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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 18, 2011 23:40:06 GMT -5
I ride year round but some people dont. Here is a good article about fuel degredation. Be sure to add a fuel stabilizer like Sta-Bil before parking your scoot for the winter. It can save ya many headaches. i know all the diehards here already know this but someone new might not. autos.aol.com/article/does-gas-go-bad/ |
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tango
Scoot Enthusiast
Ad agendum semper parati
Posts: 389
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Post by tango on Sept 19, 2011 0:04:47 GMT -5
Sta-Bil (or any other fuel stabiliser) should be used even when in warm climates, particularly when the machine will sit for long periods. Fuel actually starts to go bad within 2 weeks of sitting. An additional problem is the ethanol. Regular Sta-Bil cannot handle ethanol blends of fuel and may cause other problems if used. Be sure you get the one that is marked as ethanol safe. Yet another problem is that ethanol is hygroscopic (it attractes water) and does so from the water vapour in the air above the fuel in the tank or the carburettor bowl. This water then goes on to corrode all parts of the fuel system. Using it regularly can only help.
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 19, 2011 0:12:46 GMT -5
Sta-Bil (or any other fuel stabiliser) should be used even when in warm climates, particularly when the machine will sit for long periods. Fuel actually starts to go bad within 2 weeks of sitting. An additional problem is the ethanol. Regular Sta-Bil cannot handle ethanol blends of fuel and may cause other problems if used. Be sure you get the one that is marked as ethanol safe. Yet another problem is that ethanol is hygroscopic (it attractes water) and does so from the water vapour in the air above the fuel in the tank or the carburettor bowl. This water then goes on to corrode all parts of the fuel system. Using it regularly can only help. :cheers: great info thanks tango!!
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Post by Fox on Sept 19, 2011 1:03:27 GMT -5
If you add Sta-Bil to the gas you should still drain the carburetor if you don't plan on riding your scooter all winter. Why keep gas in there? It's going to evaporate even in winter and leave a film/sludge behind even with Sta-Bil in the mix.
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Post by one1 on Sept 19, 2011 2:31:18 GMT -5
I've not seen it matter near as much on 2 stroke engines as it does on 4 stroke. I have weedeaters I've fired up after sitting for 2 years by doing nothing more than dumping the tank and throwing a new premix in. Had it been a 4 stroke all kinds of things would be clogged.
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Post by coloradorockieride on Sept 19, 2011 14:49:23 GMT -5
dang, guess I should consider doing some maintenance and winter prep. I have never drained carb. Have done nothing with carb, not even sure I know where it is. wow, I could be in trouble.  |
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Post by Fox on Sept 19, 2011 15:19:18 GMT -5
dang, guess I should consider doing some maintenance and winter prep. I have never drained carb. Have done nothing with carb, not even sure I know where it is. wow, I could be in trouble. Just go out and start it and run it on the stand for 5-8 minutes twice a week all winter and that will keep the battery charged and the carb full of fresh gas. You still need to put Sta-Bil additive in the tank so the gas doesn't go rancid. |
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Post by one1 on Sept 19, 2011 15:57:05 GMT -5
Don't many of these engines not pump oil idling? That would be ugly in the cold.
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Post by Fox on Sept 19, 2011 16:14:33 GMT -5
Don't many of these engines not pump oil idling? That would be ugly in the cold. They do pump oil at idle but there's nothing stopping you from revving the engine up a little bit on the stand. The engine doesn't know it's not moving forward and even when you are riding it it's still unaware that it's moving because it doesn't have cognitive reasoning like we do..  |
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Post by coloradorockieride on Sept 19, 2011 18:03:29 GMT -5
yeah , the single biggest issue I have had is with batteries dying on me and it has totally been my bad. I even bought a trickle charger with new battery a couple years ago and then took off for most of the year and came back to 'dead' battery. So sad.
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Post by jmkjr72 on Sept 20, 2011 18:39:36 GMT -5
never ever use stabil if you plan on it sitting for more then 30 days
if you want to winterize use seafaom 1.5 oz per gal of fuel
get a battery tender i like the battery tender jr it wont over charge and if it comes unplugd it wont drain your battery (some of the cheap tenders have an led on them that will drain your battery if the tender becomes unpluged)
if its possible remove your battery and bring it inside to a nice warm place
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