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KERR
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
So i was getting gas at Exxon again today like usual when i noticed a HUGE sticker across the pumps that says
" GAS MAY CONTAIN 10 - 15 % ETHANOL"
Of course i didnt see this until i had 20 gallons alread pumped in so i went and and finished it off with the 23.5 gallons... went in to pay and i ask the lady about the sticker. She said yea all the pumps could have 10-15 % ethanol in them now. Have agood day.
I get gas there 3 times a week and have never seen that sticker before.
So the question is will this hurt our motors that dont run on ethanol? I mean we dont have to many choices of station in my small town, we have 8 stations. 3 of them are Exxons owned by the same guy.. 3 of them are Walmart's discount gas and we all know good that is... and the other two are Chevrons.. We also have a shell but its usually $.50 higher a gallon than the rest and i cant understand a word the lady says that works there...
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
KERR - 6/11/2007 2:30 PM
We also have a shell but its usually $.50 higher a gallon than the rest and i cant understand a word the lady says that works there...
Can't be any warse than the spelling in some of your posts  Just kidding KERR!
The ethanol wont hurt the G. They have been peddling 10% ethanol fuel in the midwest for over a decade now. It is common in many areas and wont hurt a modern car like that. It probably will hurt your fuel economy some though. It is supposed to help the enviroment, until you consider what it takes to make it, then it is a lose, lose IMO. It could hasten the drying out of rubber fuel lines on something like a 280 but new cars are built to tolerate the stuff. |
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VonEpp
W124 Host
Date registered: Sep 2006
Location: Australia
Vehicle(s): w114, w124 & w460
Posts: 357
| Re: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
Any properly referenced scientific paper I've ever read on Ethanol blend fuels supports their use in modern motor vehicles.
Some groups like to use scare tactics to discredit the use of Ethanol blends, however when you look into their claims a little deeper they hold no water.
Ethanol blends are relatively new downunder but I try to fill up with "E10" (10% Ethanol blended Gasoline) whenever possible - the Energy Density of Ethanol is somewhat higher than Gasoline. |
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KERR
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| Re: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
yea i know im the world worst at typing!
I just didnt know what the big deal is about this, I mean the local GM dealer keep running ads about how they can sale "Flex fuel" trucks and tahoes... So i thought maybe you had to have some special stuff to burn the ethanol |
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| Re: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
KERR - 6/12/2007 8:14 AM yea i know im the world worst at typing! I just didnt know what the big deal is about this, I mean the local GM dealer keep running ads about how they can sale "Flex fuel" trucks and tahoes... So i thought maybe you had to have some special stuff to burn the ethanol 10% ethanol blend has been around in metropolitan areas and as a "winter" gasoline since the 70s. They legally have to post it, but they don't have to post it big. Look closely and you'll see that kind of writing somewhere on nearly every gas pump there is. Mostly because the fuels are all processed and handled together (same trucks, etc) and even the stations that are buying pure gasoline have to accept there may be some ethanol in it and thus post the legal-ese. All vehicles have handled it fine below 15% for decades. "flex fuel" refers to the abity to handle higher mixes than that. When Ethanol becomes the major ingredient, fuel mapping in the engine computer has to change significantly, as well as the reactionto O2 sensor inputs. So the flex fuel thing isn't completely marketing hype. But it's not as big a deal as they make it out to be, I think. After all, with no GM "hybrids" out there, they have to do something to get on the green bandwagon, right? -Dave G. |
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Kano383
Date registered: Dec 1899
Location:
Vehicle(s):
| RE: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
The only "hardware" downside of ethanol is that it may affect some types of seals and fuel lines. Not a problem in most cars on road now, since the automotive industry has been using for decades rubber or polymer compounds that are not sensitive to ethanol.
Different story in aviation, where the majority of piston aircraft are fitted with ethanol-sensitive components. Hence, approvals for use of ethanol in certain aircraft also come with a warning that fuel containing ethanol is NOT approved. Ethanol test-kits are available (and are so simple that you can make one yourself for a couple of bucks).
The other "minus" is that ethanol has less cal/lt than gasoline, so you end up with a slightly reduced mileage.
On the "plus" side, ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, so you won't have detonation problems caused by using it. Ethanol has also far less noxious emission residues than gasoline... Your "Green" self will feel better!
Gasoline in the US has been containing ethanol in various amounts for years, but usually there was simply no mention at the pump. |
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lkchris
Veteran
Date registered: Nov 2006
Location: Albuquerque
Vehicle(s): '07 GL320CDI, '06 E320CDI
Posts: 144
| Re: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
VonEpp - 6/11/2007 7:57 PM Any properly referenced scientific paper I've ever read on Ethanol blend fuels supports their use in modern motor vehicles. And, it should note the decrease in fuel mileage as a result. And, it should note there is no benefit whatsoever except to the pockets of ethanol producers. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| RE: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
Kano383 - 6/12/2007 10:58 AM
Ethanol has also far less noxious emission residues than gasoline... Your "Green" self will feel better!
There are some reliable reports that this is not true! |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
Flex fuel vehicles are just feel good solutions, not real solutions at all. From the July issue of Car and Driver, there are only about 1000 E85 pumps in the country right now and your vehicle will get 25% less economy on E85 than gasoline. There is very little fuel saved by using E85 as it takes a lot of fuel to make E85, and reportedly a lot of corn too as prices for other corn based products have risen due to the increased demand.
It is an editorial worth reading if you are into real solutions not just propoganda. There is another way to utilize ethanol in cars. It uses smaller amounts and takes advantage of the detonation reducing effects. Therefore more cylinder pressure can be used for more power from smaller engines. Neat concept! |
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VonEpp
W124 Host
Date registered: Sep 2006
Location: Australia
Vehicle(s): w114, w124 & w460
Posts: 357
| Re: 10-15% Ethanol in gas?
My mistake, Ethanol actually has a lower energy density than gasoline by about 15 MJ/kg. |
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