unhandledexception.net Recently, around the Seattle area, there were a few reports of “watered-down gas”. Like, it seems that around here it’s not only liquor that the water down, but gasoline! Not only do you have to be careful not to spill gas on your car’s body as ethanol dissolves car paint (scroll down the page).
The story is, ethanol absorbs the bad stuff in gas storage tanks, and pumps it right in your car. Isn’t that just great for your engine? Unfortunately, there’s no escaping ethanol, it’s now law that every gas station has to carry it. Talk about a very powerful corn lobby! (Feeding you their crap isn’t enough I guess) And don’t tell me that 13% ethanol is going to save the planet, as you still get 87% pure (supposedly) octane in ordinary gas, as ethanol can’t replace that.
Well, there is something you can do: nice, expensive premium gas! It will get you more octane, and less “other stuff”. The wikipedia article on octane rating is quite an interesting read, if you’ve ever wondered the difference between gas grades.
Maybe when they get enough insurance complaints, the insurance lobby will kill ethanol, just like they did with speeding, even though it’s only the cause of 5% of crashes.