As I cannot get anyone in real life to discuss this, maybe you guys have some input?
This is an interesting read for me because we're having an issue with the tank liners in our big trucks "shedding". (f250-350) Especially trucks from Illinois. We have had a high failure in injectors, and pumps, due to clogging on the system after dropping below 25 degrees f. Bio-diesel and gasoline containing more than 7 % ethanol, are beginning to eat away at the liners in the tanks. After running approx. 25 full tanks with these bio and ethanol blends it starts to deteriorate. In the midwest, the temperature will generally drop for winter and the fuel will have softened the liner. When the vehicle is left to sit in the outdoor temperatures over a 12 hour period, the customer comes out to the vehicle only to have experienced some type of fuel "gelling". No start, slow cranks, stalling, even on the road. Inevitably it gets towed into the shop, were we begin to diagnose and take fuel samples. The samples ALWAYS have bits of liner in them. it stays down at the bottom of the bottle until it gets just below freezing, and then when it hits about 25, all that liner starts floatin around getting sucked up in the fuel pickups and injectors and pumps, etc etc.
ANYWAY, there's no way to tell every fuel company to quit putting more ethanol and bio in the fuel mixtures, so they're trying out new materials to seal tanks. So far they have had 3 new liners installed in 3 different models and we're still having alot of fuel pump trouble in fleet cars. (cop cars, ambulances, and railroad) Most of these places purchase their own fuel in bulk and keep it on premises. Now, as I don't work for any of these places, I can't verify this but, I imagine fuel companies bid and the best "deal" wins. If these places are adding more ethanol and bio to their fuel, they're still only advertising it as 7%. So, I ask, are they just trying make more money by squeezing more additives into fuel? Is everyone so naive to ignore the fact that this is no coincedence?
