Any Truth To Claims That 10% Ethanol Gas Causes Engine Problems?

[star_deceiver]

New(er) vehicles, no... 10% ethanol probably won't hurt a car, but if that car already has a minor problem (deteriorating parts) who's to say that it won't make the problem worse.But then again, I'm not a chemist nor have I ever examined ethanol soaked parts vs. clean gas soaked parts under a microscope... Quote, originally posted by bwflorida » or is that just scare tactics to drum up additional business from gullible car owners?Yes!!! If routine maintenace and a bottle of seafoam can't cure a problem, something bigger will need to be replaced!!!

[jake75]

I would prefer to avoid gasoline with any appreciable amount ethanol but I guess the government knows what is best for me and for the agricultural industry. There seems to be a soft spot in the public's heart for "farmers", but as a group they are among the biggest government subsidy recipients in the country. Their lobbying power is second to none.

[06pvibe]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »There seems to be a soft spot in the publics heart for "farmers", but as a group they are among the biggest government subsidy recipients in the country. Their lobbying power is second to none. You must be forgetting: the NRA; major drug companies; insurance companies; and of course the oil industry as a whole. Then there are the military "contractors," NASA, etc, etc, etc.... But to answer your question, BW, I feel its a scam and a way to drum up more business than a real claim based in fact. When did deregulate advertising in this country anyway? Seems anybody can get away with almost any claim they want to make these days w/o fear of being prosecuted.

[vibenvy]

We have gotten gas that is 10% ethanol from a local Citgo gas station for as long as I can remember in numerous cars that we've owned, including our Vibes for the past year and a half, and we've never experienced any problems. As a matter of fact, we have a '94 Pontiac Sunbird LE Sedan 2.0L that has 255,xxx miles on it and still runs like a champ. Needless to say over the past almost 17 years it has been filled with gas from the local Citgo probably thousands of times. Also, my dad's '01 S10 has 247,xxx miles and again, it has been filled up at the local Citgo hundreds, perhaps thousands of times and it still runs great.It sounds to me like it's a scam.

[Cougar Vibe]

Though I'm no fan of ethanol, I'd be more worried about the mystery engine flush. If you really have reservations about 10% ethanol, run a bottle of Techron w/a full tank of gas whenever you do an oil change...it's definitely cheaper than $60.

[hextavo]

Well heres my 2c worth.. I think if you use the car regularly as a weekly driver and are filling it up occasionally there shouldn't be any problems.. However from what I've read a lot about is, when your car sits for a long time that ethanol breaks down, and also can attract a lot of water, and well nobody wants water in their fuel/engine! I',m not a fan by any means, and well my main concern is in my motorcycle, when I'm storing it for the winter! Like always though, uncle sam is probably way involved for probably some monetary reason! Oh and the fuel additive or whatever sounds stupid, I wouldn't do that especially for that much $$!

[jake75]

interesting thread herehttp://www.cadillacforums.com/....html

[dont13link]

The service adviser at the dealership where we bought my fiance's 2010 Corolla said that running e10 ethanol gas would void the warranty for certain repairs. So I'd say there is a difference.

[ponta2147]

Quote, originally posted by dont13link »The service adviser at the dealership where we bought my fiance's 2010 Corolla said that running e10 ethanol gas would void the warranty for certain repairs. So I'd say there is a difference.Wow, really? Because I don't know a single place here where I live that *doesn't* sell E10!

[dont13link]

Here in Oklahoma it's about 50/50 who has it and who doesn't. I had a nice conversation with him about it, and since ethanol is a alcohol, and alcohols dry out rubber, that it'll ruin the gaskets and the the charcoal evap canister, and since the owner's manual says to not use gas with any ethanol in it period, the warranty won't cover stuff like fuel lines or O2 sensors if there's signs of ethanol gas being used.All my mechanic buddies are of the same opinion as well.

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by dont13link »The service adviser at the dealership where we bought my fiance's 2010 Corolla said that running e10 ethanol gas would void the warranty for certain repairs. So I'd say there is a difference.I tried to find a 2010 Corolla Owner's manual online but was not able to. I just do not believe that there is any such warranty exclusion if you run E-10. I cannot find anything in my Vibe manual about that.

[jake75]

As I suspected, this is what the owner manual says."This vehicle was not designed for fuel that contains methanol. Do not use fuel that contains methanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuel system and also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage would not be covered under the vehicle warranty."Methanol is also known as wood alcohol and it causes blindness if not death if you drink it. I suppose ethanol can cause eye sight problems as well - some say the girls look prettier after an ample partaking of ethanol. I wouldn't know. Methanol is commonly used as a windshield deicer and carries a skull and crossbones poison warning.Jim Beam contains ethanol and has some warnings but not the skull and crossbones poison warning.Use of top tier detergent gasoline is recommended though use of non-top tier gasoline will not void the warranty. There is a website that tells you what gas brands are top tier. Shell is one - I try to avoid non-top tier gasoline. But when my Giant Eagle gas rewards card is over $1 a gallon sometimes I weaken.

[micbarric]

Quote, originally posted by bwflorida »Some auto repair advertiser on a local radio station here in Central Florida promotes an engine flush service by claiming that they see numerous engine problems caused by 10% ethanol gas...The problem here in Central Florida is that some stations have been caught selling gas with far more than 10% ethanol:http://www.wftv.com/action9/26876113/detail.html"We reviewed state inspection records and found in just the last few months, 8 local stations were cited for high ethanol content. One station was pumping more than 18 percent ethanol. The state found a Lake County gas station selling 25 percent ethanol."

[Mark]

I had always assumed that the lower mileage I see in winter was due to "winter blend" gas, but I called the local refinery here and all they sell to retailers is 10% ethanol unleaded gas. There is no "winter blend" or other additive, just 10% year round. So the poor mileage is more likely just due to the colder engine being less efficient, and with my wife's four mile commute each way it never really warms up. Plus her driving technique, which consists of sticking her foot in it and holding it there till the engine catches up.

[frankiemenz]

It's hard to find Gas around here without 10% ethanol. I heard that there is a proposal for E15 for 2001 and newer cars, I heard auto makers are against it so they must not be comfortable with much higher than E10. I have a 1992 Celica GT convertible I store every winter and it's pretty full when I store it. I havn't had any problems with fuel leaks or engine breakdowns with the E10 running through that car either, it has 80000 miles.

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[Mark]

Quote, originally posted by frankiemenz »It's hard to find Gas around here without 10% ethanol. I heard that there is a proposal for E15 for 2001 and newer cars, I heard auto makers are against it so they must not be comfortable with much higher than E10. I have a 1992 Celica GT convertible I store every winter and it's pretty full when I store it. I havn't had any problems with fuel leaks or engine breakdowns with the E10 running through that car either, it has 80000 miles. In Denver and I assume some other markets they add, or at least they used to add, MTBE to increase oxygen in the gasoline. Not sure if they still do or not.

[jake75]

I thought I read where MTB is no longer used.

[jake75]

Little hope of this passing but -Ethanol subsidy elimination bill introduced in Senate Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) introduced legislation in the Senate Wednesday that would repeal the tax credit for ethanol blenders.The bill would repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), which gives 45 cents per gallon to ethanol blenders. “The ethanol tax credit is largely unneeded today to ensure demand for domestic ethanol production,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report issued last week.In the report, the GAO estimated that the VEETC’s annual cost in forgone revenues could rise from $5.4 billion in 2010 to $6.75 billion in 2015, when the fuel standard will require 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels.“The ethanol tax credit is bad economic policy, bad energy policy and bad environmental policy. The $6 billion we waste every year on corporate welfare should instead stay in taxpayers’ pockets where it can be used to spur innovation, stimulate growth and create jobs. I’m hopeful my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will take a stand against business-as-usual special interest giveaways and eliminate this wasteful and harmful subsidy,” Coburn said in a statement.“As our economy begins to grow again, we need to bring our budget under control through a combination of smart cuts and smart investments. Cutting yet another subsidy to big oil that is making big profits is smart policy. Rather than underwriting ethanol subsidies that are causing food prices to skyrocket, we should be supporting American innovation in more sustainable alternative fuels the results of which will help create jobs, lower energy costs and strengthen our national security,” Cardin said in a statement.