taken out of Sydney Herald newspaper

[25GTT]

Hey All i thought you all might be interested in this,

A survey of independent petrol retailers in southern Sydney has found two-thirds are selling fuel containing ethanol at levels which car makers warn can damage engines and void manufacturers' warranties.

The survey, carried out for the Herald by the fuel analyst, Oilcheck, found ethanol levels ranging from 10.6 per cent by volume to 21.6 per cent at the independent outlets in Sydney's southern and south-western suburbs.

Australia's car makers have all warned that petrol containing more than 10 per cent ethanol can damage engines and, as a result, void warranties.

Manildra, a major donor to the Coalition parties, sells through a network of some 200 independent petrol stations, most of them in the Sydney-Wollongong area.

The three stations in the survey whose fuel was found to contain 20 per cent ethanol or more were:

Park Petroleum, at 338 Princes Highway, Blakehurst, which contained 21.6 per cent;

Volume Plus, at King Georges Road, South Hurstville, (20.8 per cent);

AP Punchbowl, at the corner of Dudley and Punchbowl Roads in Punchbowl, (20 per cent).

The three found to contain above 10 per cent were:

EMES Petroleum, at 607 Canterbury Road Belmore, with 19.9 per cent of the additive;

Freedom Fuel, in Loftus Avenue, Loftus, (16.3 per cent);

Metro Petroleum, King Georges Road, South Hurstville (10.6 per cent).

Fuel at three other independent stations surveyed had none of the additive.

As well as having the potential to damage fuel systems and even paintwork because of its corrosiveness, ethanol can reduce performance. It increases petrol consumption by from 2.5 to 3 per cent for every 10 per cent of ethanol.

Yesterday most of the outlets selling high ethanol blends were reluctant to speak to the Herald. But one, Richard Andary, of AP Punchbowl, said his supplies came from Manildra as well as other outlets, depending on who was offering the best price. This meant ethanol levels could vary widely.

Michael Sahlaoui, manager of EMES Belmore, also said his supplier was Manildra and claimed "most customers" were aware of the ethanol content of his fuel - although it was not clearly identified