AAA WARNS MOTORISTS AGAINST USE OF E-15 FUEL WHICH CAN VOID AUTO WARRANTIES

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Automobile Association of America calls on government to halt sale

By Miriam Raftery

January 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The American Automobile Association (AAA) has issued a press release urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend sale of E15 fuel (a blend of 15% ethanol from corn and 85% gasoline).  AAA warns that 13 major automobile manufacturers say that use of E15 fuel could void warranty claims. 

E15 fuel is not currently sold in California, however it is allowed in approximately 30 states and is currently available for sale in several.  The EPA authorized its sale in June 2012 over objections of the auto industry.

 “it is difficult to comprehend why the EPA would choose to ignore all these warnings,” Robert Darbelnet, president and chief executive officer of AAA, states in a press release issued in December.

AAA supports the use of ethanol-blended fuels to save consumers money and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, but contends that there is not enough research to show that E-15 is safe to use in most vehicles.  Potential damage includes accelerated engine war and failure, fuel system damage and other problems such as false “check engine” lights, according to AAA.

Only about 5% of vehicles on the road today were designed to use E15 fuel. This includes 2013 Fords, 2012 and newer GM vehicles, and Porches from 2001 and later. 

The U.S. Department of Energy says that it has tested vehicles on E15 for nearly 6 million miles without finding any engine or fuel system damage.  But opponents of the fuel claim a study of their own found several engines in vehicles built after 2001 showed substantial damage due to ethanol’s corrosiveness when run on E-15. Engines with carburetors are more susceptible to the problems than newer fuel-injection systems with electronic controls for mixing fuel and air.

Automakers that have indicated the fuel may or will void warranty claims include BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, Vokswagen, GM, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.

Ethanol industry representatives contend the fuel is safe and suggest that opposition may be fueled by oil industry interests fearful of losing market share to biofuels, since ethanol is at the wholesale level is about $1 a gallon less than gasoline.

The AAA warning does not extend to lower blends of ethanol and gasoline, such as E-10.

 

 


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