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Warning: Marine Gas Treatment Products
CORN FUELS...
Avoid alcohol-containing gas treatment products when using E10 fuel.
Portable, reusable Ethanol Fuel Test Kits check presence of alcohol in all types of liquid.
Ethanol alcohol, used for oxygenating E10 and E85 fuel is a
solvent, cleanser, degreaser, antifreeze, readily absorbs water and more...
Many fuel system treatment products have the same properties, and contain ethanol and alcohol ingredients.
See page on "About Ethanol" for more information on ethanol's chemical properties.
These additives are often bought and used by marine engine owners.
Gas containing alcohol over safe and legal limit of 10%,
all too often is simply caused by the engine owner,
unknowingly adding gas treatment products containing alcohol, to their fuel system.
Due to the dangers present when adding external alcohols to E10 gas,
all Fuel Additives & Fuel System Treatment Products, that contain alcohol, should be avoided or used with caution.
Many fuel system products labeled as Fuel Water Removers, Cleansers, and/or Conditioners, Fuel Detergents, Stabilizers, Rust Inhibitors, Octane Enhancers and more
OFTEN CONTAIN ethanol and other types of ALCOHOL.
Since ethanol is an excellent cleanser, solvent, water absorber, degreaser and more - It's not surprising that these products would contain alcohol or chemicals with the exact same chemical properties of ethanol.
Desiccants, like alcohol, also have a strong affinity for moisture and will absorb relatively large amounts of water from the atmosphere, forming a liquid solution. Deliquescent salts include calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, Carnallite and sodium hydroxide.
All too often the chemical properties/ingredients of fuel additives are not reviewed or understood by your typical consumer and mechanic. Only trusting the company product claims and product category/indications for use, is not enough when using gas E10 that contains alcohol.
Now that E10 is widely available, it also seems necessary for companies selling gas additives/treatments, to start including warnings on the package that clearly state the risks/dangers when added to E10 and E85 alcohol blend fuels -But most don't.
Alcohol Fuel Test Kits can also be used to check liquid fuel additive products for ethanol/alcohol, when ingredients are uncertain and MSDS is not available.
Check your STATE ETHANOL LABELING LAWS
- Use of Fuel Additives & Gas Treatments With E10 -
Marine engines, automobiles, gas-powered equipment...
Check if gas additive and fuel treatment products you use contain alcohol.
Carefully review ALL ingredients of all fuel treatment products before use.
- Review the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and check each ingredient before use -
When using E10 fuels, adding products that contain alcohol to gas tank will dangerously increase gas alcohol content over manufacturer and legal limit of 10%.
- Review the wording and letters of each ingredient listed -
Most alcohol (ethanol type) chemical names end in "ol". E.G. ethan"ol", methan"ol".
Sometimes the common name of alcohol based ingredients is not so obvious.
E.G. Carbon disulfide = Alcohol Sulfuris, Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia = Ammonia in alcohol.
Common and Chemical Names of Alcohol
alcohol, grain = ethyl alcohol
alcohol sulfuris = carbon disulfide
alcohol, wood = methyl alcohol
aromatic spirit of ammonia = ammonia in alcohol
ethanol = ethyl alcohol
methanol = methyl alcohol
methylated spirits = methyl alcohol
rubbing alcohol = isopropyl alcohol
spirit of wine = ethyl alcohol
- Some fuel sytem products that do not list alcohol in their ingredients, may instead contain a chemical that has similar properties to ethanol - E.G. All fuel additives that are "hygroscopic" (attract and absorb or adsorb water) or have a drying effect should be avoided too.
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Some of the fuel treatment product companies, whose product's ingredients contain alcohol, have become upset by my inclusion of their product names on this website.
By law, this is public information; Since these products are in the class of hazardous and regulated chemicals, all ingredients must be reported and available for public review by OSHA standards of reporting. The MSDS system (Material Safety Data Sheet) assures employee public access to product ingredients. The MSDS includes hazard evaluations on the use, storage, handling and emergency procedures related to the materials in a product.
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Several companies use deceptve marketing tactics, to convince customers that their "miracle" product will "prevent, fix repair and/or reverse" all ethanol-related fuel problems - No such miracle product exists!
These deceptive and misleading marketing strategies have been seen most often for products marketed and sold to marine and boat engine owners.
Every fuel treatment product I have reviewed in recent years, that (deceptively) claims to remove water from ethanol phase-separated/water-contaminated fuel has contained ethanol or other alcohol!
Yes, alcohol does amazingly absorb water and have solvent and cleansing capabilities-
But, why would anyone want to add alcohol to fuel that has already become contaminated because of ethanol alcohol present in E10 ?
Besides the obvious reasons alcohol-containing products should be avoided with E10 fuel, increasing the alcohol content of gas over 10% will invalidate most engine warranties in engines designed for E10 (10 % ethanol max limit) and all warranties for engines that recommend non-alcohol gasolines. (Check your owners manual and warranty).
To add further insult to customers buying these risky products that already make matters worse, the same companies often falsely claim that their products will "FIX" or "REPAIR" phase-separated gas and return it to it's original composition...Impossible!
If there was a simple product or chemical that could prevent all the negative side-effects of ethanol in fuel, the major gas companies would already be adding it to the gas ingredients.
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For assistance in obtaining MSDS and understanding Gas Treatment Products, that can or can not be used in fuel systems containing E10 gas,
OR
Obtain a Alcohol Fuel Test Kit to test and determine the presence of alcohol type chemicals in the product.
The use and negative effects of alcohol on engines and engine parts is well known and documented.
Several engines can not tolerate any ethanol - E10, or any fuel containing ethanol, methanol, etc. can NOT be used in those engines -
Certain fiberglass tanks and engine parts "melt" and disintegrate from alcohol and alcohol fuels.
Check your owners manual or contact the manufacturer for fuel recommendations.
Why hasn't the public been properly educated by the EPA, government and gas companies
on the effects of ethanol renewable/reformulated fuels any necessary precautions?
Consumers are often unaware of what actions they must take to correct the problems resulting from ethanol oxygenation of the public fuel supply and lack knowledge on which fuel treatment and gas additive products should be avoided.
As you probably have already realized, lack of public information on E10 and ethanol, was the primary motivating factor for publishing our websites www.fueltesters.com and www.fueltestkit.com - To educate and assist consumers on ethanol fuel use. And, to distribute a simple product (Alcohol Fuel Test Kit) which recently became available for public consumer use.
Fuels that contain ethanol have decreased efficiency and mpg.
Studies and reports slightly vary, but all tests report expected MPG (miles per gallon), with use of ethanol blend fuels (E10 & E85), will be significantly decreased.
E10 gasoline lowers MPG by 3 to 7 %. E85 gasoline lowerd MPG by about 40 %.
More information on the fuel efficiency and mpg of alcohol blend fuels.
If your engine owner's manual and/or warranty contract forbids use of alcohol fuels,
you will not be warranty reimbursed for any engine damage that is a result of E10 and alcohol blend fuel use!
This is one of the greatest conerns and objections against alcohol ethanol fuel use.
Engine owners are shocked and outraged when they learn that the manufacturer and/or warranty will not reimburse for damage caused by E10 misuse.
Since the U.S. government and EPA has mandated the addition of ethanol to our fuel supply, manufacturers have changed the fuel recommendation to include E10 fuels.
E85, FFV's and AFV's are designed to be compatible with blends up to 85 % ethanol.
All other engines currently being manufactured usually allow for 10% or lower ethanol blend fuels.
Find more information on ethanol fuels at navigation menu on left side of page.
Boaters - View: Ethanol Fuel Use in Marine - Boat - Outboard Engines
Be very cautious when adding extra fuel treatment and gas additives
to your boat fuel system when using E10 ethanol fuel.
Products often used by boat engine owners, such as Evinrude 2+4, K-100, Ezorb, and hundreds of others may contain alcohol.
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