What is Flex Fuel? The gas alternative Fresno mechanics say not to use

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the warfare successful Iran rages on, state prices person deed their highest constituent successful 4 years.

AAA reporting a 27-cent hike successful 1 week, bringing the mean to $5.93 a gallon successful Fresno County.

"I'm decidedly seeing a immense difference," Garrett Elliott told Action News. He is 1 of the galore drivers feeling the pain, and helium is present rationing however overmuch helium fills up.

"I person to instrumentality inaugural to lone bash a small spot present and there, until I tin spell to a cheaper place, wherever I tin truly capable up my vessel and marque the astir of it," Elliott said.

ABC Price Tracker: See grocery, lodging and state prices wherever you live

With state prices truthful high, immoderate drivers are present looking astatine Flex Fuel.

At 1 Northwest Fresno state station, Action News recovered it for $2.99 a gallon. It comes with a informing to lone usage it successful Flex Fuel vehicles.

"It's benignant of a operation of gasoline and methanol," Dennis Montalbano astatine German Auto Repair told Action News.

Flex Fuel contains importantly much ethanol than gasoline. Over the years, Montalbano has seen issues with engines.

"It is not bully for thing that has rubber successful the carburetor," Montalbano said. "It volition swell up. It volition deteriorate."

For vehicles that tin usage Flex Fuel, each travel to the pump tin beryllium cheaper. However, you volition apt sojourn much often.

Each gallon contains astir 27 percent little energy. Maintenance costs besides increase.

"If you can't spend to bargain bully fuel, you astir apt can't spend to hole your car either," Montalbano said. "I would archer you not to bash it."

But the entreaty comes arsenic prices summation crossed the board.

The Action News Price Tracker shows the rising outgo of household goods, impacting everything from lodging to groceries and airfare.

"I tin decidedly consciousness conscionable the wide economy, prices going up," Elliott said. "That's wherefore I effort to marque budgeting happen, but with gas, it's hard to bash that. I conscionable ran retired of gas, and I had to propulsion implicit to capable up, but I didn't privation to bash much than $20."

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