ETHANOL IN GAS???

[MATTL]

Hey guys... I was just wandering if anybody knows anything about this: I have noticed that the CHEVRON gas station i've been using for the last three years has recently put stickers on all there pumps saying that the gas may contain up to 10% ETHANOL! what is it...and should I use a diff. gas station? Thanks!!!

[Bone Crusher]

Better for higher compression engines, but also burns much faster than gasoline, by as much as 34%. I think they are all adding 10% ethanol to gasoline now as it lowers emissions.

Ethanol is a flammable liquid H3C-CH2OH

[MATTL]

U think there is any power diff., or gas mileage diff.??? I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary, I just want the most 4 my money:D

[Tink]

They are adding Ethanol in replacement of MTBE (Methyl-Tert-Butyl-Ether). Ethanol releases less energy so you may see a drop in fuel mileage.

Be aware that water will actually dissolve in an ethanol blended fuel and phase separation can occur within a short as 2 weeks (dependent on environmental factors). Phase separation is when the ethanol absorbs so much water that it separates from the gasoline leaving an upper ethanol-deficient gasoline layer and a lower ethanol-rich water layer. After phase separation, the gasoline layer will have a very low octane and may knock in an engine. The fuel also is less volatile. Ethanol absorbs water at a rate of 6000-7000 ppm, where as the old MTBE stuff absorbed water at a rate of 150ppm.

[MATTL]

Doesn't sound so great!!!:( I use fuel treatment on a regular basis, so maybe that will offset it some...IDK?

[00S104.3]

I had been noticing my gas mileage has dropped. I never even thought it could be the ethanol. I was thinking it was due to using the a/c a little more on 100+ degree days.

[MATTL]

MINE GOES DOWN WITH THE A/C ON!!!

[rentedmule]

I can still pull 24 mpg on the highway with 10% ethanol but it has been proven to drop mileage significantly.

That was good info on the water absorption Tink - I was aware that it was a concern but I had never seen any actual data around that. It wouldn't worry me in the truck because it gets driven alot but I think my next tank in the T/A will be straight 91 octane instead of the 94 octane with EtOH.

[Bootlegger's Deluxe]

i've been running ethanol ever since i got my licence 9 years ago (almost ten) every tank i have ever had runs it. Never had a issue yet. But then again, i live in IOWA, land of corn....lol

im pondering switching the s10 over to e 85.... its about 1.40 cheaper here...

Lee

[MATTL]

I get 25-26mpg on the HWY, but i mostly drive in the city. I think i'll start using another gas station though...cause every little bit helps!!!:cool:

[firefighter]

Here ALL the Unleaded fuel has up to 10% Ethanol. I just went on a roughly 600 mi trip with the wife in her Impala SS and it got terrible mileage it usually gets around 26mpg on the highway @ 80-90mph where as this time she only got about 21 mpg. I was pissed and really there is nothing I can do about it.

[Tink]

That was good info on the water absorption Tink - I was aware that it was a concern but I had never seen any actual data around that. It wouldn't worry me in the truck because it gets driven alot but I think my next tank in the T/A will be straight 91 octane instead of the 94 octane with EtOH.

In newer small engines it seems to have the worst affect... we had a power washer that wouldn't start after sitting for two months. Opened up the tank and sure enough, you could see the two layers. Actually had to dump the gas and put fresh in to get it to run.

[12sws27]

Chevrons here or the only place I can find gas with out the ethanol. I hate the crap. Because of what Tink was talking about. If you use 93/91 there's a greater chance of get a bad tank of gas. Since the price of gas is so high less people buy premium. So it sits in the tanks longer. I pull up to the BP to fill up a few weeks ago and to my surprise they started using that sh!t. I said the hell with it and filled up any ways. My truck ran like crap till it was gone. Even ran bad a few times after I filled up with chevron. Guess there was still some water in there. 2 tanks of Chevron later every thing is back to normal. Fuqk 10% ethanol.

[s10shop]

I honestly haven't paid attention to what is in the gas here, but I do know a few years ago I took my 1 ton dualie that I had at the time and drove to PA to get a wheel lift that I planned on installing on the truck. I made it out there on a tank of gas and got just over 11 mpg with the cruise control set on 70. Once I got there and loaded I filled up again and headed back to NH with the cruise on 70 again. On the trip back I got just over 13 mpg with the extra load of the wheel lift (probably close to 1000 lbs). Always made me figure they had better gas in PA at the time than we had here in NH. I never again got mileage as good as I did on that tank of gas from PA.

[bespurcell]

Ethanol drops my mileage about 1.5 mpg. I avoid it as much as possible.

[rentedmule]

They didn't know if it was EtOH related but the dyno shop I go to has been having so much trouble with some brands of gas that they've had to siphon out and change entire tank-fulls to get some of their cars to run right. It actually made the news here last week. Shell was by far the worst according to 3-4 people that I talked to at the shop.

[12sws27]

I could see it not being so bad if they were adding 10% on top of the gas they were previously selling to make 10% more. Then the octane would be higher :) But I think they're adding it to less refined gas and using the ethanol to make the octane. I hate that crap. Its gonna suck if the chevrons here start putting it in there gas. I'll have to use that crap then. :(