Ethanol and E-15

[bladerunner]

I have been reading a lot about the new EPA approved gas mixture with 15% ethanol. Pumps will be labeled to not use this gas in vehicles older than 2001. Here is one article about it:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/12/04/will-e15-fuel-damage-your-car/

I guess some folks are concerned that we will pave the way for this to be the only fuel option in the near future and will thus will a huge hindrance for those of us who drive older vehicles. I for one only own 1 car made after 2001, and my wife drives it.

What are the future implications of E-15? I would like to think E-15 will only be available in isolated areas. I know in Maine a lot of good folk drive older cars as it is all they can afford.

[bake74]

     I assume that it will not go past a few months of being pushed, just like last time they tried to push ethanol use. 
     The biggest problem right now is it is not profitable for them.

[yellow76]

The biggest problem with Ethanol that I see is the fact that most of it comes from corn. As soon as they started pushing for more Ethanol use the price of corn took a big jump. This just kills the farmers profit margin and they in turn pass thoses increased costs on to us consumers.

Someplace I have a letter from the EPA about how it is illeagal to convert and older vehicle over to run on Alcohol or Ethanol.

They force feed us this 10% blend here in OR. every winter and call it a "Winter Blend". It always raises the price of fuel up a bit. It picks up water like a sponge.

[bladerunner]

Never heard that it was illegal to convert older cars to run ethanol, in fact I feel I have read folks doing that. But maybe I am thinking of folks converting per-1980s fuel systems to take E-10 gas, not E-85.

In Maine, the 10% blend is all you can get. I run my 85 K10 on it with no issues, but again, I feel it was in the 80s they started using the newer gas tanks that were designed to handle ethanol.

[81_Chevy]

i run E10 in my truck because its cheaper than straight gasoline down the block, the most i have ever ran was E35, not a smart choice lol

[Captkaos]

The rubber hoses and diaphrams/gaskets of pre 2001 vehicles are not compatible with alcohol, it will degrade them make them brittle and crack.  Effectively putting it out of commission.  The E10 just does it slower, so there will be less of an outcry.  I don't see it lasting into the distant future though...  could be wrong.    All the local gas stations near me no longer sell straight gas...

[bladerunner]

I don't see it lasting into the distant future though...  could be wrong.

You don't see the ethanol fuel lasting?

[78 Chevyrado]

i run E10 in my truck because its cheaper than straight gasoline down the block, the most i have ever ran was E35, not a smart choice lol

I run e10 because the gasoline nazis made it the only thing available to me.

Hopefully this summer ill have a newer ls engine and trans in my truck and it wont matter anymore.

Before my problem was money.  Now i got plenty of money, times my problem...


I equate e10 or anything above e10. Like the bartender in old western movies, who poured u a shot of whiskey and then poured a shot of water back in the whiskey bottle when noones looking.

[Captkaos]

Yes, I don't see it lasting, but like I said I could be wrong.

You don't see the ethanol fuel lasting?

[bladerunner]

Yes, I don't see it lasting, but like I said I could be wrong.

You don't see the ethanol fuel lasting?

I hope you are right.