What Problems Does Ethanol Cause?
As mentioned above Ethanol fuel can lead to poor performance and frequently clogged fuel filters and injectors which can make engines hard to start, run rough and in many cases stall. However even more importantly damage to the engine can occur if proper treatment and care isn't taken. For example a new breed of fuel additives has recently cropped up and they are known as emulsifiers. Ironically, some of them are made of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. The problem with adding these types of additives to Ethanol Fuel is that you increase the amount of Ethanol in the fuel and can cause operational problems and increase the water problem. These emulsifiers have a long history of causing engine damage. What emulsified water can do to an engine can be far worse than the original problem. Water, when sucked into an engine in volume, will shut it down. It must be cleaned, and the oil changed, but little else happens. Emulsified water/ethanol causes a more serious problem because instead of shutting down, the mixture can be partially combusted, but not effectively, which can damage the engine. When emulsified water runs through an engine over a period of time, it causes excessive abrasion and wear, corrosion, and excessive carbon deposits, leading to wear on rings, pistons, and valves.