Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:22:13 -0700
Reply-To: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: E15 Coming & the Wasserboxer
In-Reply-To: <20120416155016.RNZ28.452033.imail@eastrmwml114>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Thanks for the "pure-gas" web link.
There are a lot more outlets for ethanol-free fuel here in Florida than I expected, but they seem to be
mostly boating related, which makes sense here in aquatic heaven. There are one or two that I
could use, and I'm curious as to the price differential since most are 89 octane vs. 87.
I used to routinely get 18-19 mpg. on 87 in my Syncro, then it dropped to 16-17. I blamed it on a tired
wasserboxer, but in hindsight, I've realized that the drop coincided with the introduction of E10.
That has been backed up by the 16-17 I get from my new wasserboxer now.
Still looking for a discussion of the effects of E15 on a wasserboxer engine!
Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
________________________________
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: E15 Coming & the Wasserboxer
This is another result of the oil and agriculture industries getting what they want, no questions asked. I have been not looking forward to this, though I knew it was coming. Locally, ethanol free fuel is generally available, though one might have to search a bit. When I travel, I try to find it, but haven't been insistent. When E15 becomes the norm, I definitely will be more diligent.
this web site lists outlets that have ethanol free fuel, but it depends on consumer and dealer input, and may not be up to date. I have been surprised at how rapidly gas stations switch brands, presumably because either ownership or contracts have changed. Recently, Valero has made a big push here.
http://pure-gas.org/
For what it is worth, I have generally found that I get better mileage with ethanol free than with E10 (which makes sense in terms of energy content of the fuels), but on a trip to Texas this week, I had to use some E10, and actually got better mileage on those tanks than I did the ethanol free fuel that I left home with. Of course, one can't make a comparison like that without controlling for other variables and reach any valid conclusions. Probably, the roads were a bit different, and so on. Well, for one, I drove an interstate and a toll road going down, then switched to state highways in Texas. Probably drove 5 mph slower on those roads.
mcneely
---- Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> The following is a quote from an email I received from the Environmental Working
Group (EWG):
"Gasoline stations will soon begin selling E15, a blend of conventional
gasoline with up to 15 percent ethanol
from corn. The Environmental
Protection Agency approved the E15 blend for use in vehicles
manufactured
after 2000. It runs hotter and is more corrosive than pure
gasoline or E10 - gasoline plus 10 percent ethanol.
Using E15 could void some vehicle and off-road engine warranties."
Will anyone running a stock wasserboxer be affected by this change in our fuel? Obvously the stock wasserboxer
was built/designed before 2000.
Apparently Congress will soon vote on a bill that will relieve the oil companies from liability in damages
caused by the use of E15. I suppose that is inevitable if it was Congress that allowed the production of
this fuel.
If it will damage the wasserboxer and the fuel management system, what can we do? I can't imagine that
there will be a separate pump with E10 or straight gas; except at the neighborhood marina perhaps.
Cheers, Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
--
David McNeely
| 
