[EBO]

Still new to this...this may not concern us if we have plastic gas tanks, but if we have fiberglass, this might be a big issue for mariah boat owners....anyone familar with this issue....I think it's been around for a while but now that oil companies have been required to add ethanol to conventional gasoline, we may see this more and more (great, another reason for the marina to raise his prices).

Ethanol Fuel Tank Damage Suit
Class Action Lawsuit for Boaters Filed Against Major Oil Companies
© Alan Sorum

Apr 7, 2008

Ethanol problems experienced by California boaters may be addressed in class action law suit against major oil companies.


Problems related to use of ethanol blended gasoline have been highlighted here in the Boating and Sailing Section of Suite101. Now the law firm of Kabateck Brown Kellner, a business known for tackling consumer related issues, is suing a number of major oil industry companies for the damage caused to fiberglass fuel tank from ethanol blended fuel.

Ethanol has been linked to problems with fiberglass fuel tanks, phase separation of water in tanks, damage to fuel system components, and engine failures. ExxonMobil, Chevron, British Petroleum, Shell, Valero, Tesoro, ConocoPhillips, Tower Energy, PetroDiamond, and Big West are among the companies that manufactured and sold ethanol to boaters named in the law suit.

In a press release, Managing Partner Brian Kabateck says, "The price of gas is bad enough, but selling gasoline that dissolves gas tanks is a new low even for the oil companies. The oil companies know this fuel is corrosive, but they're keeping consumers in the dark to pump up their profits. The cost to the consumer is thousands of dollars in repairs." The law firm points out that ExxonMobil recorded a profit of $40.6 billion and Chevron $18.7 billion in 2007.

Ethyl alcohol has become a popular additive to gasoline. Oil companies used MTBE or methyl tert-butyl ether to boost octane and oxygenate fuel, but MTBE has been linked extensive groundwater contamination problems throughout the country. Boaters found out that adding ethanol blended gasoline to fuel tanks containing fuel blended with MTBE created problems. The ethyl alcohol used in ethanol is a powerful solvent and dissolved the resins used in some fiberglass fuel tanks.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California in Los Angeles. Kabateck Brown Kellner are seeking to represent all boat owners that filled their fiberglass fuel tanks with ethanol from a California retailer.

[ShabahZ250]

Mariah made their tanks out of aluminum, so this shouldn't be an issue for us, but this article still needs to be posted!

[180diablo]

Yeah I have heard the same thing from owners of private gas stations up here.

In chats with one of the owners of a former gas station, he told me that if they wanted to stay in business for this " new fuel " coming out in the next few years or so that they would either have to buy new storage tanks OR close up the business.

So a lot of private businesses have folded due to the storage tank requirements of the new fuel.

I dont remember exact pricing, but I do believe it was well over the $100,000 marker. Possibly into the $200,000 range to update the tanks.

[Douglas Alderman]

If, you trailer your boat which Major gas stations should one fill up at .Which ones should you avoid? Do all octane grades of fuel have ethanol in it?

[EBO]

Chris, thanks for the quick reply. One less thing to worry about.

Douglas, if the station owner (or major company) has decided to put ethanol in the fuel, it will be in all grades. Many stations now post a notice informing their customers that there is ethanol in the fuel...in CA it's a law. Based on the government incentives for folks to use ethanol, you can count on the fact that if it's not in there now it will be soon.

[WetWilly]

EBO's right! Here in California, our stations have been displaying stickers stating the gas may contain up to 10% ethanol for many many years now. I advise you to inquire about this where you fill up otherwise it's a crap shoot.

Now out here, I tend to use ether Shell or Chevron’s plus or high test and I have not had any issues but when I when I was in Texas I got real low due to the long distances between stations so I had to stop at a Phillips 66. I didn't know this brand so I put in a little less than a 1/4 of a tanks worth just to get to a brand I knew. Good thing it wasn't a full tank, within 5 miles or so my truck started to stumble real bad and would stall when I stopped and my truck has never given me trouble because of gas before. I found a Shell and filled it with V-power and in about the same distance the engine cleared up. I've gotten bad gas before but that took the cake! No more Phillips 66 for me, Ever!

Anyone who has worked with epoxy resins knows alcohol is a great thinner so it comes as no surprise that a fuel that contains any type of alcohol could attack the fiberglass given enough time.

As for the aluminum tanks in our Mariahs, ethanol may be a problem for these as well and any more than 10% could spell real trouble! You might find the first two articles from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) very enlightening: Here.

At least they have fuel stabilizers to deal with the new fuel mix for storage, I just hope it works!

Only time will tell,
WetWilly

[Z275]

Actually Ethanol is a huge problem in gas no matter what kind of tank you have. The major problem is water is soluable in ethanol which causes moisture to be pulled through your engine. This corrudes up the inside of your engine. Even if you have a water separator it's not as effective when the water is mixed with ethanol. This is a problem with cars as well but much more so with the marine industry because of how fuel is stored at a lot of marinas. The tanks are prone to condensation inside and the fuel tends to have more water in it then tanks that are buried deep in the ground at normal gas stations.
Bottom line is Ethanol's a bad thing in gas. It produces less energy per volume than gas which results in less power and decreased fuel economy.
As of last year I think BP and Chevron were still Ethanol free but that may have changed lately. Need to check again.

[dudders]

I sent an email to SeaFox asking about the tanks in the newer Mariahs, here is the reply from them.


Thank you for inquiring with Mariah Boat Co. I appreciate your patience as I have looked into your question. Our fuel tanks are constructed of a cross-link polyethylene (a rigid plastic). The material is ethanol safe and has proven very reliable in the realm of marine fuel tanks.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Stewart Mitchell
Sales Manager
Sea Fox & Mariah Boat Co.
(843) 761-6090 x 23

[WetWilly]

Hey dudders,

That's great news for new Mariah owners, they don't have to worry about their fuel systems now. You know, many cars and trucks have theses types of tanks for many years now and they are pretty much resistant to most chemicals and they're much more puncture resistant than metal tanks.

Plastic is a good thing, sometimes...,
WetWilly

[Z275]

Here's another story about a class action lawsuit some guy in CA is trying to start after he had $35k in repairs from ethanol diluted gas:

Story Here
http://www.boattest.com/Resources/vi...spx?NewsID=895

Notice this paragraph from the story talking about effects other than eating away fiberglass fuel tanks:

Adriance said they also were the first to suffer from ethanol's other effects, including its tendency to scour a fuel tank of gums, resins and debris, carrying the gunk into fuel filters. Ethanol also attracts water, and over time, water-laden ethanol can separate from the rest of the gasoline, wreaking havoc with the engine.