Charge transfer processes of Ar+, Kr+, Xe+, N-2(+), CO+, Ar-2(+), Kr-2(+), and N-4(+) with the alkanes ethane, propane, and n-butane were investigated using the selected-ion-flow-drift-tube (SIFDT) technique. The relative abundances of molecular and fragment hydrocarbon product ions can be explained using the breakdown pattern of the hydrocarbon molecular ion in question and assuming that the recombination energy of the projectile ions is deposited in the quasi continuum of the energy levels of the polyatomic molecular ions in a resonant way. The observed increase of the fragment ion yields with increasing collision energy is due to collision induced excitation up to the dissociation limit of the hydrocarbon ions in collisions with the helium buffer gas atoms rather than to inelastic charge transfer from hyperthermal projectile ions.