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E15 Gasoline
Just received this today.
Now, according to a new study, cars and truck may face the same fate thanks to President Obama's demand for a higher ethanol in the new E15 gas.
The fuel industry's American Petroleum Institute tested the 15 percent ethanol gas approved in 2010 and found it gums up fuel systems, prompts "check engine" lights to come on, and messes with fuel gauge readings.
"Failure of these components could result in breakdowns that leave consumers stranded on busy roads and highways," said the industry report. Worse: API said the fuel problems--not found in E5 or E10 blends--aren't always covered by auto warranties.
The industry prefers pure fuel to an ethanol mix, but the report isn't likely to slow the administrations green push, according to a Washington auto lobbyist.
The key points from the API report are below:
The additional E15 testing, completed this month, has identified an elevated incidence of fuel pump failures, fuel system component swelling, and impairment of fuel measurement systems in some of the vehicles tested. E15 could cause erratic and misleading fuel gauge readings or cause faulty check engine light illuminations. It also could cause critical components to break and stop fuel flow to the engine. Failure of these components could result in breakdowns that leave consumers stranded on busy roads and highways. Fuel system component problems did not develop in the CRC tests when either E10 or E0 was used. It is difficult to precisely calculate how many vehicles E15 could harm. That depends on how widely it is used and other factors. But, given the kinds of vehicles tested, it is safe to say that millions could be impacted.
In 2010 and 2011, EPA gave the green light to use E15 - the 15 percent ethanol gasoline blend - in model-year-2001-and-later cars and some other vehicles. EPA's action was irresponsible. EPA knew E15 vehicle testing was ongoing but decided not to wait for the results. Why did EPA move forward prematurely? Part of the answer may be the need to raise the permissible concentration level of ethanol so that greater volumes could be used, as required by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Most gasoline sold today is an E10 blend, but rising volume requirements under the law can't be met much longer without going to higher blends. When Congress passed the law, it could not know it was creating this problem. Today we know. The answer is to repeal the RFS before it puts millions of vehicles and many motorists at risk.
Assuming you were running straight gasoline and were then forced to switch to E10 (gasoline cut 10 percent with ethanol), your mileage will drop. The big question is by how much. The Environmental Protection Agency says E10 lowers mileage approximately 3 percent, which would drop your mileage from 19.6 to 19.0 mpg. Instead you're citing a drop between 10.2 and 15.9 percent, which, while similar to some E10-induced losses we've heard of, does seem large. We typically hear of mileage drops in the 6- to nearly 10-percent range, but then, folks experiencing a 3- to 5-percent drop probably aren't fired up enough to write us.
Our opinion is your mileage drop is largely due to the lower energy content in ethanol (it's about two-thirds that of gasoline) Besides reduced mileage, ethanol aggressively attracts water, which leads to poor driveability and other issues. Ethanol is also corrosive to some metals and rubber, and while an oft-cited issue in the ethanol debate
Cutting gasoline with ethanol is said to reduce gasoline consumption for a reduction in greenhouse gases and lessen dependence on imported oil, plus ethanol is considered a renewable resource. But even if true, the argument that ethanol saves gasoline is a tough sell when consumers see their fuel mileage drop, and the debate continues on how much water and energy it takes to produce ethanol in the U.S., so it is unclear whether ethanol is energy positive, or even neutral.
Ethanol Yields Lousy and Expensive Gas Mileage:
Ethanol is certainly no bargain. Although it typically sells for less than gasoline, a gallon of ethanol yields only 67% of its net energy, meaning about one-third fewer miles per gallon. On that basis, it has never been competitively priced.
According to a study prepared by FarmEcon, ethanol E10 already added about $14.5 billion in automotive fuel costs during 2011 due to higher energy costs and negative effect on fuel mileage. This amounted to about 10 cents more for each gallon of U.S. gasoline. Ethanol tax credits (since discontinued), added another 4 cents/gallon.
The Alcohol Wrecks Small Engines:
Using ethanol blends in 2-stroke engines such as mowers and chainsaws results in a low octane mix (lean fuel) which can destroy them. Referring to E10 ethanol, Rich Herder, owner of a lawnmower repair business in Westfield, New Jersey, reported to Popular Mechanics that “It’s the biggest disaster to hit gasoline in my lifetime.” He estimates that as much as 75% of his repair work results from use of the blend.
Ethanol Plays Havoc with Boat Engines and Fiberglass Gas Tanks:
Ethanol tends to dissolve and release corrosive matter (gunk) such as resins, varnish and rust which contaminates fuel and travels through marine engines to clog filters, carburetor jets and injectors. Since boats live in a water environment, and ethanol (alcohol) loves to absorb water, use of ethanol above E10 invalidates all marine warranties.
A particularly troublesome issue for boat and fishing enthusiasts is ethanol decomposition of fiberglass gas tanks. The usual fix involves tank replacement, often a costly and time-consuming project, although lining or sealing a tank is sometimes possible for added protection.
E15 Gasoline
This week's warm Washington temperatures had some thinking about rolling the Lawn-Boy out of the garage for the first cut of the year. And we all know what that means: Difficult starts due to E10 gas that gels when it sits.Now, according to a new study, cars and truck may face the same fate thanks to President Obama's demand for a higher ethanol in the new E15 gas.
The fuel industry's American Petroleum Institute tested the 15 percent ethanol gas approved in 2010 and found it gums up fuel systems, prompts "check engine" lights to come on, and messes with fuel gauge readings.
"Failure of these components could result in breakdowns that leave consumers stranded on busy roads and highways," said the industry report. Worse: API said the fuel problems--not found in E5 or E10 blends--aren't always covered by auto warranties.
The industry prefers pure fuel to an ethanol mix, but the report isn't likely to slow the administrations green push, according to a Washington auto lobbyist.
The key points from the API report are below:
The additional E15 testing, completed this month, has identified an elevated incidence of fuel pump failures, fuel system component swelling, and impairment of fuel measurement systems in some of the vehicles tested. E15 could cause erratic and misleading fuel gauge readings or cause faulty check engine light illuminations. It also could cause critical components to break and stop fuel flow to the engine. Failure of these components could result in breakdowns that leave consumers stranded on busy roads and highways. Fuel system component problems did not develop in the CRC tests when either E10 or E0 was used. It is difficult to precisely calculate how many vehicles E15 could harm. That depends on how widely it is used and other factors. But, given the kinds of vehicles tested, it is safe to say that millions could be impacted.
In 2010 and 2011, EPA gave the green light to use E15 - the 15 percent ethanol gasoline blend - in model-year-2001-and-later cars and some other vehicles. EPA's action was irresponsible. EPA knew E15 vehicle testing was ongoing but decided not to wait for the results. Why did EPA move forward prematurely? Part of the answer may be the need to raise the permissible concentration level of ethanol so that greater volumes could be used, as required by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Most gasoline sold today is an E10 blend, but rising volume requirements under the law can't be met much longer without going to higher blends. When Congress passed the law, it could not know it was creating this problem. Today we know. The answer is to repeal the RFS before it puts millions of vehicles and many motorists at risk.
Assuming you were running straight gasoline and were then forced to switch to E10 (gasoline cut 10 percent with ethanol), your mileage will drop. The big question is by how much. The Environmental Protection Agency says E10 lowers mileage approximately 3 percent, which would drop your mileage from 19.6 to 19.0 mpg. Instead you're citing a drop between 10.2 and 15.9 percent, which, while similar to some E10-induced losses we've heard of, does seem large. We typically hear of mileage drops in the 6- to nearly 10-percent range, but then, folks experiencing a 3- to 5-percent drop probably aren't fired up enough to write us.
Our opinion is your mileage drop is largely due to the lower energy content in ethanol (it's about two-thirds that of gasoline) Besides reduced mileage, ethanol aggressively attracts water, which leads to poor driveability and other issues. Ethanol is also corrosive to some metals and rubber, and while an oft-cited issue in the ethanol debate
Cutting gasoline with ethanol is said to reduce gasoline consumption for a reduction in greenhouse gases and lessen dependence on imported oil, plus ethanol is considered a renewable resource. But even if true, the argument that ethanol saves gasoline is a tough sell when consumers see their fuel mileage drop, and the debate continues on how much water and energy it takes to produce ethanol in the U.S., so it is unclear whether ethanol is energy positive, or even neutral.
Ethanol is certainly no bargain. Although it typically sells for less than gasoline, a gallon of ethanol yields only 67% of its net energy, meaning about one-third fewer miles per gallon. On that basis, it has never been competitively priced.
According to a study prepared by FarmEcon, ethanol E10 already added about $14.5 billion in automotive fuel costs during 2011 due to higher energy costs and negative effect on fuel mileage. This amounted to about 10 cents more for each gallon of U.S. gasoline. Ethanol tax credits (since discontinued), added another 4 cents/gallon.
The Alcohol Wrecks Small Engines:
Using ethanol blends in 2-stroke engines such as mowers and chainsaws results in a low octane mix (lean fuel) which can destroy them. Referring to E10 ethanol, Rich Herder, owner of a lawnmower repair business in Westfield, New Jersey, reported to Popular Mechanics that “It’s the biggest disaster to hit gasoline in my lifetime.” He estimates that as much as 75% of his repair work results from use of the blend.
Ethanol Plays Havoc with Boat Engines and Fiberglass Gas Tanks:
Ethanol tends to dissolve and release corrosive matter (gunk) such as resins, varnish and rust which contaminates fuel and travels through marine engines to clog filters, carburetor jets and injectors. Since boats live in a water environment, and ethanol (alcohol) loves to absorb water, use of ethanol above E10 invalidates all marine warranties.
A particularly troublesome issue for boat and fishing enthusiasts is ethanol decomposition of fiberglass gas tanks. The usual fix involves tank replacement, often a costly and time-consuming project, although lining or sealing a tank is sometimes possible for added protection.
:cry_smile::cry_smile::cry_smile:
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