[CarrotAndStick]

I’m not sure if ethanol (ethyl alcohol) does any damage to metal directly, but secondary damage from debris created by the reaction of ethanol with plastic and rubber components of the car, is most likely the culprit.

Automobile technology has had the advantage of decades of research to perfect the systems necessary for standard petrol / gasoline. Ethanol is relatively very new, as an automobile fuel.

[STONEWALLS]

....WOW....thanks for the heads-up....I haven’t been paying attention to what kind of fuel I’m putting into my chain saws, trimmer ect...I’m starting today to make a change....hope I’n not too late.

[xcamel]

Much more than just ‘small engines’ - PWC’s, Motorcycles, Snow machines (soon), anything 2-stroke, Boat engines, Older cars... It's costing Americans 10’s of millions every day - and the bureaucrats just don't give a rats a$$.

[TexanToTheCore]

Most likely a defective unit. Take it back if it won’t run on currently available gasoline. Possibly he didn’t mix in enough oil with the gas.

“It can’t hurt just this once, can it?”

[norton]

The trick with small motors is to full them only with the fuel you intend to use, then run 'em dry.

More problematic to some of us is that, whatever the crap they pump in So Cal might be, it eats up carburetor bowls as well as gunking up the rest of the system. I have one friend who keeps a carb on one car at a time, if he isn't going to drive it today - it is either dry and on a shelf or on the car he will be using.

[1Old Pro]

It’s costing boaters thousands in damage to their tanks and filters and hoses.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Rick Kitchings, the mechanic in Georgia, said consumers simply should insist on pure gasoline for their small utility engines.

So, how are we supposed to do that now?

Thank you Congress, thank you very much!

[Piquaboy]

I have been using 10% alcohol with gas for years in my weed eater with no problems.

[AlaskaErik]

I’m so glad we don’t have ethanol blends in Alaska!

[VeniVidiVici]

Started recently getting “up to 10%” ethanol here in Orlando. My 1998 Park Avenue went from 27hwy down to 24 on a 160 mile per day commute.

[Cold Heart]

Ethanol Fraud BTTT

[WOBBLY BOB]

non-oxygenated gas and a little Seafoam and your 2 stroke should run a lot better and longer.

[DesScorp]

But hey, lets shovel more corn and plant waste into our tanks.

[mountainlion]

Ethanol is a solvent that absorbs water. It dissolved the carburetor on my ATV. It caused a fuel pump to fail in my truck. It causes horrible gas mileage. A guy on talk radio said he put 2 gallons of e85 with 18 gallons of non alcohol gas and said he got less mileage than he would have gotten on 18 gallons of gas with his 20 gallons of mix.

[Senator_Blutarski]

I restore antique outboard motors as a hobby. I have a made a point of keeping a can of ethanol-free gasoline on hand for the vintage motors.

On the other hand, I routinely run gas with 10% ethanol in my modern outboards, lawn mowers and chain saws without a problem.

I'll also add that I have seen many old outboard that have been unused for 20 to 30 years with rotten gas lines and rubber gaskets. Because they had been unused for so long they had never seen ethanol. The rotten rubber was from old age.

[babygene]

I work on a lot of these engines. Two stroke engines have a problem depending on the oil you use. Your probably better off just to use regular motor oil as a lubricant or avoid ethanol. Also, never let the gas sit in the unit as other’s have said. Myself, I avoid ethanol for 2 strokes...

And never, never put it in your ultralight aircraft.

[Danette]

Our little town is swamped with yard equipment all of a sudden just not working. All the repair shops are packed and the waiting period is up to a month to get fixed.

Our riding mower starting limping quite a bit. Had a mechanic friend fix it. Bottom line is ethanol gas ate at some parts.

We're going to REAL gas now instead of that ethanol crap.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Most modern engines should be ok with ethanol. Manufacturers have made parts resistant for quite a few years now.

It does clean the gunk off things, a dirty fuel system could have ethanol clean all the gunk off the inside and plug things up.

[dennisw]

BTTT

[Cringing Negativism Network]

“Ethanol FUD”!