A major Wisconsin engine manufacture warns consumers of the changes by the Obama Administrations EPA has made on fuel requirements for small engines.
Briggs & Stratton Corporation Warns Consumers
Higher Ethanol Levels (E-15) Will Harm Small Engines
Posted Monday, October 15, 2012 in Press ReleasesMILWAUKEE, WI (October 15, 2012) – Briggs & Stratton continues to advise outdoor power
equipment users to be aware of a new fuel with a higher level of ethanol that could harm
small engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved higher levels of
ethanol (E-15 or 15% Ethanol) in gasoline for use only in 2001 and newer automobiles and
light trucks.All Briggs & Stratton small gasoline powered engines are designed to run on up to E-10, or
up to 10% ethanol. Use of higher levels of ethanol will negatively affect engine performance
and longevity, permanently damage the engine and void manufacturer’s warranty. The
Operator’s Manual clearly explains what fuels can be used to ensure a properly functioning
product. Consumers should also pay close attention to the gas pumps at local filling
stations. Some may offer both E-10 and E-15 or have blender pumps that dispense midlevel
ethanol fuels for “flex-fuel” automobiles. There are web sites available to identify the
locations of gas stations which sell E-0 fuel. With an estimated 80 million walk behind and
riding lawn mowers, valued at almost 50 billion dollars in garages all over the U.S., the
potential financial impact on consumers is astronomical.“Briggs & Stratton fully supports efforts towards energy independence and the use of
biofuels; however our products were not designed to run on any fuel containing ethanol over
10%” said Laura Timm, Communications Director at Briggs & Stratton. “We are deeply
concerned for consumers who own our products and who may inadvertently put E-15 in
their products, ultimately causing damage and voiding their warranty. Although currently it is
illegal to use E-15 in anything other than a vehicle or light truck that was manufactured after
2001, we are strongly encouraging the EPA to educate consumers on the adverse impacts
E-15 will have on small engines and to put methods in place for consumers to prevent
misfueling.”# # #
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world’s
largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned
subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America’s number one
From Wheeler Report via Vicky McKenna Twitter.
October 18, 2012
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