Carefully review ALL ingredients of all fuel treatment products before use.
When using E10 fuels, adding products that contain alcohol to gas tank will dangerously increase gas alcohol content over manufacturer and legal limit of 10%.
- Review the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and check each ingredient before use -
- Beware when manufacturer refuses to disclose ingredients. MSDS will state something like, "Proprietary or trade secret ingredient(s)". Examples = STP Octane Performance Booster, (Note: there are many others).
- Review the wording and letters of each ingredient listed -
Most alcohol (ethanol type) chemical names end in "ol". E.G. ethan"ol", methan"ol".
- Sometimes the common name of alcohol based ingredients is not so obvious.
Common and Chemical Names of Alcohol
alcohol, grain = ethyl alcohol , alcohol sulfuris = carbon disulfide, alcohol, wood = methyl alcohol, aromatic spirit of ammonia = ammonia in alcohol, denatured alcohol, ethanol = ethyl alcohol, methylcarbinol, methanol = methyl alcohol and methylated spirits, rubbing alcohol = isopropyl alcohol, spirit of wine = ethyl alcohol...
- Some fuel sytem products that do not list alcohol in their ingredients, may instead contain a chemical that has similar properties to ethanol - E.G. All fuel additives that are "hygroscopic" or "miscible" (attract and absorb or adsorb water) should be avoided when running on E10.
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The MSDS system (Material Safety Data Sheet) and OSHA assures public access to product ingredients.
The MSDS includes hazard evaluations on the use, storage, handling and emergency procedures related to the materials in a product.
Ingredients can also be reviewed at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Household Products Database:
Link: http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=7006004
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Several companies use deceptve marketing tactics, to convince customers that their "miracle" product will "prevent, fix repair and/or reverse" all ethanol-related fuel problems - No such miracle product exists!
These deceptive and misleading marketing strategies have been seen most often for products marketed and sold to marine and boat engine owners. Every fuel treatment product I have reviewed in recent years, that (deceptively) claims to remove water from ethanol phase-separated/water-contaminated fuel has contained ethanol or other alcohol!
Yes, alcohol does amazingly absorb water and have solvent and cleansing capabilities-
But, why would anyone want to add alcohol to fuel that has already become contaminated because of ethanol alcohol present in E10 ?
Additives that ncrease the alcohol content of gas over 10% will invalidate most engine warranties in engines designed for E10 (10 % ethanol max limit) and all warranties for engines that recommend non-alcohol gasolines. (Check your owners manual and warranty).
To add further insult to customers buying these risky products that already make matters worse, the same companies often falsely claim that their products will "FIX" or "REPAIR" phase-separated gas and return it to it's original composition...Impossible!
If there was a simple product or chemical that could prevent all the negative side-effects of ethanol in fuel, the major gas companies would already be adding it to the gas ingredients.
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For assistance in obtaining MSDS and understanding Gas Treatment Products, that can or can not be used in fuel systems containing E10 gas,
OR
Obtain a Alcohol Fuel Test Kit to test and determine the presence of alcohol type chemicals in the product.
The use and negative effects of alcohol on engines and engine parts is well known and documented.
Several engines can not tolerate any ethanol - E10, or any fuel containing ethanol, methanol, etc. can NOT be used in those engines -
Certain fiberglass tanks and engine parts "melt" and disintegrate from alcohol and alcohol fuels.
Check your owners manual or contact the manufacturer for fuel recommendations.
Consumers are often unaware of what actions they must take to correct the problems resulting from ethanol oxygenation of the public fuel supply and lack knowledge on which fuel treatment and gas additive products should be avoided.
Fuels that contain ethanol have decreased efficiency and mpg.
Studies and reports slightly vary, but all tests report expected MPG (miles per gallon), with use of ethanol blend fuels (E10 & E85), will be significantly decreased.
E10 gasoline lowers MPG by 3 to 7 %. E85 gasoline lowerd MPG by about 40 %.
If your engine owner's manual and/or warranty contract forbids use of alcohol fuels,
you will not be warranty reimbursed for any engine damage that is a result of E10 and alcohol blend fuel use!
Engine manufacturers have in recent years re-designed engines to use E10 gas - Most car and boat engines from 2000-onward permit gas blended with up to 10% ethanol.
E85, FFV's and AFV's are designed to be compatible with blends up to 85 % ethanol.
Find more information on ethanol fuels at navigation menu on left side of page.
Be very cautious when adding extra fuel treatment and gas additives
to your boat fuel system when using E10 ethanol fuel.