Ethanol added to gas is it bad

I copied this article, it is long

Why An Expansion Of The Ethanol Scam May Ruin Your Lawnmower (and Your Weedwhacker, and Your Snowmobile, and Your Boat…)
By Harry Wertheimer, ET guest columnist and Robert Bryce, ET managing editor
Posted on Jul. 15, 2010

Why An Expansion Of The Ethanol Scam May Ruin Your Lawnmower

An increase in the amount of ethanol in your gasoline won’t hurt your lawnmower…if it’s a push-reel. Otherwise be prepared for big repair bills.

While that sounds alarmist, the threat is real. This fall, the Obama administration will, through the EPA, likely approve a change in federal regulations that will allow gasoline retailers to increase the “blend rate.”

The blend rate refers to the federal rule that limits ethanol blends to no more than 10% for standard automobiles. Commonly known as “E10,” the fuel contains 90% gasoline and 10% alcohol. But recent comments from the Obama administration indicate that the EPA will provide a bailout to the corn ethanol industry, which will likely allow retailers to blend up to 15% ethanol into U.S. gasoline supplies.

The U.S. now has about 250 million motor vehicles. Of that number, only about 7.5 million are designed to burn gasoline containing more than 10% ethanol. And there is evidence that even that even 10% ethanol may be too much for the other 242.5 million. Last year, Toyota recalled more than 200,00 Lexus vehicles because of internal component corrosion that was caused by ethanol-blended fuel.

In addition to problems with their cars, consumers may soon find that more ethanol in their gasoline will result in the fouling of smaller engines. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, which represents companies that make lawnmowers, snowblowers, chainsaws and the like, opposes the bailout of the ethanol industry. It says that increasing the amount of ethanol in gasoline “could damage millions of forestry, lawn and garden, and other small engine products currently housed in consumers’ garages.”

The danger posed by ethanol-blended gasoline comes from the change in the fuel’s chemistry. Ethanol contains oxygen in its chemistry. Gasoline does not. Therefore when you use fuel with ethanol blended in, your engine will experience a leaner (higher oxygen content) mixture than if you burned pure gasoline. Modern autos are an exception. More on that in a minute.

Why should you care? Some of us remember when you had to fuss with the carburetor idle mixture screw to get your car to idle properly. The idea was to get the mixture neither too fuel rich, causing smoking exhaust, nor too lean, leading to rough idling or loping. Most gasoline-engine-powered equipment such as lawn mowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers, and similar machines still use carburetors. If your mower was built more than a few years ago, it was likely adjusted for pure gasoline (E0). Still, if it runs rough because your fuel now contains 10% ethanol (E10), you, or a repair shop, can probably adjust it to run acceptably.

Most gasoline engines run rich (excess fuel or reduced oxygen) when they are at full power (wide open throttle). This limits the peak temperatures of combustion and thus protects the (typically aluminum) pistons from overheating. If the air/fuel mixture goes leaner at full throttle, temperatures will rise. This is exactly what happens when fuel blended with ethanol is used. The more ethanol, the more oxygen and the hotter the combustion temperature. Is this the end of your worries with using ethanol bearing fuel in small gas engines? Not at all.

Ethanol has a strong affinity for water. If your engine’s fuel system is vented to the atmosphere, which is almost universal in gas engine powered machinery and boats, water can and will accumulate in the fuel tank. When the machine is cranked up after off-season storage, this water and related sludge may well make starting difficult or impossible. Further, older equipment can have fuel lines that are corroded by ethanol. For example, clear fuel lines help users see if fuel is flowing, but the manufacturer of Tygothane® clear states that the lines are “Not compatible with greater than 10% ethanol fuel.”

Anecdotal evidence shows that ethanol-blended fuel is already causing problems with outdoor power equipment. Discussions with small-engine repair shops show that ethanol-blended gasoline is causing problems. Steve Goodwin of the YardPro small engine repair shop near Clemson, SC and Richard Knox of Top Notch Marine of Seneca, SC both said that fuel system repairs have increased significantly since ethanol was made mandatory in most motor fuel. Goodwin has noted a 30% increase in carburetor gumming, starting about 3 years ago.

The bottom line is that 10% ethanol has caused a myriad of problems in boats, lawn and garden equipment, chain saws, and virtually all gas engine machines except modern automobiles. Increasing the amount of ethanol to 15% would be a real disaster for owners of such machines.

So how is it that modern cars are able to burn E10? There are three factors. First, since as far back as 1985, cars have been using oxygen sensor-controlled, feedback-adjusted fuel metering systems. In these vehicles, the mixture is maintained near stoichiometry (chemically correct) through sensing of excess oxygen or lack of it in the exhaust gas. Thus, the lean out effect of moderate amounts of ethanol can be compensated. Second, to prevent fuel vapor loss to the environment, all modern light vehicles use a vapor trapping system that also serves to prevent moisture entry to the fuel tank. Finally, the car manufacturers were aware of the planned use of ethanol and specified fuel system materials that could tolerate the corrosive effect of alcohol.

Here’s the punch line: The corn ethanol industry has used taxpayer subsidies to create capacity in excess of that required to put 10% ethanol in all of our gasoline. Now they are pushing for 15%. In other words, an excess of subsidies led the industry to build too many distilleries. Now the corn ethanol scammers have too much capacity. And the only solution for this excessive use of subsidies is, yes, more subsidies.

And the ethanol scammers’ plea for yet more subsidies is coming just as the Congressional Budget Office has determined that for each gallon of conventional gasoline that is displaced by corn ethanol, taxpayers are shelling out $1.78. Put another way, a barrel of crude oil on the spot market now costs $77. Using the CBO’s latest figures, replacing a barrel of gasoline with ethanol costs $74.76. And yet ethanol industry officials continue making bogus claims that they are saving money for taxpayers.

It’s time to put an end to the ethanol scam, the longest running robbery of taxpayers in US history. And Congress should do so before the scam is allowed to damage or ruin more lawnmowers, boats, and other equipment.

Harry Wertheimer, a retired automotive engineer, lives in Salem, South Carolina.

 

that sounds like a VERY thorough explanation.But....

I come from a science background and always look for references to any and all claims made.

Could you please provide some?

 

They've been pushing 15% corn flakes in stations around here for a couple of years now.

E10 is the *lowest* ethanol content you can get in this area.

 

Ethanol in gasoline is BAD.

My dad's boat's motor/carb is fried (305 v8 or something like that, 1972 chris craft) because of the ethanol in the gasoline.

I have heard a couple similar stories.....but this is firsthand. He knows what he's doing with boats too, this is not something that could be chalked up to user error/neglect.

 

I believe this is my first post here even tough because I dont have a Ferrari and I dont think I can add much to you guys, but at the same time I am happy to read and enjoy the high quality post from this forum.

Lets get back to the ethanol issue, I am from Brazil and I currently work at the auto import industry importing cars from China and some exclusive cars from USA and I beliebe I can help on this issue with my experience.

Here in Brazil by law the gasoline has 15 to 25% of ethanol from sugar cane, and this is since we started the ethanol program having cars running 100% on ethanol and now a days most of the cars manufcatured here can work on both fuels, gasoline or ethanol on any proportion, they are called the flex fuel vehicles.

The imported cars I bring from China and USA are not prepared to receive the ethanol like the brazilian made cars, because they do not have the corrosion treatment needed for all the water the ethanol creates from his combustion, this creates big problems on all metals parts such as fuel pipe lines that are not vinyl made, fuel pumps, muflers and so on...

The ECU has no problem ajusting itself to the new fuel mix after couple miles, evn tough on the two ferraris I imported I had to had a scanner to go through and make sure that is no erro on the ECU left.

All this cars run in Brazil using high premium gasoline that costs 2 dolars the liter but has a better quality and less ethanol.

Here in Brazil we are pretty ahead on the use of ethanol, but still there are some issues that need to be solved before it became a resanable replacement to the gasoline.

Once that said, yes, if the car is not prepared and treated to use ethanol, the water that comes from it will cause many problems to the system. These are problems that will only show on the long term...

I hope I helped and I am happy to colaborate alittle to the FCHAT!

 

your mileage will be considerably less than with all petroleum gasoline. and that mileage decrease is directly correlated to the percentage of ethanol.

last year i drove the 512tr from geneva to london. first tank of gas from switzerland, no ethanol allowed here, got me 20mpg (yes i was not driving more than 160kph because the speed nazis in france will fine the bejeezus out of you). second tank of gas bought at total station in the middle of farmland somewhere between dijon and reims (and thus 8.5pct or so of ethanol, this year it is 10% by volume) got me 16mpg. same driving pattern.
this was a very good test since it was almost precisely the same for both runs, so like a controlled experiment.

 

Gianzp...

Bem Vindo a Ferrari-Chat.......!!!!

Nois tem muito Brasilieros aqui.......por examplo, eu som um "gringo" casada com um Carioca.

Lots of threads here about how bad ethanol is for modern cars that do not have Viton fittings in the fuel system or special lines, etc.......build the car correctly and it is fine......they've ran alcohol and now ethanol in Brasil for along time....along with gas of course. Lot's of cars with the badge "FLEX" on the back down there........which means dual fuel capable.

 

Hey good to hear that you know Brazil and even got married with a brazilian!!

Yes, if the car is prepared to use the ethanol it will have no problems at all, these two ferraris that I imported to my clients-friends I am able to follow closelly and no problem so far... Anyway, they dont use them alot...(shame)...

 

I've also heard boats gas tanks having problems. The ethanol literally eating them away.

 

Ethanol itself is hygroscopic, so expect the corrosion issues you have with old brake fluid.

I'd imagine this would be even more of an issue with cars that don't get all that much use, particularly if located in humid climates, as the fuel in the tank absorbs water.

(Brazilian "flex fuel" vehicles are rated for use of hydrous ethanol (about 95% ethanol and 5% water), according to Wiki.)

Not to mention full cycle energy budget differences between making ethanol from sugar cane and making ethanol from corn.

 

The increase in ethanol won't affect me any. In fact, it's welcome. I don't much like the reason why we're getting the increase though false claims, however.

I'm currently injecting methanol into my fuel rail after converting the washer fluid bottle to be the resevoir, leaving the low level sensor intact to send the signal to my engine management system to adjust tune.

It's nice to be able to pull up to an E85 pump and watch people stare or try to warn me that is for Flex Fuel vehicles only. I just smile and say I know, my computer knows what to do.

 

Probably not good for classic cars either. Between ethanol and lack of Zinc in motor oils the old rides are fooked.

 

i fill up with real gas every third tank.

 

Well known, very old news. I wonder why it's a recent article.

It's even worse in the US as (generally) the cost to produce the ethanol is higher than the benefit received, so everyone is both directly (legislative tax subsidy) and indirectly (actually more costly to produce than straight gas) subsidizing the corn farmers.