Harms Car Fuel System
It depends on the year of the vehicle.
Tester
And the percentage…
I clicked “post” too quick. A local TV station did a “consumer report” a day ago and this was the topic. They interviewed several mechanics who did fuel line replacements on cars with steel fuel lines due to rust in the lines. The report’s theory is that ethenol adsorbs water easly and this, over time, rusts components of the fuel system. The cars listed ranged from 1995 to 2002. The implication was the older the car, the greater the rust problem. I’m cocerned because my cars are 1996 and 1999 and I wonder if I have $$$$ problems waiting in the wings. Oldmotorist
Well, you might have a problem, but not much you can do, just about all gas now is E10.
My business runs a fleet of vehicles, mostly full size vans, but a mixture of smaller vehicles also. We have been running on 10% ethanol for years now putting on up to 300k miles before retiring them. We have seen almost no fuel related problems since we started. I can’t speak for a 15% blend however.
Ethanol is not the problem…It’s water that has collected in your fuel system that’s the problem…
If you think the automotive world has fuel problems, the Marine industry was nearly overwhelmed by E-10. Since most boats usually have some water in their fuel tanks for whatever reason, when the E-10 moved that water from the bottom of their fuel tanks into their carburetors and fuel injectors it left many, many boats stranded…
Boat and truck story. I have a SeaDoo Challanger, it has the Mercury 240 HP outboards system with a jet drive on it. Oil injected etc… The oil injection warning lamp and buzzer started to come on, I immediately took it to the Marine specialist and dropped it off to have it examined before I blow a power head. I called to check on my boat and the guy said, you need to come over here. When I arrived he stated my oil injection unit was in perfect working order and all was good with the power head. He then lift up a mason jar that looked like salad dressing oil/vinegar in it. He explained that it was the ethanol that was causing the lamp to come on. $300 dollars later I recieved a battery (my request) 2 hours diag, 2 fuel filters and a BellRay additive along with the statement, “We do not handle bad fuel here so you need to empty that out some place” I pumped out the tank over 30 gallons, when I finished with the gas caddy I pumped it straight into my Toyota pickup then another friend filled his Dodge Dakota. No issues. I have noticed that I recieve less MPG when the Ethanol was placed into the fuel, but when I use high test my mileage increases by almost 5%.
Thanks everyone. I guess I’ll just wait until something happens, then it will be good bye old hoss.It hasn’t been covered by our local TV cosumer guru yet but I’ll be interested to see how local gas stations will deal with E15. I don’t think that most will put a special E15 pump in. I see this as a bonanza for lawyers.
Old Motorist