Protecting your investment in small engine products, from boats to snowmobiles, from outdoor power equipment to motorcycles, is smart equipment ownership. Now, the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has partnered with the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) in the ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign, an ethanol education and consumer protection program. The campaign reminds consumers to always use fuels containing no greater than ten percent ethanol when powering their outdoor power equipment or other non-road product, such as boats, snowmobiles and motorcycles, not designed for higher ethanol fuel blends.
Created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers, the ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is most known by its emblematic prominent, red warning hand symbol indicating ‘OK’ for 10 percent ethanol and ‘No’ for mid-level ethanol blends (such as E15, E30, E85).  The campaign was launched in October 2013, in response to higher ethanol blended fuels containing being made available in the marketplace for ‘flex-fuel’ automobiles, and to warn consumers not to inadvertently mis-fuel their engine products not designed to handle these higher ethanol fuel blends.

OPEI, ISMA and NMMA urge consumers to read their equipment operating manual before filling engines with gasoline to ensure they use the right fuel. For more information, visit www.LookBeforeYouPump.com and search for #LookB4UPump on Twitter and Facebook.

A summer 2013 OPEI/Harris Interactive study shows the vast majority of Americans (71%) are “not at all sure” if it is illegal or legal to put high level ethanol gas (i.e., anything greater than 10% ethanol) into engines such as those in boats, mowers, chain saws, snowmobiles, generators and other engine products.

Subsequent research in April 2014 through Scripps Howard’s Under One Roof panel survey, shows that just over 72% are not aware that new fuels are available for certain automobiles on the market that are illegal for use in outdoor power equipment and all other non-automobile engine equipment. Just over 28% of respondents to the survey said they select the same gasoline for their outdoor power equipment as they do for their car or truck. Just over 12% said they select fuel by price, while more than 43% select fuel as stated in their owner’s manual.