Ethanol-bad for your car?

[okloneranger]

Well, today 91 octane gasoline, not ethanol, hit $4.01.9. here in the Tulsa area. Ethanol, grade for grade is 10-20 cents/gal. cheaper. I know most out there are paying more in most areas of the country. By the way, not all stations post what they are selling, gas or eth. They will tell you if you ask, but you can tell for yourself by simply taking a light wiff at the business end of the nozzle. A sweet smell, not the gasoline smell you always knew, is a giveaway that it's ethanol. That being said, my questions for you are the following: How corosive is this stuff for the fuel systems of not only our Vipers, but also our daily drivers? Is it true your mpg will not be as good as with gasoline? For those who store their Vipers, any negatives in using eth. I've been hearing some bad things about using ethanol, and at this point don't want it in my Viper. Not even sure I want it in my daily transportation. Any gems of wisdom will be appreciated.

 

[Bonkers]

"How corosive is this stuff for the fuel systems of not only our
Vipers, but also our daily drivers?"

Ethanol attracts water vapor and will eventually corrode a steel
tank - but using your car yearly should offset that.
In your DD the big issue is when you first start using it.
It will dissolve the rust and deposits accumilated over years in
your tank and flush it through the system all at once. Usually
this simply clogs your filter, but I have heard rumors of worse.

"Is it true your mpg will not be as good as with gasoline?"

Ethanol takes more heat to burn (which is why it's so awesome as
a race fuel) so in a normally tuned car expect a 3-5% decrease
in normal MPGs. On my Ram I have seen a real-world 6.9% drop.

"For those who store their Vipers, any negatives in using eth."

There are rumors of ethanol going "stale" after months of non-
use, but the seasonal additives applied to normal gas is more
likly to give you a headache. Summer gas and winter gas are not
the same! The owner of a local boat yard told me there were some
serious issues with long-term storage boats when the 10% was
first added, but have pretty much gone away now.

My car likes the non-ethanol stuff better than the blend (just a
feeling, no proof) my advice is to find the pure stuff if you
can, but you'll be fine if you cannot.

 

[STUGOTS]

$4.01 THATS it?

I paid $4.73 for 93 just yesterday

 

[alpine7822]

It's about $4.10 here in Richmond

 

[stonemaster44]

Man. I think all gas companies sell gas/ ethanol mix nowdays,
I can't find the reel stuff anymore in tampa bay area
I hope it will be allright with the Roe s/c I'm putting in,I gess I need to check with my tuner to be safe. today 93 octane is $ 4.19-4.39

 

[98viperGTS]

^ same here. They all have a sticker on the pump saying that there is a 10% blend of ethanol. Can't find the real stuff anymore.

 

[PaViper]

BP - Amoco is the only one I have found that is not a 10% mix, I get 3 mpg more without the mix in my SRT8, never checked it in the Viper

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

You Guys are so LUCKY!!!!!!!!!
£1.25 a ltr About $2.50...

Good to see STUGOTS back and about....

 

[viperman303]

BP (formerly AMACO) gold gasoline is all I've ever used in 94 RT/10. Car stored in Tampa area while I'm on the road in motor home. Will fire it up later this summer. Hope BP gold still available.

 

[GR8_ASP]

When you say ethanol are you stating E85 (85% alcohol and 15% gasoline) or gasahol (90% gasoline and 10% alcohol)?

For E85 you need a vehicle set up for it. Alcohol requires a higher f/a ratio than gasoline (lower energy content per unit volume than gasoline) and requires a fuel system designed to handle the volume difference and the unique characteristics of alcohol.

Alcohol can handle higher combustion pressure, thus if set up for alcohol you will have higher compression ratio. It can also use more spark advance. Properly set up an alcohol car can achieve fuel economy on the order of 15% worse than gasoline on a volume basis. Optimized for gasoline it may be 20% or more lower. Rate the price accordingly. Note also that alcohol has poor startability in cold climates which may preclude its use in colder areas.

 

[PaViper]

Not E85, most stations in our area now have a sign right on the pump that states "10% Ethanol"

 

[ViperTony]

Not E85, most stations in our area now have a sign right on the pump that states "10% Ethanol"

That's the gasahol he was talking about. Search wikipedia and you can the rest of the detailed information that GR8_ASP posted. Supposedly, a 90% gasoline/10% ethanol mix won't harm our engines according to the Philippine Dept. of Energy.

 

[GTS Bruce]

I used to buy Mobil(exxon) but have switched to Sunoco(10% ethanol). My old truck would throw check engine lights on mobil (O2 sensor) and clear up on Sunoco with 10% ethanol. As a matter of fact my new yoda truck,wifes 300c,tractor,blower,chain saw,**** wacker all seem to run better on Sunoco. Plugs look better. Me thinks it burns cleaner and things run better. Have no idea what the gas mileage of any of the above is or was. GTS Bruce

 

[Racer Robbie]

"How corosive is this stuff for the fuel systems of not only our
Vipers, but also our daily drivers?"

Ethanol attracts water vapor and will eventually corrode a steel
tank - but using your car yearly should offset that.
In your DD the big issue is when you first start using it.
It will dissolve the rust and deposits accumilated over years in
your tank and flush it through the system all at once. Usually
this simply clogs your filter, but I have heard rumors of worse.

"Is it true your mpg will not be as good as with gasoline?"

Ethanol takes more heat to burn (which is why it's so awesome as
a race fuel) so in a normally tuned car expect a 3-5% decrease
in normal MPGs. On my Ram I have seen a real-world 6.9% drop.

"For those who store their Vipers, any negatives in using eth."

There are rumors of ethanol going "stale" after months of non-
use, but the seasonal additives applied to normal gas is more
likly to give you a headache. Summer gas and winter gas are not
the same! The owner of a local boat yard told me there were some
serious issues with long-term storage boats when the 10% was
first added, but have pretty much gone away now.

My car likes the non-ethanol stuff better than the blend (just a
feeling, no proof) my advice is to find the pure stuff if you
can, but you'll be fine if you cannot.

Thought you might find this link to be of interest. I do not recommend the product but the information is to the point.

http://www.starbrite.com/whatsnew/STAR%20BRITE%20ethanol%20p3072D2.pdf

 

[GTS Bruce]

Yeah I know starbrite. The moral of the story is keep the tank full and add a fuel stabilizer for long term storage. No problem. GTS Bruce

 

[Racer Robbie]

Bruce, you are quite correct. I use a product that I order from NAPA called Seafoam. The water problem is more evident in boats and farm equipment that do not have sealed fuel systems like cars and trucks. if the tank is not full then moist air is drawn into the fuel tank thru the vented gas cap on non emission cars, boats, and outdoor power equipment.