Agreed, it is here and there on nothing most of us can do about it.

Ethanol attracts water. Up to a certain point it will hold the water
and it will simply get burnt. But at saturation the water will fall
out of suspension and end up in the bottom of your tank. If you dump
your water separator regularly you will catch it before it fills. If
you ignore it it will eventually fill with water and you will start to
get water in the rest of the fuel system and this will cause corrosion
problems.

John Wentworth wrote:
"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...

I have a 2004 Mercury 4-stroke outboard, and up to 10% ethanol fuel is
permitted. Mercury doesn't sound happy about the use of ethanol blended
fuels, but it is permitted. In 2003 Yamaha and OMC said much the same
thing: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/objects/pdf/2003marine.pdf

Yamaha suggests the use of a fuel filter/ water separator for their
outboards: Install a Yamaha mini-10T filter or 10-Micron filter. The
10-Micron filter is designed for use on boats with Yamaha outboards. The
smaller mini-10 is designed for smaller boats with engines 115hp and under.
Both Yamaha products filter out contaminants and separate water from fuel.
The mini-10 features an aluminum head and is made from coated steel inside
and painted steel outside to combat corrosion. The 10-Micron filter features
either an aluminum or stainless steel head and is also made from coated
interior and painted exterior steel.

Do you live in an area where the fuel supply is a 10% ethanol blend? Have
you asked your dealer for a recommendation? Has the dealer stated that your
warranty is void if you use the only available fuel blend?

I'm well aware of the issues with ethanol blended fuel, but it's late in the
game to debate whether it's a good idea or not. In many parts of the
country, ethanol blended fuel is a fact, and we have to deal with it.

Have you considered becoming a sailboater? ;-)