Using Stabil in fuel

[Jim Rockford]

Some terminals add the additive package  when they fill the truck, If you have time one day, you can follow the truck that delivers  the gas to that station and find out what other stores get the same gas...the trucks service multiply stations , its not just a trip to the specific brand stations. History Channel had a good show  explaining this .

[smitty77]

i've burned 15 year old gas before. Even in a riding lawn mower, put some in the tank and started it. It started on the fresh gas and ran until the tank was empty. Wouldnt start on the old gas but it did burn it. The rest of the old fuel i dumped in one of my cars which had half tank or so of fuel in it still. Ran fine..

Its not too likely to go bad over the winter...

The octane boosters and other detergent additives (and ethanol) were not present, or were present but in lesser amounts, in gas made fifteen years ago.  And the gas was likely made with MTBE which does not attract water the way ethanol does.  Ethanol has a strong affinity to moisture in a tank and the combined ethanol/water solution separates from the gasoline and sinks to the bottom of the tank.

Keeping your tank full or emptying it completely will minimize this, and they also recommend adding stabilizer.  I put a shot of Stabil in my lawn mower and snowblower at the end of their respective seasons and have never had any problems starting either again 6 months later, and the lawn mower is over 25 years old (though it IS a Honda).  I also treat the 5 gallon fuel can I keep on hand with a double-dose of it because that 5 gallons usually lasts me a year.  I don't want to be fighting with my snowblower at 10*F wishing I spent the $2 on Stabil.  Just cheap insurance.

[Captkaos]

For the most part (At least here in Birmingham) if you are buying 87, 89 and 92 octane gas as Jim stated has the "branded" companies additive added to it which makes the gas less combustible (higher octane).  I know where the terminal is and have seen the trucks.  It may be a Shell, EXXON, BP, etc truck that comes out, but it is a combination of every companies gasoline coming out of there.  What makes it Shell gas is the additives, same goes for all the other companies.