Fuel stabiliser for winter storage?
Fuel stabiliser for winter storage?
Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

75 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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[redacted]

Royal Jelly

3,904 posts

219 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Yup, throw it in and run for a few minutes so it works into the fuel system and you’re good to go.

I just STA-BIL recently. My plans changed so I ended up burning about half a tank with it in. It definitely cleaned what I presume are the injectors, whereby the engine ran notably smoother up the lower rev-Range.

Fnumber1user

411 posts

73 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Fill it with a premium fuel and forget the stabiliser - its not needed.

EvoSid

1,116 posts

84 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Fill it t the brim so no air in in and you should be fine. If you are worried fire it up every week or so and let it idle for a 15-20 mins

Orangecurry

7,749 posts

227 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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EvoSid said:
If you are worried fire it up every week or so and let it idle for a 15-20 mins
Really not a good idea, according to the engineers.

EvoSid

1,116 posts

84 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Orangecurry said:
Really not a good idea, according to the engineers.
Why ?

Rojibo

1,746 posts

98 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Can I use it on my lawnmower too?

Orangecurry

7,749 posts

227 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Because an engine is full of bits of metal that move against each other. The highest wear phase is when the engine is 'cold'. This is because the bits of metal need space to expand to operating temp. So when you start a 'cold' engine, there are a few very hot bits, and many cold bits.

From a 'wear' point of view, you want the engine to be in this phase for a short as time as possible - hence the advice to move off straight away, and not let the engine idle.

You want the engine to get to operating temperature as quickly as possible. By driving and keeping the revs down, you make the engine 'do work', as this evens the temperature gradients quicker, and moving means the air-flow over the engine helps to achieve the same result.

If you don't care about engine wear, then it doesn't matter. But as the OP asked about keeping his car in the best state for storage, I presume he likes it and wants to keep it.

EvoSid

1,116 posts

84 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
quotequote all
Orangecurry said:
Because an engine is full of bits of metal that move against each other. The highest wear phase is when the engine is 'cold'. This is because the bits of metal need space to expand to operating temp. So when you start a 'cold' engine, there are a few very hot bits, and many cold bits.

From a 'wear' point of view, you want the engine to be in this phase for a short as time as possible - hence the advice to move off straight away, and not let the engine idle.

You want the engine to get to operating temperature as quickly as possible. By driving and keeping the revs down, you make the engine 'do work', as this evens the temperature gradients quicker, and moving means the air-flow over the engine helps to achieve the same result.

If you don't care about engine wear, then it doesn't matter. But as the OP asked about keeping his car in the best state for storage, I presume he likes it and wants to keep it.
Every day is a school day

Nuttcase

613 posts

141 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Orangecurry said:
Because an engine is full of bits of metal that move against each other. The highest wear phase is when the engine is 'cold'. This is because the bits of metal need space to expand to operating temp. So when you start a 'cold' engine, there are a few very hot bits, and many cold bits.

From a 'wear' point of view, you want the engine to be in this phase for a short as time as possible - hence the advice to move off straight away, and not let the engine idle.

You want the engine to get to operating temperature as quickly as possible. By driving and keeping the revs down, you make the engine 'do work', as this evens the temperature gradients quicker, and moving means the air-flow over the engine helps to achieve the same result.

If you don't care about engine wear, then it doesn't matter. But as the OP asked about keeping his car in the best state for storage, I presume he likes it and wants to keep it.
The engine wear would be so minimal I doubt you would even pick it up on a used oil analysis.

Still I dont believe the practice of starting and idling every week would achieve very much

Orangecurry

7,749 posts

227 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Nuttcase said:
The engine wear would be so minimal I doubt you would even pick it up on a used oil analysis.
But it isn't minimal. That's what engineers have always told us. It used to be written in every driver's handbook.... do not idle but drive off immediately.

And if you don't get the whole engine up to proper operating temperature. then the engine/system has a higher percentage of exhaust gases and moisture that will sit in there and be absorbed back into the oil and sit in the exhaust system.... there are no positives to idling an engine from cold.

DYOR.


Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 12th October 10:14

Slippydiff

15,919 posts

244 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Orangecurry said:
Really not a good idea, according to the engineers.
Great way to fill your exhaust with condensation and help it to rot from the inside out though !! Also a really good way to ensure the inside of the engine becomes laden with condensation and the oil contaminated with excess fuel/condensation.

As OC says, either don't use it at all, or drive it properly for at least 30 minutes to ensure it gets up to optimum temperature.

Porsche911R

21,146 posts

286 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Slippydiff said:
Great way to fill your exhaust with condensation and help it to rot from the inside out though !! Also a really good way to ensure the inside of the engine becomes laden with condensation and the oil contaminated with excess fuel/condensation.

As OC says, either don't use it at all, or drive it properly for at least 30 minutes to ensure it gets up to optimum temperature.
this :-)

MY granddad was 90 odd and failed his test at 90 as he let it lapse, but still drove to the shops 1/4 mile any way, his brand new old car rotted away from the inside in quite a short time and failed it 1st MOT at 3 years.
Just don't start the car , it's only 5 months it won't hurt it, we see cars sat in storage 15 years those are the stters with dried up seals and white gunk in the oil.

smudger911

503 posts

279 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Fnumber1user said:
Fill it with a premium fuel and forget the stabiliser - its not needed.
^^ this has always worked well for me - 80's 911's & 991.2 stored for multiple months.

supersport

4,530 posts

248 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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smudger911 said:
Fnumber1user said:
Fill it with a premium fuel and forget the stabiliser - its not needed.
^^ this has always worked well for me - 80's 911's & 991.2 stored for multiple months.
That's all I have done for 87 911 for the last 15 years, it's fine. It's not really that long.

Nuttcase

613 posts

141 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Orangecurry said:
But it isn't minimal. That's what engineers have always told us. It used to be written in every driver's handbook.... do not idle but drive off immediately.

And if you don't get the whole engine up to proper operating temperature. then the engine/system has a higher percentage of exhaust gases and moisture that will sit in there and be absorbed back into the oil and sit in the exhaust system.... there are no positives to idling an engine from cold.

DYOR.

Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 12th October 10:14
You have partially missed my point. I'm not advocating that idling a car every week is good practice for the other (non-wear) related problems you and others have stated - drawing in moisture is the biggest one in my experience - yes I did that in my first car back in 1989 and learned from it. I also stated that it wasn't clear to me what idling for 20 minutes a week would possibly achieve. So I think we are aligned in the overall recommendation.

I have DMOR on engine wear - not only that, I commissioned used oil analysis every few oil changes on a car that I ran for almost 150,000 miles when I lived in the USA. I lived in the city and spent a lot of time idling in the rush hour traffic including when cold / during warm up. There was no indication of abnormal wear from the UOA and the camshafts were pristine. I don't doubt that there is wear during warm up but I've not seen any studies in the last 15 years that conclude that idling once a week for 20 minutes results in measurable wear. If you can cite any studies, UOA or experience to the contrary then I'm all eyes. I believe the instructions to drive off immediately and not idle are based more on resource conservation rather than wear avoidance.

If you examine some of the more severe wear characteristics to inflict some Porsche engines over the last two decades, such as IMS bearing failures and bore scoring and cracking, do you think they were caused by idling?

Going back to the original OP question about fuel additives. I think you will find a few statements in the owners manual that Porsche do not recommend additives to the oil and fuel. I know very little about these fuel additives but if I had a car within manufacturer warranty or extended warranty then this is not a recommendation that I would break regardless of the additive manufacturer claims.







BertBert

20,770 posts

232 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Porsche911R said:
his brand new old car rotted away from the inside in quite a short time and failed it 1st MOT at 3 years.
Cool story, but related to running the engine on the drive how exactly?

Orangecurry

7,749 posts

227 months

Monday 12th October 2020
quotequote all
Nuttcase said:
Orangecurry said:
But it isn't minimal. That's what engineers have always told us. It used to be written in every driver's handbook.... do not idle but drive off immediately.

And if you don't get the whole engine up to proper operating temperature. then the engine/system has a higher percentage of exhaust gases and moisture that will sit in there and be absorbed back into the oil and sit in the exhaust system.... there are no positives to idling an engine from cold.

DYOR.

Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 12th October 10:14
You have partially missed my point. I'm not advocating that idling a car every week is good practice for the other (non-wear) related problems you and others have stated - drawing in moisture is the biggest one in my experience - yes I did that in my first car back in 1989 and learned from it. I also stated that it wasn't clear to me what idling for 20 minutes a week would possibly achieve. So I think we are aligned in the overall recommendation.

I have DMOR on engine wear - not only that, I commissioned used oil analysis every few oil changes on a car that I ran for almost 150,000 miles when I lived in the USA. I lived in the city and spent a lot of time idling in the rush hour traffic including when cold / during warm up. There was no indication of abnormal wear from the UOA and the camshafts were pristine. I don't doubt that there is wear during warm up but I've not seen any studies in the last 15 years that conclude that idling once a week for 20 minutes results in measurable wear. If you can cite any studies, UOA or experience to the contrary then I'm all eyes. I believe the instructions to drive off immediately and not idle are based more on resource conservation rather than wear avoidance.
I learned my lesson a looooong time ago that pointing out things to people from americaland doesn't usually go anywhere. But I'm a glutton for punishment.

(edited - I'm overcomplicating things)

Is there more wear starting an engine from cold and letting it run for 10 minutes than at any other time, yes or no.

If yes, why would you do that to your engine?


Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 12th October 22:06

Nuttcase

613 posts

141 months

Monday 12th October 2020
quotequote all
Orangecurry said:
I learned my lesson a looooong time ago that pointing out things to people from americaland doesn't usually go anywhere. But I'm a glutton for punishment.

(edited - I'm overcomplicating things)

Is there more wear starting an engine from cold and letting it run for 10 minutes than at any other time, yes or no.

If yes, why would you do that to your engine?


Edited by Orangecurry on Monday 12th October 22:06
The fact that you incorrectly assume I'm from Americaland simply because I lived there in the past speaks volumes about your interpretation capabilities.

Orangecurry

7,749 posts

227 months

Monday 12th October 2020
quotequote all
Nuttcase said:
The fact that you incorrectly assume I'm from Americaland simply because I lived there in the past speaks volumes about your interpretation capabilities.
hehe but I'm not interpreting anything. I'm passing on engineering advice, which you with your oil analyses are free to ignore.