Gene Kearns wrote:
"Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the selling of a consumer
product which has both full and limited warranties if such warranties
are clearly and conspicuously differentiated. "

Most warranties are going to be fairly specific about the type of fuel
you can use. If not, there would be people wanting to sue them over
unsuccessfully using propane (or acetylene, or hydrogen) in a boat.

The law was on your side.... it probably won't be for Downtime....


The full email is pasted below. I am curious to know if they, or any
company can decide to change warranty terms 'on the fly'. I think I
might be missing something here, time for a call to the dealer to
clarify this.


"To All BMW of Fort Myers Customers:


We have been advised by BMWNA that with the release of E10 and E85
gasoline with ethanol, there is a need to advise customers that is very
important to put quality gasoline into their vehicles.

The sale of E10, blended ethanol fuel, is on the rise in the US as more
states are mandating its use to improve air quality. Also promoting the
growth of E10 allows the phase out of the current additive MTBE that has
been found to contaminate ground water supplies. Even so, the amount of
ethanol added to the gasoline could raise the alcohol level of the fuel
and cause your vehicle to crank, but not start; stall out; and/or run
rough. BMW has advised us that they will not warranty, or goodwill,
necessary repairs due to bad gas or high alcohol content in the fuel.

Some of the parts that could be damaged by poor fuel quality include
fuel pumps (high pressure pumps as well), fuel filter, injectors, etc.
The problems start because E10 is very effective solvent and it will
attack varnish, gum, and resins: the sludge that can build up in fuel
tanks. Once cleaned off the fuel tank walls, poor performance with
clogged filters and injectors is common. Also ethanol has a great
affinity for water, and will attract moisture from the atmosphere.
Water is heavier than gas so the water/ethanol molecule is dragged to
the bottom of the tank and separates from the more buoyant fuel
molecules. This is called phase separation. When this separation
occurs you end up with a corrosive water/ethanol layer on the bottom of
the tank, under what is now substandard fuel. Water displaces gasoline
and then pits and corrodes the metal surfaces causing premature wear on
the fuel pump. Water also reacts with various components in the fuel
and forms acids, which corrode the injector tips as well.

Water when sucked into an engine will shut it down. It must be cleaned,
and the oil changed. However, a water/ethanol mixture causes a more
serious problem, because instead of just shutting the engine down, the
mixture can be partially combusted, but not effectively, which can
damage the engine. Over a period of time this mixture will cause
excessive carbon deposits, which can wear on pistons and valves.

We recommend that only "top tier" fuels be used, and if necessary a
gasoline additive with "techron" be added, occasionally. If possible,
make sure you know your gasoline retailer and try to buy your gasoline
from the same location as often as possible. The best deal isn't always
the cheapest deal."