jjf@pyuxnn.UUCP (01/24/84)
I happened to see this article. "The wrong gasoline could void your new car warranty. Using Amoco gasoline is a sure way to keep your warranty valid. The following is an excerpt from a new car warranty: "Do not use gasolines containing methanol. Fuel system damage or vehicle performance problems resulting from the use of such fuels is not the responsibility of (manufacturer) and may not be covered under the new vehicle warranty." Check your warranty. Many of the new American and foreign car manuals warn against using gasolines that contain methanol. This cheap, mileage-robbing ingredient can cause fuel system corrosion and other damage that's not covered by some new car warranties and will reduce your mileage. In most states gasolines containing methanol aren't labeled at the pump. So to be sure you're not getting methanol, buy Amoco gasoline. We don't add methanol to any Amoco gasolines. It's a sure way to keep your new car warranty valid. Use Amoco gasolines and avoid losing mileage because of methanol. It's another way you expect more from Amoco." I would like to know the following: 1. Is methanol a cheap additive ($ wise). 2. Can it cause corrosion. Whats the other damage the article refers to? 3. Does it reduce mileage? I thought that octane ratings were more of a factor for gas mileage? 4. Do laws require the labeling of additives? thanks
blenko@rochester.UUCP (01/24/84)
Well, I have the following from a source close to the current issue in a major oil company: 1. All gasoline producers sell gas which contains methanol. 2. Some companies produce gasoline with more methanol than others. 3. Yes, the methanol acts as a filler, and is cheaper than your normal gasoline. The issue of gas mileage seems to depend upon whom you ask. 4. Methanol content of 1-4% (by what measure, I don't know) is typical for all producers (I wouldn't rely to heavily upon those figures). 5. The warranty disclaimers which have been cited were apparently directed at automobile owners in the mid-west, who were buying gasoline products containing much large percentages of methanol. 6. The company employing my source has been in touch with the major automobile manufacturers to gain assurances that methanol concentrations in the gasoline is not harmful to their automobiles. 6. The current hoopla was started by producers of some of the more expensive brands of gas in order to harrass competitors producing a more economical product (and selling a whole lot more than the more expensive producers). I don't suppose there is any question that the company's own interests are reflected in the comments, however, that makes another party heard from. Tom
rib@pyuxdd.UUCP (01/24/84)
Here I go letting myself in for flames -- but -- the pricipal ingredient in DRY GAS (a popular fuel additive this time of year) is our friend (or enemy) Methanol.
warren@ihnss.UUCP (01/24/84)
Methanol causes two potential problems: 1) It eats some plastics, causing severe damage to some fuel systems. 2) It holds water much more effectively than gasoline. (It's the major ingreedient in gas-line driers and de-icers). This means that unless it's kept very dry, your fuel takes on a little water, which causes rust. Occasionally and in small quantities, I doubt that either of these is a problem. After all, I have never seen any warnings on gas-line de-icers or driers. I believe that problem 1 is the real thing to watch out for, and your owner's manual will probably tell you if your car is a problem. As to mileage, pure methanol has about half of the energy content per gallon of pure gasoline, thus you would expect lower mileage. In small quantities, however, it may improve mileage because the gas-methanol mixture burns more efficiently than gas alone. Unless you test your car on a dynamometer, or have some fuel system problem either caused or cured by the methanol, however, I doubt you will observe any difference. On another subject, I recently heard some serious discussion by the Chicago City Counsel on banning the sale (or use?) of leaded gas in the city. Since there are plenty of old cars around that really need the lubrication of the lead aditives, and those cars tend to belong to people who aren't in a position to trade them, this seems like a real problem for drivers. (Though lead in the exhaust is also a real problem for city residents.) Is this happening elsewhere? -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH x2494
ralph@inuxc.UUCP (01/24/84)
There is another point that I'd like to mention. Pure methanol is very corrosive to aluminum, and racing engines that run methanol mixtures must be flushed with gasoline after each race to save the aluminum engine block. Cars with aluminum engines (and there are a lot of them these days) might be troubled by fuel with a high percentage of methanol, but I would imagine that a 1-4% mixture would effectively be "flushed" by the 96% gasoline in the mixture. Ralph Keyser ...!inuxc!ralph
wgg@floyd.UUCP (01/24/84)
Metallic lead does indeed act as a lubricant. The valves in older cars were designed to depend on the lead left after combustion to lubricate the contact surfaces between the valves and their seats. Some studies conducted by the SAE in the early '70s indicated that in some of these older engines, the use of lead-free gasoline caused little welds to occur between valves and seats, with consequent pitting when the cams pushed the valves open. The problem was eliminated by changing the valve configuration so that it ran cooler. The technique used varied. In some cases, the valve was sodium filled. Bill Graves (floyd!wgg) (Who drives a Cadillac and thinks Mitsubishi makes Starions).
rmiller@ccvaxa.UUCP (02/01/84)
#R:pyuxnn:-20200:ccvaxa:4900022:000:673 ccvaxa!rmiller Jan 26 09:01:00 1984 three points to remember: the extra water picked up by methanol is VERY bad for injectors, they can wear much more quickly with methanol. the alcohol will dissolve all the junk off the walls of any fuel tank it sits in (including the underground station tanks) so that you can totally screw up your fuel system if it is switched to methanol after long use with straight gasoline. (never use gas from a station that switched to methanol within a few days to a week of when you need it unless they also put in new storage tanks!) Rx-7's should NEVER use methanol (nor should any other wankel powered car). the methanol will destroy the apex seals. uiucdcs!ccvaxa!rmiller