Question on ethanol in gas

[troy.70R/T]

I live in Missouri and some people tell me that in the state of MO they passed a law requiring all gas to have ethanol in it. The gas stations label their 89 octane as having 10 % ethanol but not the 87% octane. The 93% Octane also does not say that it has Ethanol in it. I want to avoid using Ethanol if I can but it is hard to do if MO is putting it in the gas and not telling me. I have asked several Gas station attendants but they are all Clueless. Any thoughts on wether this is a law in MO?

[Trulyvintage]

I live in Missouri and some people tell me that in the state of MO they passed a law requiring all gas to have ethanol in it. The gas stations label their 89 octane as having 10 % ethanol but not the 87% octane. The 93% Octane also does not say that it has Ethanol in it. I want to avoid using Ethanol if I can but it is hard to do if MO is putting it in the gas and not telling me. I have asked several Gas station attendants but they are all Clueless. Any thoughts on wether this is a law in MO?

I hear ya' ... 

I would choose a station or two that you would fill at on a regular basis,
then get the name & number of the manager or owner - give them a call
about ethanol content and get a straight answer about what is going into your tank


Jim

[Aero426]

It sounds like the pumps in MO are NOT required to be labeled as to whether it has ethanol or not.    The law says that if the wholesale price of ethanol blended fuel is lower than regular gasoline, it must be used.   The enforcement is all but self policed.      It exempts 91 octane and above, but goes on to say that that fuel may still be blended and used even though it is not required by law. 

"According to the state Department of Agriculture, which regulates fuel, there are about two dozen refined fuel terminals located either in Missouri or just across the border in neighboring Illinois and Kansas. And each terminal may sell several different brands of ethanol and regular gasoline — each at a different price.    So whether a fuel distributor must buy ethanol varies depending on the price of the particular brand of gasoline being purchased at that particular terminal on that particular day."

The above is from 2009, but I could not find newer info.   So the answer seems to be, that even if you ask, you still might not be sure what you are getting from day to day. 

[areibel]

We've had ethanol in 87 octane for a couple years now, and it hasn't really caused huge problems with any older cars (club members, etc..).  It does do a pretty good job of destroying small engines though- all the hardwares that sell string trimmers and chainsaws are warning everyone to either use an additive or non ethanol gas in them, the ethanol gas will score the piston and cylinder walls pretty badly.   Several stations are now selling 89 octane non ethanol gas, it's about 20 cents a gallon more.  If you get your gas at an independent station they can tell you what's what, it seems like the big chain places (7-11 type convenience chains) either don't tell their employees or try to hide it- even though there's a label on the pump!  I've had several of the sales droids tell me there's no ethanol in their gas, but talk to the guy dropping fuel out of the tank truck and he knows there is!

[troy.70R/T]

I figured there would be not straight forward answer to this question. I guess just another freedom of choice decision that has been taken away from the American people without them having a clue.

[bull]

E10 is a PITA but now we have to deal with the possibility of E15. Call or write your reps! http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,94415.0.html

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Yeah E15 is a damn mess waiting to happen.

And E10 is no picnic either, especially in cars older than, say, 5-10 years old. Here in Minnesota, the non-oxygenated (non-ethanol) gas is labeled, and I don't use anything else. I'm a little surprised that it's even that way here in Minnesota, since we're a "corn state" too. Ethanol isn't anything but a sop to special interests.

[elacruze]

Check here, and if any of these are local to you then you can contact them directly and get info from the horse's mouth.

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=MO

[Ghoste]

Yep, use that site all the time.

[troy.70R/T]

thanks for that site elacruze.