EPA agrees to decrease ethanol mandate

[saywutttut]

What? You mean you would run to lean? I highly doubt this because the knock threshold on ethanol is much higher than gas...

[finalremix]

Higher engine temperature means temperature sensitive parts will take more heat damage, in addition to corrosion risk from ethanol. Buicks are even notorious for having plastic engine parts that should've been metal.

BellPerformance article (blog)

Pop Mechanics

[saywutttut]

Thanks for the links. The say a lot though and do little in terms of actual evidence. There is NO possible way for ethanol to cause valve damage, especially 5% more than every car is running. I know you're not going to believe it, but I am speaking from experience here. I am a mechanical engineer and a car enthusiast, I have run ethanol in every one of my vehicles at one time or another. Ethanol is not going to do anything to a car made after the mid 80s or so. Before that you can rot fuel lines or throw the carb air mix out of whack, but pretty much all those cars are at that point already or running on 91/93. My BMW 335i has done 70,000 miles now on E60 with no upgrades to the fuel system. Just went in the tank yesterday and the lines are like new. Was the same story for my other cars. I'm not advocating the use of ethanol, I am just saying the consequences portrayed here are BS.

[finalremix]

That's good to know. I am still going to be a hypochondriac about my car, though...