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Was at a nearby Mercury dealer to pick up some teak oil the other day and got into a discussion about ethanol, fuel tanks, etc. The guy said that they recommend leaving as little gas as possible in the tank for winter lay up...JUST THE OPPOSITE OF TRADITIONAL THINKING! The idea is that you have less ethanol-laced gas in the tank to cause mischief, even if you use a stabilizer. I've always filled the tank at least 3/4 full and used pink STABIL. This year I will use marine-grade STABIL. Any thoughts on the "almost empty vs almost full" concept?
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Empty means more room for condensation to develop on the inside of the tank. That's the only reason I've left them full. -
Condensation will be much more likely to form if you have a metal tank... which is a non issue if your CC was built after 1990. I leave my metal-tanked boats as full as possible for this reason. If I had a plastic tank, Id be leaving it empty... I have trouble getting gas to keep for 1-2 months, let alone 6. The red stabil didnt do a darn thing for me last winter- all of my boats needed a shot of fresh gas down the carb throat to kick. Im hoping their marine (green/blue) stuff is better and trying that this year... but Im not overly optimistic.1990 Ski Nautique
NWCTComment
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Air expands and shrinks a lot with temperature changes. That is how a hot air balloon is able to lift itself, the basket, the propane, the burner, and the passengers.
When it warms up during the day, the air in the tank expands. At night, it contracts again as it cools, and draws more air in the tank. The ethanol in the gas will attract the humidity in the air, even if there is no actual condensation.
I suggest filling the tank, almost full. On my boat, I leave the gas cap slightly loose, so the liquid gas expanding will not be pushed out the vent. I also use two times the regular amount of red Sta-Bil. (4 oz. Sta-Bil, 5 gallons of gas)
1997 Ski Nautique, GT-40 Engine, 2376 hours.
The one year I did not use Sta-Bil, I had a low pressure fuel pump quit working on the first outing the next Spring. Can I prove the lack of Sta-Bil caused the fuel pump to fail, no. But I have used Sta-bil every year since, and no failures.Comment
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I use the green marine stabil at EVERY fill up...there are two different mixing ratio's, one for long term storage and one for every day use, it's on the back of the bottle. as for the level, I stored mine full one year, and darn near empty every other year....Comment
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I've never thought about using it every time. Have you noticed better fuel usage and performance? That is, are you filling the tank up less? In my opinion, I think it would be much better on the engine, fuel pump and filter. Thanks for the tip!Has anyone used Angie's List to find help with boat repair?Comment
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the boat runs alot better when adding at every fill up...that ethanol is nasty stuff, 10% in every gallon now
unless you can find marine grade fuel without it, but you pay for it...Comment
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toward end of season i start spending extra few bucks for non-ethanol gas and i add stabil...then when i store i fill up as much as i can.Comment
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The 2005 Nautique 196 manual recommends storing the boat with gas tank 3/4 full to eliminate potential space for
moisture accumulation and eventual condensation. A completely full tank would be preferable if liquid gas expansion during
warmer days wouldn't result in gas overflowing through the vent line or purposefully loose gas cap.
My CC dealer likes Starbrite's Startron Enzyme Fuel Treatment as an in-season
Ethanol supplement and winter fuel stabilizer.Comment
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