with my rep from Star Brite - the makers of, among other things, Startron. They have two formulations - a gas formulation to be used at 16:1 ratio and a diesel formulation at 32:1 (although if you buy it from some hardware stores and maybe places like Walmart, it's only 8:1 at only a very small cost savings per bottle - just check to be sure). Here's the kicker... the gas formula and the diesel formula... it's the same thing! It's just that the diesel formulation is more concentrated since most diesel engines will have larger fuel tanks. You can use the diesel formula with gasoline.
If you're picking up what I'm putting down, you've already figured out that the diesel formula (per ounce) goes twice as far. So, then you're thinking, "Yeah, but it probably costs twice as much, so it's a wash". Nope. At least as far as the pricing I have on our shelves at the marina, the diesel formula is only about 25% more. I'll let you do the exact math, but it's pretty plain to see that the diesel formula is less expensive, per ounce. You can probably deduce what formula I have on the boat... :mrgreen:
