Of course, y'all DO know how to test fuel to verify that you're paying the extra money for actual ethanol-free fuel, right?
Because there are some unscrupulous people out there that will sell ethanol fuel as non-ethanol. Don't let them rip you off!
All you need is a clear plastic or glass bottle, and a vial of blue food coloring. Put a sample of fuel in the bottle, and add about 3 drops of the food colorant. Then shake the bottle, and let it stand.
Since food coloring is water-based, if it's ethanol fuel, the food coloring will readily mix with the fuel, dyeing the entire batch one color.
If the fuel is pure non-ethanol fuel, and there is no water contamination, the droplets of blue food coloring will quickly settle to the bottom of the bottle, without mixing.
In older fuels (pre-1980's), the octane came from lead.
Then they switched to methyl tributyl ether (MTBE)
Supposedly, MTBE leaking from underground storage tanks contaminates groundwater, and that's why they changed to ethanol.
(Nah, don't put the tanks above ground, with a catch basin around them, that would be too easy to inspect and repair/replace them...instead, let's try some junk science like ethanol. Let's use something that costs more to produce, uses up the nation's food supply, driving up the cost of corn, as well as fuel, and not only that, but it will destroy your fuel system.)
So, now, the octane comes from ethanol, which is really a joke, since it takes 30% MORE ethanol fuel to produce the same amount of power as MTBE-based fuel.
And here's my rant........
I guess somebody has to tiptoe on eggshells and strangle themselves with environmental regulations to make up for the rest of the world's lack of concern for the environment, right? I reckon the US will burn corn in our vehicles, and try to read in the dark with our CFL bulbs, while countries like China spew pollution into the atmosphere unchecked, and take all our jobs, as it's so much cheaper to produce things in countries with no regulations.
Want to bring back the jobs? Make the UN do its job for a change, hold a global conference on environmental regulations, and make the rest of the world bring its regulations in line with the US, AND THE FIRST DOOR WE KNOCK ON IS CHINA'S. If countries don't bring their standards up, then, they are kicked out of the UN, and all their foreign aid, etc, is cut off. Impose economic sanctions against those countries, no importing to them, and no exporting from them. Hold their feet to the fire until they snap ****. If we did that, then, it would no longer be cheaper to produce goods overseas, and the jobs would return to the US.
This is why I'm not a diplomat, and will never be a politician... because my ideas make too much sense, and it's my way or the freakin' highway.
