hughs2k

i've heard somewhere that ethanol is bad for any vehicle. Now it concerns me more that every gas station I go to has at least 10% ethanol mixed in. Can someone educate me about ethanol in our engines??

SheDrivesIt

You will find that your fuel economy is worse. The manual states that up to 10% ethanol is OK. Fuel system components are designed for it.

ace123

lower fuel economy but thats it

shotiable

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=590401

hughs2k

well worse fuel economy is no good, especially with these ridiculous premium prices. Is it me or are more gas stations using ethanol in their fuel???

s2kforlife

basically we're getting ripped off, less actual gas higher prices..

Elistan

In certain high-pollution areas, the use of an oxygenator in the gasoline is required during summer time. That component used to be MTBE, but there were health concerns so it was outlawed. Alcohol is a carbohydrate with an oxygen atom. For example, methanol is basically methane with an oxygen between the carbon and one of the hydrogens (and therefore sometimes called hydroxymethane.) Similarly, ethanol is ethane with a hydroxy group. Anyway, ethanol doesn't cause cancer like MTBE, so it became the replacement oxygenator.

I'll work the math later if somebody wants, but here's some info:
MTBE - 93.5 MBtu/gal, 19.2% required to achieve 3.5 wt% oxygen in gasoline
Ethanol - 76.0 MBtu/gal, 10.0% required to achieve 3.5 wt% oxygen in gasoline

So who knows, maybe gasoline with ethanol has overall more engergy than gasoline with MTBE did, since less ethanol than MTBE is required to get the right amout of oxygen.

(Gasoline is 115 MBtu/gal, by the way.)

Elistan

Ha! Check it out. Using the percentages above, gasoline with 10% ethanol has 111.10 MBtu/gal, while gasoline with 19.2% MTBE has 110.87 MBtu/gal. So we're actually getting MORE energy per gallon by replacing MTBE with ethanol.

Doesn't compare to just straight gasoline we get in winter, though.

shotiable

i still get less mpg with ethanol blended gas. ethanol sucks. i want my mpg, let someone else get cancer

wirelessguy2005

just convert your car over to e85 like i have and i gurantee you will spend less on fuel and make more power in the process.