New study finds no significant fuel pump performance problems with E20

Increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline from 10 percent to 20 percent causes no significant change in performance of automotive fuel systems according to research conducted by the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The study examined the impact of gasoline with a 20 percent blend of ethanol (E20) on the endurance, wear and performance of automotive fuel pumps and sending units. This study is the fourth in a series of research projects conducted to determine the effect of E20 on fuel system components.

The study looked at eight models of fuel pumps, running three identical versions of each model for 4,000 hours using one of three different fuels - gasoline, E10 and E20. Gasoline and E10 were used in the study as a reference to identify what effects two accepted fuels would have on the pumps and sending units. The 24 pumps were selected to represent a variety of manufacturers, model years, common vehicles and designs. In addition, the study examined the effect of E20 on nine different makes and models of sending units.

The study found that the pumps showed significantly less wear when tested with E20 than with gasoline. The study concluded that overall, E20 did not have any greater negative effects than gasoline or E10 on the fuel pumps tested. It also showed there were no substantial differences in the performance of the sending units tested in the three different fuels.