The area I live in hasn't had ethanol very long, may be 2 months or so. I couldn't have run more than 25 gallons through it.

Yep and you got it, my fuel line from the tank up to the motor was a mess on the inside of the line. Brown stuff flaked off from the inside of the fuel line. It must not take very much ethanol to deteriorate the hose.

If you have the gray fuel line with the red lettering on it, you might as well replace it.

I have seen many posts on TFF about using Mobil gas. Little pricier, but ethanol free!!

Yep their ain't nuthin good about that stuff. I've herd that some places over mix it with as much as 50% ethanol. I wish their was a way for the consumer to test the fuel he/she is buying to see how much ethanol is in it.

There is a way to test it! You can buy a test kit on line (I have one). I don't remember the source, but if there's a big interest I can try to track it down again.

C.

Here's one link where a tester can be purchased: http://www.eaa.org/autofuel/autogas/test_kit.asp

It is called a 391S Fuel Tester.

I have been using it to confirm that an "ethanol-free" station's gasoline is indeed ethanol free. You can also use it to estimate the % of ethanol in gasoline.

C.

im pretty sure Mobil gas has ethanol.

I found "e" test kit at the local lawn mower shop. Kohler makes one and so does Briggs/Stratton.....about $5.oo

You can pay $20+ or so for a fuel test kit from a place like Fueltesters.com

Or you can make your own. It is nothing more than a test tube with a rubber stopper (or sub even a clear waterbottle with a cap)and make some markings on it. Here's how:

Put a mark on a test tube (or small clear bottle) about an 1" from the bottom. Label this mark WATER.

Add clear tap water up to this lower mark.

Place a mark somewhere near/about the full level of test tube (mark it at an exact increment of full inches above the lower water mark). For example mark at 5.0 inches above the water mark. Label this mark: FUEL

Make a '10% ETHANOL' mark just above the lower water mark at 1/10th the height or distance between the WATER mark and the GAS mark. In my example, this mark would be 1/2" above the lower WATER mark.

Fill to the upper 'GAS' mark with gas.

If gas in test tube/container is already cloudy, milky or not right, they just filled their storage tanks, so don't fill up and drive on to next station. Otherwise....

Cap (stopper) and shake container for several seconds.

Wait a couple minutes for water/bubbles to separate out from the yellow gas and clear water to sink to bottom.

The ethanol (which is clear like the water)if present will have mixed and quickly bonded with the water and will now be in the bottom of the tube along with the water.

If there was 10% ethanol in the original fuel, the water mark will now have increased and be up at the 10% ETHANOL mark.

My test kit used now for over 2 years every time I fillup confirms that Mobil branded gas (as well as any brand of gas) always has about 10% ethanol if it is being sold in an area of Texas mandated to sell ethanol blended gas.

In a given Texas area, all stations I have tested seem to all sell ethanol gas OR either none do...regardless whether the individual station attendent says his gas has ethanol or not. The "May Contain Ethanol" label on the pump I have found is meaningless. Some have the warning label and are always ethanol free.

Ethanol is reportedly being added at the rack into the delivery truck gas, just prior to delivery at the station because it attracts water, It is not dependant upon the station owner/attendant wanting to order it one way or the other.

I just posted a reply to a similar thread! Mobil DOES have ethanol in their fuel now! The Mobil in Weatherford used to sell eathanol free gas, not any more! Puregas.com offers a list of ethanol free gas stations in you area. Not many around Tx, guess we have to put up with bad gas!!

I used to buy gas from the Mobil station in Weatherford as well...about two months ago the lady that owns both of the stations that carry it said that it was now mandated for all of the state to have ethanol in the gas. I'd sure like to know how to get some on a regular basis. I'd drive out of my way to get it.

After testing some of the stations in several parts of the state listed on www.Puregas.com (which offers a free list of ethanol free gas stations ) actually they are selling just as much ethanol in their 'ethanol free gas' as their competitors are selling down the street. The site is surely based on unreliable heresay input and is not much of any help here in Texas.

I have two tanks on my boat....one is for ethanol treated gas and the other is used only for non-ethanol gas. A couple + years back, I had fuel (phase-separation) problems when mixing the two after buying different fuels at fill-up and they got mixed up n my tanks. Since stopping mixing the two fuels,, I have had no fuel problems and my clear glass water seperation bowl never has water or contaminated fuel in it.

-- all of the state? That's strange; the STAR Mart near Lake Fork as of a few days ago was still selling ethanol-free gasoline.

C.

I started using this product Startron awhile back. From everything I have read it should do a great job with the ethanol fules. I only put in enough fuel before I go to the lake that I will use up that day.

Untreated ethanol fule will be junk in a short time. I treat every gallon I put in my boat.

Ihave changed all of my lines to the ethanol resistant lines...and still treat my fuel...Startron stuff sounds pretty good may try it myself