Using Gasoline With Ethanol In Rental Cars

Hey Group,

In another current thread in the Trip Reports board, a poster mentioned some charge by the Car Rental company for using Ethanol. I'm mentioning this because some Gas Companies (such as Shell as well as Union 76/Phillips/Conoco) have at least some Gas Stations where the pumps may state that the gas they offer may use "Up To 10% Ethanol." I have seen this myself in California but I have not paid attention while in Nevada.

Maybe people now need to check with rental car agencies to see if when people do their own Fill-Up, whether this is going to be an issue for the agency as well as whether people will now have to check gas pumps carefully before using them!

RecVPPlayer

How the heck would they know the gas had ethanol,short of taking a sample and having it tested?Not worth the time.Besides,10% ethanol should not harm any vehicle.

Budget, and perhaps others, now have policies requiring renters who log just 75 miles or fewer to produce a receipt showing they fueled the car. The receipt likely shows what fuel was purchaed.

Chil, in all my rentals I have never been asked to show a receipt and Budget has been the last 4 times (last weekends visit was under 75 miles).

I just got back from a 5300 mile trip to California and Vegas and all my gas receipts state regular or unleaded.Not one says anything about whether it's ethanol or not.
Now as I got closer to home,I did fill up with a tank of E-85 and the receipt did state it was E-85.But there is a huge difference between E-85 and a 10% blend of ethanol.

I always have the receipt handy but in renting cars from Florida to NOLA to Vegas to Reno to SF I have never been asked for a receipt. When checking in the employee always ducks in the car checking the mileage and gas level I am sure then prints the receipt and sends me on my way. If the gas level says full it is ready for the next renter so why would they care if it was absolutely full or just pretty full. Also I agree with bbking that 10% ethanol would not hurt a vehicle otherwise why would it be sold?

Cool, maybe they're backing off.

When I was in Vegas in September and rented in Budget, the policy was in effect, I saw a sign and was given a note with my rental documents about it, and I was asked for a receipt on return. Can't speak to how they do it on every occasion now, but I think it's a sensible policy for a company that wants to keep rates low, one I don't mind abiding by.

Maybe, in case of something happening, renters should get an original and a duplicate receipt -- one for the rental car company and one for the renter's own records.

RecVPPlayer

Stupid people on the cheap put E-85 in cars. If a car isn't E-85 rated the stuff can do damage.