Some of the cons of ethanol usage

There is a lot of talk about the pros and cons of Ethanol. Here are some interesting things about ethanol usage that most people don't know.

#1. Alcohol in fuel increases the damage that water can do in a fuel system. Water in diesel, for example, is much more corrosive when in the presence of an alcohol-based fuel. There can be more rusting, greater breakdown of parts, and shorter componant life due to the increased level of corrosion.

#2. Fuel with Ethanol is dryer, and can cause greater wear on internal componants. Fuel today, especially diesel, is already getting dryer, due to the reduction in sulfer. The presence of ethanol in fuel can cause greater wear, shorter life of parts such as injectors, pistons, and rings.

#3. Fuel with Ethanol burns hotter than without. This can cause problems with engines that are older, or not designed to burn of this type of fuel. also small engines are more suseptable to hotter and dryer fuel, and tend to complain more by running rougher, poorer idle, etc. Some small engine manufacturors do not encourage the use of fuel with ethanol. The need for high test fuel may be able to be avoided if the proper additive is used.

#4. Fuel with ethanol may have a lower btu level, and may give less power per liter of fuel burned. Some consumers have noticed that the ethanol fuel burns through faster, and seems to disappear like water through the tank. Some reports show that you may experience 20-30% less fuel economy!

#5. There is a possibility, depending on the blend of gasoline/ethanol, that Ethanol may raise levels of nitrogen oxides produced as gasoline emissions.

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