Last Updated on May 3, 2022 by Grow with Bovees
We’ve all been there – you’ve just picked up a bottle of Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer or Sea Foam to add to that can of fuel you bought so that it stays fresh whilst storing it in the garage, but you don’t read the label properly and just dump the whole bottle in to the gas tank, possibly putting far too much stabilizer in for the amount of fuel!
Have you just ruined that batch of fresh fuel? – Can you use too much fuel stabilizer?
What happens if you use it in your gas lawnmower, chainsaw, leaf blower, or other outdoor power equipment with gravity fed gas engines? Is it like adding too much oil to your 2-cycle mix, enough for 40:1 instead of 50:1? Can too much fuel stabilizer be bad?
Don’t panic! The team at Bovees have done a little bit of research and created this article so that you will know what to do when this happens to you!
How Do Fuel Stabilizers Work?
First of all, it’s a good idea to just understand a little about how the top brands of fuel stabilizers actually work to stop stored fuel going bad.
STA-BIL Storage is probably one of the most widely recognized brands of fuel stabilizers, and it contains a powerful mix of chemicals and additives that help prevent gasoline from oxidation and chemical breakdown, neutralize harmful acids, and coat the internal metal surfaces of gas engines and the fuel tank lining to prevent corrosion.
It also removes water from the gas to help stop it from going bad over long-term storage.
It mixes completely with the gas in the fuel tank and entire fuel system and is suitable for all types of gasoline, ethanol-free fuel, and ethanol-blended.
The product will also clean fuel injectors, carburetors, and deposits from fuel passageways while protecting the engine from varnish, gum, and rust to prolong its life.
Sea Foam is another popular brand that is formulated entirely from additives, oils, and cleaners made from petroleum distillates but does a similar job, and adds protective lubricity, while preventing the formation of harmful residues.
How Much Fuel Stabilizer is Too Much ?
The answer to this question is not an easy one!
It all depends on which product you’re using, what for and also what forms of fuel, whether it’s gasoline or diesel.
How Much Fuel Stabilizer per Gallon?
The standard dosage for STA-BIL Storage, is 1 ounce per 2.5 gallons of gas, but they also state that you can safely use up to 4 times the normal dosage, although it’s not recommended. So if you dumped a whole 8 oz bottle into 5 gallons of fuel, that should still be OK.
Different Dosage For Cleaning Fuel System
Sea Foam Motor Treatment, on the other hand, can be used in varying quantities depending on what you actually want to use it for. For instance, if you are using it for cleaning fuel systems or fuel lines, rather than as a fuel stabilizer, then the manufacturer recommends 2 oz or more of the product for 1 gallon of gas or diesel.
In fact, most stabilizer manufacturers recommend adding more for it to work better!
So, to answer the question of ‘is too much fuel stabilizer bad?’, we have to recommend that you check the bottle or instructions that came with it as it will tell you how much it’s safe to use to keep fuel fresh.
What to Do if You Think You’ve Overdone It
The best way to get the correct mix when adding fuel stabilizer to gas for use in OPE, or to stabilize stored fuel, is to pour it into a can when you add fresh gasoline or diesel fuel.
It’s far easier to know how much gas you’ve got so you can work out how much you may have overdosed on it with the storage additive.
The simplest method to fix the problem would then be to empty say half the gasoline or diesel out and top it up with fresh to dilute it as much as you need to.
You can then safely use the new mixture in your snowblower, lawn mower or any other small-engined machine.
If you think you’ve added too much fuel stabilizer directly to the gas tank, empty some of the bad mixture out so you have less than half a tank left, top up with clean, fresh gasoline or diesel and run the machine for a few minutes.