IF that were the case then all of the vehicles mfgr'd since 1990 would have already fallen apart since 10%-15% ethanol has been the winter oxygenated blend in gasoline sold in many, if not most, urban areas with air polution problems.

(The 'oxygenated' fuel blends have raised hell with the fuel systems on my early to mid 80's motorcycles but not on either of my two '01 BMW K1200LTC's.)

Why would any vehicle mfgr. who has sold in a USA market, (since 1988 when EPA mandated an ethanol mix), install any fuel system component that is designed to withstand 'just a little bit' of Ethanol and not 100% ethanol ? From what I've read, they usually design with 200-400% safety factors so why would they not do so where the 'probability' of their product using a corrosive fuel exists ?

All of this is not to say that there have not been fuel system problems with the blending of Ethanol in to gasoline in th U.S.

When you cut thru the 'anti ethanol' hype and study the reports of 'the problems' they almost always involve boats; offroad vehicles; lawmowers; hand held gas powered trimmers; etc. that were never designed to store or burn any fuel other than straight 86 octane gasoline or fuel/oil mix of it.

The aforementioned 'engines with ethanol caused problems weren't included in the 1988 EPA 'proclamation' so their fuel systems ARE as the were originally designed back in the 60's; 70's or early 80's and most people who use them don't pay any attention to, or understand, the E-10 (Ethanol) stickers on the pumps from which they but their fuel.)

The automotive vehicles that have experienced supposed 'ethanol related' problems have been those which have had little or no maintenance or which have been abused and are prime candatates for the scrap yard crusher.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of FFV (Flex Fuel Vehicle) conversions on the roads all over the USA and the biggest problem they've faced is having any crud that's accumulated in their gas tanks or fuel lines cleaned out by the ethanol within the first 500 miles or so with the resultant plugged up fuel filters. Once a clean fuel filter is installed, they're off and running.

If automotive fuel line and fuel hose failures were really a big problem, the millions of FFV conversions that been installed in Brazilian cars over the past 20+ years would never have gotten off the ground.

In any event, bring 50% German and having been raised by a man who learned his trade as a
Machinest in 1920's Munich, I feel VERY confident that my trust in the German mindset of NEVER designing or making ANYTHING that is not able to withstand whatever a human being can throw at it is not unfounded. I lived that mentality growing up at home and I understand throughly.

__________________
George in
Santa Fe

'01 BMW X5 3.0i V-6
soon to be Converted to
a FFV capable of burning
E-85 Ethanol.

[ http://www.bmwcca.org/ ]