Within the past several years I have been listening to literally hundreds of people complaining about their new small engine equipment, both 2-cycle and 4-cycle, chain saws, weed eaters, blowers, generators, pressure washers, lawn mowers, etc. breaking down and costing them big money to either repair or replace.

In most cases these products were supposed to be under warranty, but the warranties were voided because of improper gasoline or gasoline mix that caused the damages.

According to many manufacturing experts, the main problem is now being referred to as an ethanol issue and is directly related to the gasoline companies using ethanol to literally thin down our gasoline for more profits.

As of January 2009 there are no small engines, including motorcycles, ATVs, or scooters that will operate efficiently on the gasoline/ethanol mixture we are getting at the pumps without major internal engine damages that we will have to pay for.

Major manufacturers have started releasing lists of some of the symptoms and problems of ethanol contamination, including poor performance, overheating, foul smell when operating, permanent internal engine damages and a host of other problems that will no longer be covered under warranty regardless of how new the product is.

Both small engines and most of the automobiles on the road today are designed for unleaded gasoline only, and not ethanol. The problems we are experiencing are not our fault but lie squarely with the gasoline companies.

Last year Congress was supposed to pass laws banning the gas companies from mixing gasoline and ethanol, but so far little or nothing has been done to stop them.

Considering the billions of dollars generated by the gasoline industry each year, I guess some of these dollars found their way into the pocketbooks of the proper or improper politicians to try to cover this matter up and hope it will go away.

The American people are suffering and having to experience millions of dollars in losses each year in relation to the "Ethanol Issues," and there are at least two things we can do to stop this situation.

First, we need to flood all of our elected officials in Congress with phone calls and letters telling them to start taking actions on our behalf against the gasoline/ethanol crisis we are now experiencing.

If this does not get the proper response, we can join together and start filing class-action lawsuits against the gasoline companies independently for their part in putting the damaging ethanol in our gasoline.

We need to realize that crude oil will not be around forever, but to force the major engine manufacturers to completely redesign all of their products to accept ethanol or ethanol mix will cost billions and most likely shut down many of the American companies that are still struggling to survive in our own country because of cheaper imports.

If paying a slightly higher price at the gas pumps for regular unleaded gasoline with no ethanol will save ourselves costly repairs or replacement of our equipment, then we need to literally bite the bullet, try to grin and bear it, and move on into the future hopefully with no more ethanol in our gasoline!

-- Samuel E. Dantzler, Santee

You must be logged in to comment.