Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel

   / Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel #1  

brin

Super Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
8,606
Location
Georgia - Mt. Vernon by The Store just 5 miles eas
I have a log splitter I had not use since last year and had to clean the carb and empty the old gas...I went to the gas station to get some fresh gas and noticed on the regular gas pump they had a sign saying it contained 10% ethanol but on the next higher octane blend it did not so I bought the next higher blend with no ethanol and then I added some STP gas treatment...just a thought..to stop using regular gas in your small engines and move up to the higher octane with no ethanol if you can get it where you are.:)
 
   / Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel #2  
In most places the fuel dealer is not required to post that the fuel contains ethanol. Are you sure that your fuel doesn't contain ethanol? I'd be surprised if the distributor was delivering both ethanol and non-ethanol fuel to a dealer. The only way to be sure is to ask the dealer. The Feds require ethanol fuels in counties where air pollution levels are over the limit, the octane level doesn't really matter.
 
   / Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel
  • Thread Starter
#3  
All I saw was the regular unleaded pump that said ..this product contains ten per cent ethanol but the next higher octane fuel pump did not have the sign. I just assumed it did not contain any or they would have put a sign on it as well....why on one and no the other if both contain ethanol...maybe it has ethanol..guess I will not be sure..next time I am in that store I will see if they have the answer.
 
   / Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel #4  
Whether the presence of ethanol is required to be posted varies from state to state. Some states require it, some don't. Here in Oregon, it is required, but I have seen pumps without the posting when all they sold had ethanol.

Expect to see more ethanol. Producers have learned that ethanol is a cheaper octane booster than whatever else they used and are using it more and more, even if they are not required to use it. If you don't have ethanol in your gas yet, consider yourself lucky.

When ethanol comes, don't let it sit around--buy only what you need. It absorbs water and is hard on fuel systems not designed for it. It can also separate out and burns differently from pure gas and that can result in problems. Ethanol destroyed my $400 weedeater when we first got it here in Oregon in the early '90's.

Worse yet, the ethanol industry, which is in big time financial problems, has petitioned the government to require 15% ethanol, up from the 10%. Most cars have only been designed for 10% and if it goes thru, you can expect problems, for which the ethanol industry will deny any responsibility.
 
   / Hard starting small engine with ethanol in fuel #5  
In PA, we have no one checking what is sold. Weights and measures will make sure you get a gallon, but a gallon of what?

Had one customer with four 2 stroke tools needing major service from one batch of fuel that had to be 15% or higher. They just won't work on anything higher than 10%. Needed two fuel lines, two carbs, one filler cap o-ring, and two carb rebuilds, all because he went to the wrong gas station!
 
 
Top