Ethanol question

[straightshooter1]

I've always heard that ethanol is really not good for modern engines.

There's a local gas station, a bit out of my usual area, but not too far, that sells ethanol free gas, but the price is about .27 higher than other stations for regular ($4.06 today).

I'm also told that gas mileage improves without the ethanol. I drive a 2007 Pathfinder and get 18 around town, 23 or 24 on the road. But TampaBay is almost all "around town."

Would you drive a bit and pay more for ethanol free gas?

I also "heard' that adding Stabil or something similar removes whatever is left from ethanol that harms engines. I could simply add a container of that from time to time, but I am not sure that is not just some internet rumor.

Bob

 

[venomballistics]

Ethanol does not hurt engines ... it hurts some of the common seal and gasket materials used in older fuel system that did not anticipate its future use.
ethanol is a thirstier fuel than gasoline. there is less chemical energy within a given volume of ethanol than an equal volume of gasoline. It must be run a bit richer than gasoline alone and thus results in your mileage decrease.
would I drive an extra couple miles to avoid it .....
depends on which of my cars I am driving.
87 Mustang ... oh hell yeah im going to avoid it as its system did not anticipate it ... my Buick of more recent vintage ... Ill only favor booze free gas as it was designed anticipating the use of ethanol.
I think it runs a little better "off the sauce" and on long hauls, I try to sober her up. It's not something I get OCD about ...

Stabil !?!? man you need to hang with some brighter bulbs.
Ethanol does not change its composition from adding that to it. Nor can adding a chemical make it disappear.
If its in a system it can do damage to, then its still there to do damage no matter what you add to the tank ... other than fire which will consume it.... and cause far more damage than using it

 

[m1gunner]

If I could find it, I would only purchase alcohol free gas. You are getting less than 90% of the gas mileage on gasahol than you would get on real gasoline (on some cars it is even worse). My wife's honda gets 32+ mpg on real gas, 26 on gasahol.


Stabil won't help, don't waste your money.

Any rubber deterioration problems will show themselves in the first 2 months of adding the alcohol, so if you have been using it a while and no leaks so far, you are probably ok.

 

[don95sml]

As I understand it, Sta-Bil is used to extend the life of gasoline while it is being stored, like keeping outboard engine fuel over the winter. Gas with ethanol is OK for use in modern auto engines, but is not recommended for use in marine outboard motors.

 

[pharmer]

I'm just happy to live in a place with such great minds. They have figured that adding 10% ethanol to gas lowers mileage by 10%. We burn our food and pay extra for "less" energy. Brilliant. Joe

 

[G-Mac]

I'm just happy to live in a place with such great minds. They have figured that adding 10% ethanol to gas lowers mileage by 10%. We burn our food and pay extra for "less" energy. Brilliant. Joe

Yes, but it's for the children!

 

[Rule3]

You will probably get worse gas mileage with 10% ethanol.

It actually takes (as in costs) more energy to produce a gal of ethanol than a gal of regular gas.

Govt accounting 101.

 

[ladder13]

Yes, but it's for the children!

Thief! you stole my sig line.

 

[luis]

All vehicles made after 1989 can run on a 10% mix without an issue. The rubber fuel parts have been protected with silicon.

Most vehicles after 2005 can run on E85 but you need to check with the factory to confirm your model and year.

The 10% alcohol was designed to reduce polution and meet federal emission levels. Had the ethonal option not been available years ago, many cities like Miami, Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jax would have gone to the same measures as California did not reduce smog. Extra taxes, vehicle running limits, etc.

 

[sar4937]

Ethanol brings all the moisture that has condensed in the underground fuel tank into suspension. Ethanol is combined when it is loaded on the tank truck, they will not push it through the underground lines mixed in the fuel. In the old days when an underground tank had collected water (and we measured it with a long measuring stick, and calculated the volume off a chart) we sweetened it with either methyl or ethyl alcohol. This in effect is what the alcohol does in ethanol fuel. If your engine benefits from the increased octane the ethanol adds, sometimes you will not loose mpg. Fuel manufacturers stopped blending fuel for carbureted vehicles years ago, and ethanol lowers the boiling point of fuel quite a bit. EFI vehicles don't have a vapor lock issue because the fuel is under pressure.

 

[deralte]

Another stupid government program. The country is broke and they think spending the taxpayer money on a program like this is a good idea. It cost more to produce than the energy you get out of it. I opted out and have been driving a diesel for the past 12 years.

 

[sar4937]

On the diesel thing, I was driving cross country this winter and had to buy B20 in Illinois (it was all they sold). My truck was only approved for B5.

 

[27145]

I would avoid buying ethanol if possible. Keeping the **** in a lawn mower for over a month wreaks havoc. It varnishes up carbs, clogs injectors. The xtra money you spend on non ethy gas negates the need for fuel supplements. Working at a Harley dealer, as soon as the warm weather came, people would come in by the droves to have the fuel system cleaned out. Their bikes wouldnt start, they never used a stabilizer or additive.

 

[feralmerril]

Back in about 2,002 I was driveing from california to wisconsin. In minnesota the "stuff" was advertised as being higher octain and cheaper than regular gas. I thought I would try a tank. I had a GMC with the 350 CID engine. It ran awfull! I wish I hadnt tried it and I was lucky to get home by my dad in wisconsin. Never again! It`s impactical, costs more to produce, and raises the price of groceries as land to grow vegtables is used for corn squeezings! Some time ago Greta Van susteran had a special on it. She interviewed a operation near auroaville wisconsin, by the name olsen. Thats right where I grew up and I am sure I knew the older generation. Even so, they didnt convince me!

 

[bloo]

67 Mustang gets only 110 leaded gas. 63 Galaxie seems to run ok on what ever I put in it but I try to stick with 97 octane not corn squeezings. Both my Buicks are 2006 and run ok on 10% moonshine. How much corn grower money do you think went into the ethanol mandate.

 

[dmar]

As I understand it, Sta-Bil is used to extend the life of gasoline while it is being stored, like keeping outboard engine fuel over the winter. Gas with ethanol is OK for use in modern auto engines, but is not recommended for use in marine outboard motors.

The Stabil that the OP heard about, that helps with ethanol fuel, is the blue Stabil that's labeled for use with marine applications. This is not necessarily a stabilizer used for storage, but a treatment for ethanol-based fuels.

From what I hear, from a top notch marine mechanic, the stuff really does a good job of protecting engines that were not designed for the newer ethanol fuels... I use it in the gas for my older engines, and small equipment engines.

 

[dmar]

67 Mustang gets only 110 leaded gas. 63 Galaxie seems to run ok on what ever I put in it but I try to stick with 97 octane not corn squeezings. Both my Buicks are 2006 and run ok on 10% moonshine. How much corn grower money do you think went into the ethanol mandate.

Absolutely, another shining example of "bought and paid for legislation!". Of course some of the consequences are being seen with higher food prices, and the re-emergence of sugar as an alternative to sweeten our processed foods... Notice all of those statements of "no high fructose corn syrup" on food labels latey? I love that they try to make it seem like they're doing you a favor by not including HFCS, when it's really just cheaper to use another sweetener now... How about the 'throwback' Pepsi that's made with real sugar? Just watch out for when the artificial sweeteners are used, those compounds are nasty chemicals, but of course, cheaper...

 

[rlsbee]

I don't usually like additives but I bought something called 'Star-tron' and I really like it. I saw where some guys on a tractor forum were using and recommended it. I've used it in my tractors, snowblower, and '98 Dodge pickup. I would guess that Stabil's Ethanol treatment is very similar.

 

[m1gunner]

The problems I have run into with ethanol in gas is swelling and softening (to failure) of rubber and plastic parts in the fuel system. Here is what Stabil says about that:

"NO additive, including Marine Formula STA-BIl can protect rubbers and plastics that are not designed for exposure to Ethanol or other chemicals found in gasoline."

 

[johngalt]

It works ok in my '97 Tahoe (350 cid). Here in ohio, you probably can only get ethanol. I've been told that even if the pump isn't labeled as ethanol, it probably is. I have no idea how the gas mileage compares with the real stuff.