New E15 Gasoline May Damage Vehicles and Cause Consumer Confusion

PR Newswire - Yahoo ^ | 11/30/12 | PR Newswire

[NormsRevenge]

AAA research reveals need for regulators and industry to suspend E15 sales to protect motorists

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A recent survey by AAA finds a strong likelihood of consumer confusion and the potential for voided warranties and vehicle damage as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent approval of E15 gasoline. An overwhelming 95 percent of consumers surveyed have not heard of E15, a newly approved gasoline blend that contains up to 15 percent ethanol. ...

Only about 12 million out of the more than 240 million light-duty vehicles on the roads today are approved by manufacturers to use E15 gasoline, based on a survey conducted by AAA of auto manufacturers. ...

... said AAA President & CEO Robert Darbelnet. "Bringing E15 to the market without adequate safeguards does not responsibly meet the needs of consumers."

Unsuspecting consumers using E15 could end up with engine problems that might not be covered by their vehicles' warranties. Five manufacturers (BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen) are on record saying their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by the use of E15. Seven additional automakers (Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo) have stated that the use of E15 does not comply with the fuel requirements specified in their owner's manuals and may void warranty coverage.

The only vehicles currently approved by automakers to use E15 are flex-fuel models, 2001 model-year and newer Porsches, 2012 model-year and newer GM vehicles and 2013 model-year Ford vehicles. These approvals extend only to cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles (SUVs). The use of E15 is expressly prohibited in heavy-duty vehicles, boats, motorcycles, power equipment, lawn mowers and off-road vehicles.

[BenLurkin]

I trust AAA a lot more than I trust the EPA.

[TurboZamboni]

How many engineers with engineering degrees do you suppose work at EPA?

my bet is next to none.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is just another version of "Cash for Clunkheads."

Just like CFC, the goal is to destroy as many perfectly serviceable used vehicles as possible and force people to bury themselves in debt to buy new vehicles from Government Motors.

[matt04]

Damn EPA. How about getting out of the way and letting the consumers and auto makers decide what kinds of fuel consumers want.

Up until a year or so ago one gas satiation in my area sold ethanol free gas. Always used that for lawnmowers, etc.

[CrazyIvan]

A friend of mine runs the local Chrysler store. After drive-ability problems with several cars he bought a kit to test actual gas/alcohol ratio. He found that a lot of the fuel has way more alcohol than advertised.

[ILS21R]

Flex-Fool

[NormsRevenge]

anything the EPA or CARB approves of is ‘suspect’ in my book.

many Californians remember MTBE and that fiasco.. and formulated boutique fuel requirements is an ongoing joke out here with built-in price gouging..

Corn based Ethanol , maybe it’s why so many move North, corn smell and all. who knows?

This nation is doomed to governance as a labful of guinea pigs of one sort or another.

[I want the USA back]

10% Ethanol was a dump stupid crappy idea. So, true to form, the liberals strengthen a stupid, non-working law and make it worse.

[GreyFriar]

Yep, another way to destroy the engines of any pre-2011 car so that we all have to buy new cars that we can’t aford. Also to raise the cost of used cars by destroying those that could have been traded in. And the UAW will have its jobs, unles we buy from non-unionized car companies.

[I_Publius]

Will this affect diesel engines?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Gotta gethca some E-Zorb. It will address the moisture problem with ethanol in gasoline.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Gotta gethca some E-Zorb. It will address the moisture problem with ethanol in gasoline. Amazon has it.

[Mr. Lucky]

Does a degree in social engineering count?

[oh8eleven]

New E15 Gasoline May Damage Vehicles and Cause Consumer Confusion
Shouldn't that read - New E15 Gasoline May Cause Consumer Confusion and Damage Vehicles.

[Bringbackthedraft]

When in Europe the past couple of years, the Avis people there just about begged us not to use E-10 in the rebtal vehicles. Now that i see it shouldn’t be used in the lawnmower, I think I know now why my weed whacker gas lines disintegrated.

[gotribe]

obama wants to destroy cars, just like he wants to destroy the weak with obamacare and the middle class with taxes.

Everything he does destroys something.

[I_Publius]

all part of their plan. break us down and build us into what they want, which is a third world country.

[moose07]

E diesel is a blend of standard No. 2 diesel fuel containing up to 15% ethanol and a proprietary additive to maintain blend stability and certain fuel properties, which may comprise from 0.2% to 5.0% of the blend. Currently, E diesel fuels are considered experimental and can be used legally in off-road applications. Special permission must be obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for on-road use.
Tests have shown that E diesel blends may reduce certain components of exhaust emissions compared to regular No. 2 diesel, especially particulate matter. The ethanol in E diesel blends is also a domestic renewable resource. The use of greater volumes of ethanol reduces crude oil imports and results in lower contributions to greenhouse gases.
E diesel is made by splash blending of conventional diesel, fuel-grade ethanol, and additives. No special mixing protocol or temperature control is required.
Link

[SoothingDave]

I wouldn’t advise putting any type of gasoline in a diesel engine.