In NC some pumps say "Contains Ethanol" some don't. How does one know for sure?

[jjbuzzman]

I live in the mountains of western North Carolina. At a couple of the service stations I frequent there's a sticker on the pump that says "Contains Ethanol" (I never use this in my Q45's). However, at a couple of other stations I can find no such posting, and that's where I gas up my cars. I've asked the managers at these stations and they can't really say for sure that their gas does NOT contain ethanol.

Is this a state-wide phenomenon, and all NC gas has it, or can it work station-by-station? Is there any way one can know for sure?

Jim

[Q45tech]

Most terminals [tank farms where tanker truck fills] blend ethanol if they have it on hand and it is cost effective that day they look at gasoline price and ethanol price and decide.................they may be short of ethanol until the train arrives and not blend in morninng and change in afternoon..

The problem is when they buy gas which requires ethanol to meet octane number and short the ethanol thus dropping octane by 2-3 points and don't tell station assuming that some old gas in tanks will boost the new stuff up.

Maybe they only add 5% ethanol to split difference.

Southern states have the highest cost of ethanol due to distance from LEGAL ethanol stills. Even if there is a local still they charge just a few pennies below out of state imports to boost profits to pay back loan faster.

Yesterday NC Ethanol Rack was $3.1938 for ethanol at teminal to blend http://www.ethanolmarket.com/http://www ... co...id=32

A computer program tied to financial markets tells the local tank farm what to do and what to charge.

[StarPD]

I live in the mountains of western North Carolina. At a couple of the service stations I frequent there's a sticker on the pump that says "Contains Ethanol" (I never use this in my Q45's). However, at a couple of other stations I can find no such posting, and that's where I gas up my cars. I've asked the managers at these stations and they can't really say for sure that their gas does NOT contain ethanol.

Is this a state-wide phenomenon, and all NC gas has it, or can it work station-by-station? Is there any way one can know for sure?

Jim

You can usually smell the ethanol in the gas if it's there. That won't tell you how much ethanol is in it, only that there is some.

[Q451990]

If NC follows the trend in Columbia, the stickers will slowly appear on pumps at all of the stations within about a month. I think once it's in an area, every station is fair game. It's more of an issue which onces get in compliance with labeling laws first.

Heath

[jjbuzzman]

Thanks for the replies guys - appears to be no way to avoid the ethanol trap other than going back to the Mercedes diesels I used to drive years ago. So maybe I should watch for a deal on replacement injectors to keep on hand for when the need arises - which may now be sooner rather than later!

Jim

[Q451990]

Check out this thread by Q45Tech in the Q45 forum - there's a new theory about why the injectors are failing - it just might be possible to prevent the failure, or at least prolong the life of the injector.

Heath