# Ethanol Corrosion **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939 "2008-11-11T01:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GoodSon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@GoodSon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GoodSon)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/1 "2008-11-11T01:00:47Z")
I think my 83 year old mother has been ripped off. She took her mid '90s Monte Carlo in for an oil change and they talked her into a $700 fix for to the fuel system. They told her that the 10% ethanol blended gas had corroded the fuel line. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/2 "2008-11-11T01:18:15Z")
Well, there’s nothing saying that she didn’t have corroded fuel lines, but the idea that it was from E10 is pretty much impossible. What was the “fix”, dare I ask? It really does sound like she got taken. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/3 "2008-11-11T01:26:13Z")
E10 isn’t going to cause corrosion in the fuel line. If however, she’s been using E85 by mistake, well, that’s a different story. Tester ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/4 "2008-11-11T01:31:36Z")
I’m skeptical, too. I have a 1998 Regal and haven’t has such problems. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/5 "2008-11-11T03:35:51Z")
Sounds like some bottom-feeder mechanics. Are you in the same area? I’d go after the manager, and, if it’s a chain, report it to corporate. Maybe call some tv stations! Any way you could take over the car care? If I’m not being clear: Until PROVEN otherwise, I think your mother was the victim of a crime, one that many oil change places commit, and some have been caught at in southern California. Was this a quicky change place? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/6 "2008-11-11T03:49:21Z")
Was the corrosion external, caused by road salt?? Was the fuel line leaking? Replacing it is more like $200, tops. What, exactly, did they do for $700?? ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/7 "2008-11-11T04:23:31Z")
Hech! Why fool around? Call the police and report it. They have investigators for this kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![GoodSon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@GoodSon](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GoodSon)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/8 "2008-11-11T14:23:55Z")
Thanks for everyone’s input. You’re all saying what I expected. I’ll get the invoice from her and follow up. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/9 "2008-11-11T14:52:58Z")
Yep. C&C deal with a similar situation here: > **[Dear Car Talk](https://www.cartalk.com/blogs/dear-car-talk)** > > Twice a week, Car Talk answers your questions in their nationally syndicated newspaper column. Carried by over 300 papers around the country, this award-winning column is available online only via the Car Talk web site. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-corrosion/21939/10 "2008-11-11T14:55:28Z")
Not where I live. The police will do NOTHING. It’s a civil matter. The attorney general may help…but the local police…no way.