At 11:33 AM -0700 6/12/00, Lundy, John D wrote:
>Ethyl Alcohol - just like alcoholic drinks. The purpose is two-fold:
>
>1) To provide government-mandated price supports to farmers who sell their
>grain to make it.
>
>2) To provide "oxygenated" fuel for high altitude regions like Colorado
>where it is supposed to
> cut down on pollution by providing more complete combustion (we don't
>have all that much
> air here!)...
>
>BUT
>
> Like many govt programs, it got way messed up - here in Colorado we have
>to buy oxygenated fuels on the
> populated Front Range a good part of the year - and they made us use
>MTBE. In my previous vehicle, the
> mileage was MUCH worse with MTBE, so I was polluting much more, since I
>was burning way more gas
> (and money). But we had no choice - government made us buy it - like it
>or not! Now they are finding bad
> problems with MTBE contamination in ground water, and it is now out - but
>I notice all the gas pumps still
> say this gas has 10% Ethanol....
Ethanol is not MTBE, which is made with Methal Alcohol which will
will blind and kill you, but with Ethal Alcohol, which is a major
component in "adult beverages". The pollution difficulties with MTBE
do not appear to be a problem with Ethanol. However, some carbs with
plastic parts do not tolerate ethanol well, as the alcohol may
dissolve some forms of plastic. Here in Nebraska a large number of
people use the stuff, trying to help the corn market and there are
some benefits, though minimal, to the agriculture economy (my family
is involved in agriculture, but I am not directly involved) and it
does cut the amount of pollution. Ethanol is made of corn alcohol and
gasoline in a 10% mixture. However, the two do not bond well so
there may be some problem with the alcohol precipitating out of the
fuel and you may end up with as much as 25% alcohol, depending on how
long the fuel has been stored and the level of the storage tank when
you fueled up.
I personally try and avoid using the stuff in my cars, as they do not
run as well with it. YMMV
--
Bob Shaw
Check out Shaw's Garage at http://www.mlcltd.com/shawsgarage/
My British Car is NOT leaky - it's merely marking its territory.
|