Date:         Fri, 18 Feb 2000 21:02:30 -0600
Reply-To:     Chuck Hill <hilltech@NETINS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chuck Hill <hilltech@NETINS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Ethanol
Comments: To: Martin <nitram@TBCNET.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Martin wrote:
>
> It is getting increasing difficult to find pure unleaded in my county.
> Everyone is sell a blend of 10% ethanol.  Is this ok for our 1.9 or 2.1?
> What about the 2.0 Golf engine?
>

I have used a 10% ethanol blend in all my vehicles for at least the past
10 years.  This is in a wide range of vehicles, from a '75 Chevy pickup
to air cooled Vanagons, two '84 Vanagons, an '85, '86, '88, an Olds
Silhoette, various '80's Audis, a '96 Subaru---, and they all run just
fine with no problems whatsoever, no decrease in gas mileage, no
summertime vapor lock problems, no problems period.

This fuel is widely sold in the midwest.  I live in Iowa, and produce
the corn which is the source of the ethanol in nearly all of the blended
gasoline sold here.  A small part of what we use is sometimes imported
from Brazil.  This is a renewable energy source in abundant supply with
no known pollution/contamination problems.  When you consume an
alcoholic beverage, the alcohol is ethanol.  A reasonable amount
probably won't hurt you, and it won't hurt your car either.  Use it as a
fuel of choice.  It improves the octane of the mix, stretches the
gasoline supply, does not pollute, gives us a measure of independence
from the reliance upon imports, and actually makes your engine run
better in that it serves as a constant cleaner for the injectors, and
removes water from the gas tank and fuel lines.

Can you tell, I sort of like it.

Chuck Hill, Iowa farmer, Vanagon driver.