Briggs & Stratton's Advanced Formula Fuel Treatment & Stabilizer counteracts moisture buildup in gasoline-ethanol blends in small engines.

Briggs & Stratton has developed a fuel additive that would help offset the harmful effects of gasoline with 10 percent ethanol on small engines. The additive displaces moisture and prevents ethanol from building up in the fuel system, according to Scott Wesenberg, manager of the fuel systems group.

The company came up with the idea after discovering that contaminated gasoline in small engines was the most prevalent problem among its customers.

The gasoline engine manufacturer has never liked ethanol because it can make a mess of things at the worst possible time "?u like when you need to cut the grass and your lawn mower spits, sputters and just won't start. Often, water in the gasoline is the culprit.

The company said the biofuel additive ethanol, which is contained in most of the gasoline people buy today, can attract moisture out of the air like steel sticks to a magnet.

Moisture in gasoline is a big problem for boats, lawn mowers, generators and other equipment powered by gasoline engines, said Wesenberg. But since petroleum companies use a 10 percent blend of ethanol in gasoline to comply with the federal government's Renewable Fuels Standard, Briggs has created its own fuel additive that it says offsets some of the negative side effects, including the dreaded moisture problem.

The additive doesn't eliminate ethanol in gasoline, but it displaces water and keeps ethanol from gumming up an engine's fuel system, according to Wesenberg.

There are other fuel additives that displace water and keep gasoline fresh in storage, but Briggs says it's the first engine maker to develop its own formula that does those things and more. After a gradual introduction, the additive is now available at thousands of locations where outdoor power equipment with Briggs & Stratton engines is sold, including Home Depot and Walmart. A container that treats up to 40 gallons of gas sells for about $7.