kingfishbig Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 52 minutes ago, Fishop said: Ethanols fine, what are you worried about? From the mercury website QUESTION: Will the use of fuels containing ethanol void my engine warranty? ANSWER: Fuels containing up to 10 percent ethanol are considered acceptable for use in Mercury engines. Fuels containing higher levels of ethanol are not considered acceptable for use, and the use of fuels containing ethanol higher than 10 percent can void the warranty. That just means that the fuel system including hoses will not be degraded by ethanol. The big problem is that ethanol will combine with any water in the fuel and drop out. This can cause your engine to stop and can cause expensive problems, particularly with injectors. So, as other posters have pointed out, ethanol is a big no - no for marine use. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 37 minutes ago, Fishop said: Ethanols fine, what are you worried about? From the mercury website QUESTION: Will the use of fuels containing ethanol void my engine warranty? ANSWER: Fuels containing up to 10 percent ethanol are considered acceptable for use in Mercury engines. Fuels containing higher levels of ethanol are not considered acceptable for use, and the use of fuels containing ethanol higher than 10 percent can void the warranty. Hey @Fishop... as many newbies look at this site for advice its probably best if you add the Mercury website link and more motor specific information rather than such a generic statement. That statement may well be true for current 2018(?) Mercury models but Ethanol mixed fuel is absolutely NOT approved by Mercury for use in my 1999 Mercury 200HP EFI Bluewater series (oil injected post mix). It will cause damage - as I have posted previously. 95 or 98 is the go for my EFI two stroke motor. One other thing that I think Raiders should consider, regardless if your motor is E10 rated or not, and that is how long does your fuel sit in the tank - Mercury may well be assuming that you use all the fuel in your tank and fill with fresh Ethanol mix every trip - that is ideal. In my experience, that is hardly ever the case with fishos - our fuel or residual fuel may sit in the tank for months, and in those cases ethanol and fuel do separate - they are immiscible liquids and separate over time - again I've posted on this previously. Ethanol with oxygen breaks down to acetic acid (vinegar) and water ... so go figure what that will do sitting in your tank and being sucked through your engine. (This is not so much an issue with cars as we go through a tank of fuel much more frequently - or with professional boating applications - but in my opinion it's overlooked in the recreational applications). BTW, heres an interesting read on ethanol fuels in general -- -- https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/motoring-news/e10-petrol-ripoff-pushes-motorists-into-premium-fuel-doesnt-lead-to-cleaner-air/news-story/6669a4e3ada1095980b74615c710caaa#.ldro2 A long time ago I read E10 was the creation of CSR (after projecting a glut in sugar production) lobbying the green movement... seems the facts are starting to line up that way. Cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I,m not really fussed with what i use as i use regular unleaded when possible but have and will use E10 now and in the past in all my boats with no ill effect. I use/d a portable fuel tank and would empty it in the car every trip and use new fuel the next so it wouldn't have time to degrade. Not easily possible for you guys with big underfloor tanks i guess unless you want to be syphoning and mucking around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I should state that I always use fuel stabiliser in my boat fuel and in my power gardening equipment, whether 2 or 4 stroke. Fuel stabiliser is claimed to extend the life of fuel to up to 3 years, minimising octane drop and help combat moisture and ethanol related issues (not that I use E10). I use Stabil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back cruncher Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Hi all...I’m with zmk1962.ive seen first hand the damage e10 fuel does.i use quad bikes for hunting pigs,and they go into storage when not in use,much like boats.ive had the carbies all corroded up from e10 fuel. i will never put e10 in anything i own.EVER ! I use the highest octane fuel avaliabe on my etec.apparently octane decreases with age.my boat has a 200 liter tank,i usually use no more than 30 liters per trip,and get out atleast twice a month,so i highly doubt my fuel in my tank has the same octane as what i buy.although what has been said here that etecs should be run on low octane fuel,i havnt read the manual.but my engine runs fine and never missed a beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back cruncher Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Hi all...btw,i keep my fuel tank topped up full always.my boat rides better with weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishop Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 20 hours ago, zmk1962 said: Hey @Fishop... as many newbies look at this site for advice its probably best if you add the Mercury website link and more motor specific information rather than such a generic statement. That statement may well be true for current 2018(?) Mercury models but Ethanol mixed fuel is absolutely NOT approved by Mercury for use in my 1999 Mercury 200HP EFI Bluewater series (oil injected post mix). It will cause damage - as I have posted previously. 95 or 98 is the go for my EFI two stroke motor. One other thing that I think Raiders should consider, regardless if your motor is E10 rated or not, and that is how long does your fuel sit in the tank - Mercury may well be assuming that you use all the fuel in your tank and fill with fresh Ethanol mix every trip - that is ideal. In my experience, that is hardly ever the case with fishos - our fuel or residual fuel may sit in the tank for months, and in those cases ethanol and fuel do separate - they are immiscible liquids and separate over time - again I've posted on this previously. Ethanol with oxygen breaks down to acetic acid (vinegar) and water ... so go figure what that will do sitting in your tank and being sucked through your engine. (This is not so much an issue with cars as we go through a tank of fuel much more frequently - or with professional boating applications - but in my opinion it's overlooked in the recreational applications). BTW, heres an interesting read on ethanol fuels in general -- -- https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/motoring-news/e10-petrol-ripoff-pushes-motorists-into-premium-fuel-doesnt-lead-to-cleaner-air/news-story/6669a4e3ada1095980b74615c710caaa#.ldro2 A long time ago I read E10 was the creation of CSR (after projecting a glut in sugar production) lobbying the green movement... seems the facts are starting to line up that way. Cheers Zoran Sorry I was being sarcastic I should have put a winky face at the end of my comment. Its just under FAQ on the website and it does not specify new or old style motors. Pretty silly having it on their website I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 22 hours ago, Fishop said: Ethanols fine, what are you worried about? No need to apologise.....just re read -- and got the sarcasm --- yeah - what's there to worry about - we're always happy to sell you a new motor or parts ... ethanol away ! hahaha Cheers Z 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austwave Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Pretty sure the 711 i get mine at the 91 is standard unleaded the 95 has ethanol and the 98 is the premium no ethanol but 40c a litre more. I use the 91 with a dose of stabil incase i dont get out for a spell. got a 2004 yammy 4stroke 60hp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hill373737 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 23 hours ago, Berleyguts said: I should state that I always use fuel stabiliser ......... is claimed to extend the life of fuel to up to 3 years Baz ... You were complaining recently about not going out for 2 weeks over school holidays (I'm with you) so I can't see a tank of your fuel lasting 3 years!! ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Hill373737 said: Baz ... You were complaining recently about not going out for 2 weeks over school holidays (I'm with you) so I can't see a tank of your fuel lasting 3 years!! ? Ha ha! Actually, I haven’t been out for a few months due to illness, trips away and jobs around the yard etc. very frustrating! But, when the battery’s not flat and the starter solenoid isn’t faulty, she starts first time every time in the driveway! I hardly ever use my chainsaw but I have about 1/2 litre of 40:1 2-stroke mix that would be a couple of years old. That chainsaw starts every time, too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smasher Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 (edited) I have a Mercruiser 3.0 (135hp) and I find the engine diesels if I run anything less than 98 ULP. That is when I turn the engine off and it keeps running rough for a few seconds until it conks out. It also does it if I go from cruise speed to idle to off too quickly. If I idle it for 5-10 seconds its fine. My mechanic says this is normal but I’m not so sure... Edited October 14, 2018 by Smasher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rozza_b Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Interesting convo some good info, personally i run either 95 or 98 in my boat although the manual says i only need to use 91, main reason is i would very rarely go through more then 15l of fuel in a trip and i have 60l under the floor so like to keep the octane levels up over time plus there is no harm at all in running a higher octane other then to the wallet. Other thing is i come from a car background before i knew much about boats and i can tell you now the difference low octane fuel makes in performance and protection of the engine is nuts, my tuned up STI runs terrible on anything other then 98, back fires, misses, sluggish just to name a few things so guess that plays into my thinking as well. In regards to E10 personally it wont go near my outboard for reasons such as holding moisture, eating seals, economy is a lot worse and more, now if E85 came on the market and my outboard would run it then i might be inclined to change haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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