State investigators shut down pumps at a North Platte gas station near Interstate-80 last week because there was ethanol in unleaded and super unleaded blends of gas.

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Motorists had no way to know that the gas contained ethanol.

The Nebraska Department of Weights and Measure forced the Shell-Time Saver #7 station at 3220 S. Jeffers to put more gasoline in its tanks to reduce the percentage of ethanol.

Tests Feb. 5 turned up 15 percent ethanol in unleaded fuel and 16 percent ethanol in super-unleaded.

“We stopped those pumps until additional gas was added (to reduce the ethanol content),” said Christin Kamm, a spokeswoman for the department.

The station is south of I-80 and just south of the Conoco and BP stations that were cited last summer for deceptive trade practices and misleading prices posted on overhead signs.

Time-Saver owners could not be reached Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning for comment.

Kamm said no fines were issued. The inspection followed a complaint.

Time-Saver owners made a change after the inspection. Small stickers on the sides of pumps now say “Ethanol Enriched”.

No pumps at that Time Saver station are currently marked “E-10”, which would indicate 10 percent ethanol.

By state and federal law, stations must inform motorists which fuels contain more than 10 percent ethanol.

The higher ethanol blends can damage motor vehicles if the vehicles are not "flex fuel vehicles" -- manufactured to run on a higher percentage of ethanol.