OPEI Ethanol Warning

"Adding alcohol to a fuel dramatically alters its shelf life", said Kris Kiser of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. "That combined ethanol and water can corrode the fuel delivery system, predominantly the carburetor," said Peter Sawchuk, of Consumer Reports. "It clogs it up and it can't start."

"Ethanol is an alcohol, and it absorbs water," said Kiser. "The longer you let it sit, it will phase separate; the fuel frankly separates from the water, and then you have either a starting problem or a performance problem and a corrosive problem."

The claims are backed by experts at Consumer Reports who say exposure to too much ethanol is even worse with snow blowers and generators.

"Both of those tend to sit in storage buildings where it gets warm, you get great variations in temperature and you're going to get this problem," Sawchuk said.

Boats, motors or for that matter, anything with a two-cycle motor, are vulnerable to ethanol.

"A lot of chain saws and lawn and garden equipment are two cycle," said Kiser. "It inhibits the ability of the oil and gasoline to mix."

The solution, they say, is to use fuel with ethanol of 10 percent or less. And drain the tank before storing.