Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
Farm gasoline in the U.S. has been ethanol-infused (E5-E10) for years, and the diesel almost invariably has some bio in it, both of which are terrible on their respective fuel systems. In diesels, they can run up to 20 percent bio content without telling you.
DCF, the laws you posted have absolutely nothing to do with that website. That website is unregulated by any law and works totally on the honor system. Unless it's certified "Ethanol Free" right on the pump you're using, chances are it's got "corn gas" in it. Even with the decal, it still may. Maybe things are different in Canada, but in the U.S. the station rarely does any blending whatsoever--what comes out of the tanker is dispensed directly into your car or truck. I've worked in fuel stations on multiple occasions, and I've never done anything but "stick the tanks" to check for water content. The tankers are separated into compartments for various grades, but when they're filled it all comes down the same pipe. How much residual premium is in the 87, or vice-versa? It's a negligible amount not worth consideration.
We had a nice conversation with the WI State "fuel pump cop". WI has a total of two or three technicians for the whole state. He admitted that he's stretched so thin there are tanks he's not tested in years, either for pump accuracy or fuel content. Believe me, fuel quality is far more critical in a diesel than in a gasoline engine... but he just doesn't have enough time in a year to hit every station he's assigned, much less all their pumps for accuracy or send samples in for analysis. His suggestion: if you want to know for sure, have it tested yourself by an independent lab. It's not difficult nor is it particularly expensive, and it's the only way you'll really know what's in that station's tanks. As far as the decals on the pumps? "A lot of these stations don't even know they've got ethanol now, and even if they were made aware I highly doubt it occurred to them to go out and peel the stickers off."
So yes, there are laws in place. They're every bit as stringent here as they are up there--but when was the last time they were actually checked, much less enforced? Writing a law is easy, enforcing it isn't. There's no money in it for the government, so they don't pursue it much. The fuel business is a cut-throat deal; if you're two cents higher per gallon you've got a ghost town in your lot. The fastest, easiest way to increase profit margin is to go with a lesser product. If Station A is selling E10 and Station B says they're selling corn-free product at the same price or within a couple of pennies, chances are Station B is bullshitting. As I mentioned, the Cenex station in Spread Eagle, WI is guaranteed ethanol-free, and they're about 30-35 cents more per gallon on their 87 octane than anywhere else. Location is part of it, yes, but there's another station next door with pricing pretty consistent with everyone else. Both stations are in an area with an enormous boating community, so it makes even more of a difference there (E10 in a marine environment is pure hell).
When servicing your fuel system, look for parts that are rated for E85 if you want to be totally safe. If you don't want to run out of gas looking for an ethanol-free pump while on vacation in your carbureted vehicle, then make the mods I describe above and use a marine-rated additive every time you get fuel. Either that, or live with a car that neither starts and runs all that well nor performs up to its design potential.
DCF, the laws you posted have absolutely nothing to do with that website. That website is unregulated by any law and works totally on the honor system. Unless it's certified "Ethanol Free" right on the pump you're using, chances are it's got "corn gas" in it. Even with the decal, it still may. Maybe things are different in Canada, but in the U.S. the station rarely does any blending whatsoever--what comes out of the tanker is dispensed directly into your car or truck. I've worked in fuel stations on multiple occasions, and I've never done anything but "stick the tanks" to check for water content. The tankers are separated into compartments for various grades, but when they're filled it all comes down the same pipe. How much residual premium is in the 87, or vice-versa? It's a negligible amount not worth consideration.
We had a nice conversation with the WI State "fuel pump cop". WI has a total of two or three technicians for the whole state. He admitted that he's stretched so thin there are tanks he's not tested in years, either for pump accuracy or fuel content. Believe me, fuel quality is far more critical in a diesel than in a gasoline engine... but he just doesn't have enough time in a year to hit every station he's assigned, much less all their pumps for accuracy or send samples in for analysis. His suggestion: if you want to know for sure, have it tested yourself by an independent lab. It's not difficult nor is it particularly expensive, and it's the only way you'll really know what's in that station's tanks. As far as the decals on the pumps? "A lot of these stations don't even know they've got ethanol now, and even if they were made aware I highly doubt it occurred to them to go out and peel the stickers off."
So yes, there are laws in place. They're every bit as stringent here as they are up there--but when was the last time they were actually checked, much less enforced? Writing a law is easy, enforcing it isn't. There's no money in it for the government, so they don't pursue it much. The fuel business is a cut-throat deal; if you're two cents higher per gallon you've got a ghost town in your lot. The fastest, easiest way to increase profit margin is to go with a lesser product. If Station A is selling E10 and Station B says they're selling corn-free product at the same price or within a couple of pennies, chances are Station B is bullshitting. As I mentioned, the Cenex station in Spread Eagle, WI is guaranteed ethanol-free, and they're about 30-35 cents more per gallon on their 87 octane than anywhere else. Location is part of it, yes, but there's another station next door with pricing pretty consistent with everyone else. Both stations are in an area with an enormous boating community, so it makes even more of a difference there (E10 in a marine environment is pure hell).
When servicing your fuel system, look for parts that are rated for E85 if you want to be totally safe. If you don't want to run out of gas looking for an ethanol-free pump while on vacation in your carbureted vehicle, then make the mods I describe above and use a marine-rated additive every time you get fuel. Either that, or live with a car that neither starts and runs all that well nor performs up to its design potential.
