No, it doesn't, at least, after a point. Ethanol (I don't know about methanol) has to be OVER 190 proof to mix with gasoline thoroughly. The companies that blend gasoline require 200 proof ethanol from the companies that "dry" the ethanol. I know because I use to run an ethanol plant. You would normally get a very small amount of moisture absorbed from the air between the time the ethanol is dried, stored, transported, and mixed.

There has to be less than 5 percent water in the ethanol for a gas/ethanol/detergent mixture to be stable. They usually don't put more than 10 percent ethanol in any given volume of gasoline, therefore the amount of water in a 90/10 gasoline/ethanol mix can be no higher than one half of one percent of the total volume. This is not usually difficult to maintain, but gas stations that have poorly sealed tanks, have fill openings out in the open in rainy areas, or low-volume dealers that have gas sitting in their tanks for a long time can get sufficient water in their tanks to cause problems. One gas station in Charlottesville, VA, was at the bottom of a hill and whenever it rained, their gas was pretty much worthless. Up to the point where I figured that out, I had always bought my gas there because they were one of the few gas stations that proudly stated that they used ethanol and they had the cheapest gas in town.

Gas stations now tend not to advertise the fact that they use ethanol because there were lots of rumours, none true, that gasohol caused the seals in your carburetor to deteriorate. However, almost any gasoline that has detergents in it (most of them) has ethanol or methanol in it because the detergent will not mix with the gasoline alone.

I hope this helps clear up some of the issues regarding alcohol, water and gasoline, Marc Perdue

Mike Miller wrote:

> Mixes right in and burns OK. > > AFAIK. > > Mike > > On 12/18/02 8:46 AM, "Dana Morphew" <kadm@PUGETSOUND.NET> wrote: > > >> The Arco gas may have "cleaned out" all the built up water in his tank? > >> Alcohols will suck up a lot of water. > >> > >> Jay > > > > > > After the alcohol combines with the water, does that compound mix throughly > > with the > > gasoline in the tank? > > > > Dana > >