Fuel Additives StarTron & Stabil
As the Ethanol battle rages on, numerous fuel additive makers duke it out for top honors. My recent fuel additive experience had to do with my car, not my boat, as my mechanic gave my tank a few glugs of some secret potion that is supposedly not even sold over the counter. This clandestine experience took 30 seconds and cost me $20 but it did get my car to pass its California emissions test even though my intrepid little car is 17 years old and is approaching 200,000 miles. As boaters start thinking of launching again after winter storage, one thought should go to the fuel, especially if it wasn’t drained for the season. Additives help and there are many to choose from. One is Sta-Bil by Gold Eagle and its claims include preventing corrosion, cleaning carburetors and fuel injectors, preventing gum, varnish and rust and prolonging engine life. It’s good for 2 or 4 cycle gas engines including lawnmowers, snowmobiles , motorcycles, outboards and the like. Another additive manufacturer, Star Brite, claims that traditional fuel additives and cleansers aren’t enough anymore due to new fuel formulations that require different additive chemistry and so they’re promoting their StarTron Enzyme fuel treatment that even combats the effects of Ethanol. Ethanol is an octane booster and its use in gasoline can result in rough-running engines, decreased performance and poor fuel economy. It is also an alcohol so it attracts moisture and we all know that’s no good for engines. Star Brite claims StarTron’s blend of enzymes makes it impossible to overdose your fuel and it stabilizes fuel chemistry, keeping the gas fresh. The enzymes allow more oxygen to bond to fuel hydrocarbons in order to ensure maximum burn of the fuel charge for optimal power, performance and fuel economy. And it can rejuvenate stale fuel. Beware the info below as I’ve found prices and claims as to how much additive treats how much fuel to vary greatly: A 32 oz bottle of Sta-Bil sells for about $22 and treats about 80 gallons per the Ace Hardware website. An 8 ounce bottle of Star Tron treats up to 128 gallons and costs around $8 – that’s according to the manufacturer. Online I found that an 8 oz bottle will treat up to 48 gallons so beware when shopping and comparing prices.
As the Ethanol battle rages on, numerous fuel additive makers duke it out for top honors. My recent fuel additive experience had to do with my car, not my boat, as my mechanic gave my tank a few glugs of some secret potion that is supposedly not even sold over the counter. This clandestine experience took 30 seconds and cost me $20 but it did get my car to pass its California emissions test even though my intrepid little car is 17 years old and is approaching 200,000 miles.
As boaters start thinking of launching again after winter storage, one thought should go to the fuel, especially if it wasn’t drained for the season. Additives help and there are many to choose from. One is Sta-Bil by Gold Eagle and its claims include preventing corrosion, cleaning carburetors and fuel injectors, preventing gum, varnish and rust and prolonging engine life. It’s good for 2 or 4 cycle gas engines including lawnmowers, snowmobiles , motorcycles, outboards and the like.
Another additive manufacturer, Star Brite, claims that traditional fuel additives and cleansers aren’t enough anymore due to new fuel formulations that require different additive chemistry and so they’re promoting their StarTron Enzyme fuel treatment that even combats the effects of Ethanol. Ethanol is an octane booster and its use in gasoline can result in rough-running engines, decreased performance and poor fuel economy. It is also an alcohol so it attracts moisture and we all know that’s no good for engines.
Star Brite claims StarTron’s blend of enzymes makes it impossible to overdose your fuel and it stabilizes fuel chemistry, keeping the gas fresh. The enzymes allow more oxygen to bond to fuel hydrocarbons in order to ensure maximum burn of the fuel charge for optimal power, performance and fuel economy. And it can rejuvenate stale fuel.
Beware the info below as I’ve found prices and claims as to how much additive treats how much fuel to vary greatly:
A 32 oz bottle of Sta-Bil sells for about $22 and treats about 80 gallons per the Ace Hardware website.
An 8 ounce bottle of Star Tron treats up to 128 gallons and costs around $8 – that’s according to the manufacturer. Online I found that an 8 oz bottle will treat up to 48 gallons so beware when shopping and comparing prices.
