The situations where you should be using a fuel stabilizer are when you own a vehicle that you don’t drive very much, like a collector’s car, or when you’re putting a vehicle in storage for an extended period like during the winter season. Rather than with a regularly used car, the ideal scenario for a fuel stabilizer is keeping the gas fresh in a vehicle that’s going to be sitting unused for a long time.
Normally, when you’re storing a vehicle long-term, you’re supposed to completely drain out the gas tank so you don’t get any of that aforementioned evaporated crud on the internals. However, if you can’t be bothered to do this, or otherwise plan on driving the vehicle sporadically, fuel stabilizer eliminates the need for tank draining by just preventing evaporation from occurring in the first place. Just keep in mind that different stabilizer brands have different shelf lives; many can keep a tank fresh for up to a year, but you should read the brand’s directions just to be sure.
