E15 Fuel: What is it and How Bad is it?
Hello Motorcycle Enthusiasts,
E15 fuel is gasoline with 15 % ethanol in it. Current ethanol blends are 10 %, but in an effort to decrease U. S. dependency on foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, more corn-produced ethanol is being added to gasoline. In June, 2012, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency( EPA) approved the sale of E15 fuel over the objections of from automakers and the oil industry. Testing was done prior to approval, but emissions were the only concern tested.
The Department of Energy concluded that virtually all vehicles built in 2007 or later could safely use E15 fuel. However, several automakers and the American Automobile Association( AAA) have disputed these claims, maintaining that E15 could damage fuel lines and void vehicle owner’ s warranties. The EPA later changed the“ safe” vehicle manufactured date to 2001. Click on this link to read the complete AAA report: http:// www. usatoday. com / story / news / nation / 2012 / 11 / 30 / aaa-e15- gas-harm-cars / 1735793 /
You can also view the list of vehicles recommended by automakers for safe use of E15 by clicking on this link: http:// www. exxonmobilperspectives. com / 2015 / 03 / 02 / e15-thischart-kind-of-says-it-all /
So, besides certain vehicles, E15 should NOT be used in the following vehicles and tools: the estimated 22 million motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles; vehicles with heavyduty engines, such as buses and delivery trucks, boats, snowmobiles, tractors, lawnmowers, chainsaws and other gasoline – powered tools.
The four main problems with ethanol-blended fuels are:( Reprinted from StarTron fuel additive info brochure)
PROBLEM 1: DEBRIS IN FUEL- Gums rapidly form in the fuel tank and fuel delivery systems as ethanol fuels age. However ethanol is also a powerful solvent that will strip away and disperse this build up back into the fuel as large, performance-robbing particles. This leads to clogged filters, injectors and carburetors.
PROBLEM 2: EXCESSIVE WATER IN THE FUEL AND PHASE SEPARATION- Ethanol attracts moisture from the atmosphere, forming an ethanol / water solution mixed in the gasoline. Ethanol-blended fuel will naturally hold. 5 % water in suspension, but when water levels exceed this threshold, or when the fuel cools significantly, the water / ethanol mix drops out of suspension. This is phase separation. Excessive water in the fuel tank causes engines to run rough, stall, and can lead to internal damage to engine components. Ethanol provides a significant amount of the fuel’ s octane, so when the ethanol / water solution separates and drops to the bottom of the tank, the remaining fuel is left without enough octane to properly operate the engine. Additionally, the ethanol / water solution can become partially combustible, which can lead to engine damage.
PROBLEM 3: ETHANOL FUELS BREAK DOWN QUICKLY- Over a short period of time ethanol fuel begins to break down. As ethanol and other components evaporate,
the fuel loses octane and becomes“ stale.” This causes hard starts, pinging and engine knock, which robs your engine of power and can cause damage.
PROBLEM 4: ETHANOL CAUSES LOST POWER, PERFORMANCE AND DECREASED FUEL ECONOMY- Ethanol fuel does not produce as much energy as traditional fuel. This results in inefficient combustion, decreased performance, reduced throttle response and poor fuel economy.
So what’ s being done to keep motorcyclists from using E15 and ruining their engines? The EPA said a sticker must be displayed on the pumps.
Do you think that works? How many other stickers have you seen on pumps and do people really read them? What color is the sticker currently displaying,“ Could contain up to 10 % ethanol?”
Speaking of pumps, E15 is generally dispersed through a“ blender” pump where you can select the amount of ethanol you want( 10 %, 15 %, or other if so programed). Here’ s where another problem arises. If the motorist ahead of you dispersed E15 and you want E10 in your motorcycle, or your 1 gallon gas can to use in your lawnmower, you could get up to 1 / 3 of a gallon of E15 that was left in the gas hose before actually pumping E10. The EPA’ s initial response was that you MUST pump at least 4 gallons to dilute the E15. Many bikes don’ t have 4 gallon tanks. The EPA’ s next solution( which is noted on the“ Warning Sticker”) was to make it illegal to use in the above mentioned vehicles and equipment. So you not only ruin your engine but you break the law too!
In addition to the negative, physical limitations of E15, numerous environmental / economic issues exist. The Associated Press reported that 5 million acres of land set aside for conservation have vanished as farmers fill in wetlands and plow pristine prairies to grow more corn. Increased production of ethanol has also raised food costs. Click on the following link to read.“ Ten Reasons To Care That E15 Ethanol Is On The Way To Your Gas Station”; http:// www. forbes. com / sites / larrybell / 2012 / 09 / 23 / ten-reasons-to-care-that-e15-ethanol-ison-the-way-to-your-gas-station /# 5edba6d96ac0
So where do we stand legislatively on the E15 issue? U. S. Congress has bill H. R. 21( To provide for a comprehensive assessment of the scientific and technical research on the implications of the use of mid-level ethanol blends, and for other purposes) pending, which is strongly supported by the American Motorcycle Association( AMA) and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. The real problem stems from the EPA and the Renewable Fuel Standards( RFS). Title II of the Energy Interdependence and Security Act of 2007( EISA) requires the total volume of biofuels to increase yearly from 4.7 billion gallons in 2007 to 36 billion gallons by 2022. The volume required in 2016 is 17.4 billion gallons. A National Poll was conducted about the RFS mandate which showed that a majority of voters nationwide have serious concerns about the
6 Thunder Roads Magazine ® Colorado May 2016 www. thunderroadscolorado. com