Well whether you took the title seriously or not your going to take the cause seriously very fast. I’m not talking about environmental issues here I’m talking about the introductions of E15 ethanol fuel into the market place. I’m talking about the danger this product carries with it to your engine and your shining exhaust headers or manifolds, fuel pumps, engine valves, etc. and you may not even realize whats happening. Don’t feel bad because much of America didn’t even realize what was happening right under our nose. You see in an effort to increase profitability for fuel makers you’ve been put at extreme risk of this product causing thousands of dollars of damage to your power boat.
At Powerboat Nation we are actually boaters and have deep roots and relationships with the marine industry’s part and engine manufactures. This history and these relationships provide you numerous behind the scenes views of whats happening in the here and now. From our investigating into this subject we are hearing horror stories of product and part failures that are destroying these components in a unheard of matter of time. The cause? It is E15 and it is being substituted for traditional gasoline blends all over the country. This new ethanol blend is causing engine corrosion both on the intake and exhaust sides of the engine as well as the fuel system. It is the #1 cause current cause of failure to the marine and automotive manufactures and they are now rewriting their warranty claims.
While the Automotive industry has its own issues with the product the marine industry faces an even worse problem. You see as you introduce salt water into the equation with ethanol They create an extreme “SUPER-CAUSTIC” mixture that will literally corrode and eat at the properties of stainless steel and cast aluminum.These two materials are both commonly found in marine exhaust systems. Exhaust manufactures have presented samples that show the E15 based fuel in conjunction with the salt water present are pitting and eating away at the exhaust systems from the inside out. Previous concerns were just that salt water and its corrosive properties were destroying the header from the water side. Now manufactures are stating they are seeing erosion failures from the exhaust flow side. The new E15 blend is acting as a “Cancer” type result that is eating engine components.
While we cannot control the the ethanol content in the fuel at this time a focus should be on reducing any or the amount of salt water an engine ingests. Leaking tail pipes and or reversion are the primary causes. Saltwater droplets that dry inside the header will literally attack the materials.
Below I am going to just show some excerpts of the battles going on among manufactures and the government and fuel suppliers. for example:
Warnings Not to Use “E15” Gas in Your Car or Boat
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2000862202001/
Petition Denied For EPA Case Regarding Use of E15 Ethanol Blended Fuel
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Arti…nded_fuel.aspx
According to AFPM, several studies have shown that E15 causes engine damage to passenger vehicles, boats and outdoor power equipment, including chainsaws and lawnmowers, and has led the association and other industry groups to raise concerns about a fuel not approved for use by the manufacturers of more than 228 million vehicles on the road today.
A recent survey by the American Automobile Association (AAA) reported that 95 percent of consumers surveyed had not heard of E15 gasoline, which AFPM says lends credence to the potential for misuse and engine harm as well as creating safety, liability and warranty issues.
“We are analyzing the decision and will determine whether to seek review by the Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh issued a strong dissent based on EPA’s acknowledgment that E15 damages cars and specifically referenced a recent AAA warning calling upon EPA to block the sale of E15,” Moskowitz concluded.
AAA warns E15 gasoline causes damage
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/30/aaa-e15-gas-harm-cars/1735793/
Gasoline blended with 10% ethanol has become standard at most of the nation’s 160,000 gas stations, spurred by federal laws and standards designed to use more renewable energy sources and lessen the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Pushed by ethanol producers, the EPA approved the use of E15 — a 15% ethanol-gasoline blend — in June over objections from automakers and the oil industry. It’s been available at a handful of outlets in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska since July
