How Much Ethanol Is In A Gallon Of Gas?

News 8 Puts Gas Sold At Area Stations To The Test

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, Pa. -- You're spending a lot of money on gasoline these days. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of your annual salary goes to gas.

So to make sure you're getting the most for your money, News 8 On Your Side is starting a series of reports examining the quality of the gas we're paying so much for.

What's In A Gallon Of Gas?

A trip to the gas station these days is like a trip to the dentist without the pain killers.

"It's a big concern because now I'm putting in 50 to 70 dollars a tank of gas," said Phil Covert, of York.

The whole experience can leave you feeling numb and wondering if you're really getting what you're paying for.

Depending on where you live, either the state or the county checks on the accuracy of gas pumps. For example, in York County they have their own weights and measures department, which checks on the quantity of what's coming out of the nozzle.

But when it comes to checking on the quality of the gas, no one's doing that.

There are all kinds of labels on gas pumps for pricing and octane. But the one that's getting the most attention is the ethanol label.

To put it mildly, ethanol is not exactly a hit with motorists.

"I think that ethanol is a wasted effort," said driver Jack Stuckey, of Dover, York County.

Ethanol reduces fuel mileage and some people believe it harms engines by causing corrosion.

The gasoline we buy in Pennsylvania can contain up to 10 percent ethanol, but there is no government or consumer agency monitoring ethanol content.

So, news 8 decided to test gasoline on our own. We purchased a fuel test kit, which consisted of a test tube, a fuel transfer bottle and a blue dye that will clearly show how much alcohol or ethanol there is in the fuel we were testing. Then, we hit the road, buying small amounts of gasoline at stations all throughout the Susquehanna Valley.

We purchased gasoline at stations that advertised that their gas was ethanol free -- or pure gas -- and we bought gas at pumps that were clearly labeled with E-10 fuel. Then, we brought the samples back to our garage and put our test kit to use.

Within seconds, you can see the percentage of ethanol in the sample as indicated by a blue color. One sample, advertised as containing no ethanol, showed exactly that. Another sample advertised as containing some ethanol, tested as containing 10 percent ethanol.

However, not every test went as expected.

Tuesday on News 8 at 6 p.m., we'll tell you where we found some gasoline that was not "as advertised."

And we want to be clear about gasoline quality issues. The Environmental Protection Agency will occasionally take random gasoline samples across the nation, checking for ethanol content and octane.

source: wgal