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Ethanol E15 and is your local gas station making the change?

mtudb24

mtudb24

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Just curious as to what everyone on is doing about this? Are your local gas stations actually changing all their pumps to E15?

www.freep.com

Don't fill boats with E15 fuel from gas stations, Coast Guard warns

The fuel, which contains 15% ethanol, is federally prohibited for vessel use due to its potential to cause engine damage and fires.
www.freep.com

I haven't gotten the boat out yet, but I hear from others in my area that that rec fuel is now $5.31 a gallon in the thumb of Michigan. I've never ever have run anything but pump gas at the corner gas station (which i know is 10%) since 2011 in this boat and prior to that from 99 to 2011 in my 250hp carb'd Johnson 2 stroke, 70hp Johnson 2 stroke and a couple of other smaller outboards. Never ever had a problem (knock on wood).

I change my fuel water separator every year and store the boat usually with very little gas in the tank.

But this 15% has me wondering what the gas stations will do in towns where in the summer, I would say 40/50% of their sales will be for boats, jet skis, SxS, etc?

Is this an option for gas stations to either chose between 10% or do they have to go 15% on all their pumps etc? Can they leave 1 pump for E10 etc? I guess that would be on the owner as that would include different trucks filling different tanks etc. Probably something the owner would have to do a business case for to determine if its worth it or not

Just wanting to see everyone's thoughts
 
Lucky for me we have ethanol free 87 and 91 fuel available here, because I won't put ethanol fuel in anything. Our 4 stroke Merc owners manual says don't use anything over 10% ethanol or damage may occur.
I think there is a lot of people not paying attention to this issue and could run into problems this summer using the 15% ethanol fuel.
 
Baja 252 said:
"Our 4 stroke Merc owners manual says don't use anything over 10% ethanol or damage may occur.
I think there is a lot of people not paying attention to this issue and could run into problems this summer using the 15% ethanol fuel."
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This.
 
dclboater said:
We always fill up on the lake- Marina's only have ethanol free, but $6.79 a gallon yesterday and they said they expect it to be over $7 by Memorial Day :oops:
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Wow, we are at $4.69 yesterday for 87 on the water and I thought that was bad.
 
Baja 252 said:
Wow, we are at $4.69 yesterday for 87 on the water and I thought that was bad.
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That's a great price. Friday I filled up with non ethanol for $5.29, and that ain't on the water. It was on the way.
 
Filled my SUV up at $5.10 per gallon a week ago. Mind you it takes premium. But, for all the wrong reasons, that pretty much preps me for the boat this summer. We fill ethanol free on the lake. Haven’t gotten lake gas yet. Will Memorial Day weekend. Will be interesting to see how expensive it is this year. It runs more expensive than premium fuel roadside, so waiting and wondering. Find out in about a week.

Between Mercury motor manual saying don’t use it, and the U.S. Coast Guard advising the same, I think wise boaters will take heed. Being attentive of if roadside gas is E15 or not will be an important awareness issue for boaters this summer IMHO.
 
All 50 states require that octane ratings are posted on the pump.
 
Lake Norman Marina the local Bennington dealer has 91 octane ethanol free for $6.29 a gallon...... And this is only May!!! Hopefully I won't need gas for a while......
 
We have ethanol-free 91 octane marine fuel on our lake and it was sitting at $5.40 a gallon a couple weeks ago. I've heard the prices have gone up since then to close to $6. I think we're just going to find the nearest cove and drop anchor this weekend.
 
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