New Flex-Fuel Could Damage Engines

story first appeared in Detroit Free Press

The AAA says the Environmental Protection Agency and gasoline retailers should halt the sale of E15, a new ethanol blend that could damage millions of vehicles and void car warranties.

AAA, which issued its warning today, says just 12 million of more than 240 million cars, trucks and SUVs now in use have manufacturers' approval for E15. Flex-fuel vehicles, 2012 and newer General Motors vehicles, 2013 Fords and 2001 and later model Porsches are the exceptions, according to AAA, the nation's largest motorist group, with 53.5 million members.

AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet tells USA TODAY that he believes unfamiliarity with E15 among Americans provides a strong possibility that many may improperly fill up using this gasoline and damage their vehicle."

BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and VW said their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by E15. Ford, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo said E15 use will void warranties, says Darbelnet, citing potential corrosive damage to fuel lines, gaskets and other engine components.

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.

EPA stickers affixed to gas station pumps say E15 is safe for use in virtually all vehicles 2001 and newer. (USA TODAY made repeated requests for EPA comment.)

But AAA -- in an unusual warning for a travel organization -- says the sale and use of E15 should be stopped until there is more-extensive testing, better pump labels to safeguard consumers and more consumer education about potential hazards.

Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says E15 is safe for virtually all post-2001 vehicles, based on extensive government-sponsored testing.

But the American Petroleum Institute says a three-year study by automakers and the oil industry found that E15 is a consumer safety issue for a majority of drivers with pre-2012 vehicles.

The National Association of Convenience Stores says it's also worried about the effect of E15 on station pumps and fuel lines.

Scott Zaremba, who has been selling E15 blends at several of his eight Zarco 66 stations in Kansas since July, says no customers have complained. He's fueling his 2001 Chevy pickup with the E15 blend.

Ethanol Fuel Bad for Your Car?

Story first appeared in USA Today.
E15 fuel can wreck your engine, according to new data presented by auto industry trade groups.

The government has approved the use of a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, but that was premature, because testing wasn't finished, according to Auto Alliance and Global Automakers, Washington, D.C., trade groups that represent most car companies.

Groups representing small-engine manufacturers and power-equipment makers also have said that alcohol-blend fuels are bad for the engines in boats, chain saws, lawn mowers, generators and the like.

A statement today from the two auto groups cites new results from a two-year study on engine durability done for the Coordinating Research Council (CRC). The study for CRC was done by FEV, which the groups describe as "a longtime consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

The statement from Auto Alliance and Global Automakers says:

The CRC study released today showed adverse results from E15 use in certain popular, high-volume models of cars. Problems included damaged valves and valve seats, which can lead to loss of compression and power, diminished vehicle performance, misfires, engine damage, as well as poor fuel economy and increased emissions.

Clearly, many vehicles on the road today are at risk of harm from E15. The unknowns concern us greatly, since only a fraction of vehicles have been tested to determine their tolerance to E15. Automakers did not build these vehicles to handle the more corrosive E15 fuel. That's why we urged EPA to wait for the results of further testing.

The potential costs to consumers are significant. The most likely repair would be cylinder head replacement, which costs from $2000 (to) 4000 for single cylinder head engines and twice as much for V-type engines.


Growth Energy, representing ethanol producers, in 2009 petitioned the EPA to allow E15 fuel, which it has done for newer vehicles.

But in 2008, EPA had outlined the tests needed to approve the waiver allowing E15, and those weren't done before the government OK was given to E15, the auto groups say.

Growth Energy disputed the CRC data as being based on misinformation and inaccurate data.

Here's why Growth Energy says the CRC study is worthless:

Growth Energy's says:

The EPA tests were much more thorough, testing more engines for longer periods, and for 120,000 miles, and the results were consistently clear – E15 did not produce any negative effects. If that is not enough, consider the fact that NASCAR has run close to two million miles on E15 in some of the toughest engine conditions imaginable with no problems whatsoever. As a matter of fact, their extensive use of E15 has shown the benefits of increased horsepower and performance.

Here's what the auto groups/CRC study did:
The CRC Engine Durability study took duplicates of eight different vehicle model engines spanning 2001-2009 model years. All 16 vehicles were tested over a 500-hour durability cycle corresponding to about 100,000 miles of vehicle usage. A range of engine operating parameters was monitored during the test, including cylinder compression, valve wear, valve leakage, emissions and emissions control system diagnostics. Two of the engines tested on E15 had mechanical damage. Another engine showed increased tailpipe emissions beyond the allowable limit.

This study adds to the body of knowledge on the effects of higher blends of ethanol. Ten research papers have been published on the effects of increasing the ethanol blend ratio to E15 from the current E10. In a study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the impact on fuel dispensers, all gaskets, seals and O-rings swelled and showed effects that can result in leaks. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) tested samples of service station equipment, and found that, on average, about half of the equipment failed the compatibility tests. Another NREL study found severe damage to marine engines run on E15.

Automakers advise consumers to continue to follow the guidance on fuel selection in their vehicle owner's manuals. While automakers do market certain vehicles called Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) that can use up to 85 percent ethanol, these vehicles have been designed to tolerate the more corrosive ethanol, including changes to fuel pumps, fuel tanks, fuel injectors, engines, control systems, various calibration capacities, emissions systems and materials used.

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