How to Use Fogging Oil

If you have any type of vehicle that sits in storage for months at a time, you should look into using fogging oil if you want to protect the engine. This product offers a way to keep inactive engine components from becoming corroded over time. If you’re not familiar with this protective product, here are the basics on how to use fogging oil for everything from valuable classic cars to simple lawnmowers.

How Fogging Oil Works

Before you start learning how to use fogging oil, make sure you know the point of this product. Basically, when you store any type of vehicle, the lubricants that are in the engine slowly drain away. This leaves engine components dry, and they begin to corrode. Then when you start the engine for the first time in months, the dry cylinders, valves, and pistons get scuffed up and worn out quickly since they don’t have any lubrication between them.

But when you apply fogging oil to all these engine parts, you’re essentially coating them in a layer of oil. As you might guess, pretty much any type of engine can benefit from this kind of protection. This means if you have a lawnmower, boat, RV, ATV, or classic car that you plan to store for a few months out of the year, fogging oil will help protect it. The only type of engine that can’t benefit from fogging oil is a diesel, as the oil would likely cause the engine to ignite. But if you have any other type of engine, you should learn how to use fogging oil for it. Luckily, the process is simple.

How To Add Fogging Oil to Your Engine

The first step is to start the engine. Then take the air filter out and spray fogging oil into the air intake of every cylinder. You should start to see oily smoke—or fog—coming from the exhaust. That’s how you know it’s working. Keep the engine running for about ten seconds after you’ve sprayed the fogging oil, and then shut it off.

If you want a little more protection for the engine, you can also apply fogging oil to the cylinders behind the spark plugs. Just pull out every spark plug so you can spray the fogging oil onto each cylinder. Then put the spark plugs back. Now you can feel confident that your vehicle will be protected against corrosion once you store it, and you don’t have to worry about any engine components becoming damaged when you start up the vehicle again in the future.

Preparing Your Vehicle for Storage

Now that you know how to use fogging oil, you know the first step to ensuring your vehicle is protected when you store it. But you should also get an idea of how else to keep your vehicle in good shape during storage. Some of the other tasks on your to-do list should include:

• Changing the oil
• Filling up the gas tank
• Checking all fluids
• Disconnecting the battery
• Washing and waxing the exterior

And if you’re storing other types of vehicles, not just a car, check out our tips on storing your lawnmower, winterizing your boat, and putting away your snowmobile for the season. You’ll find that no matter what kind of vehicle you own, STA-BIL Fogging Oil can help protect it once it’s in storage.