ive noticed at shell that the pumps now have stickers on them saying it may contain up to 10% ethanol. is this alright for our engines? would it have any adverse effects?

 

It's ok, but your fuel economy and performance will be lacking.

 

so whats the point of them doing this? simply to lower dependence on foreign oil?

 

It's supposed to burn cleaner. I've used it and haven't really noticed any difference in performance, but my mileage went down a bit.

 

 

It will clean out your fuel system also, but all that gunk has to go somewhere. Maek sure you keep your filter clean

 

they do that in Oregon used to be just the winter in the Portland area but I think they are doing it year round now. Supposed to lower your emissions, but as mentioned before my mileage is lower so any emissions savings seems to be lost due to having to burn more fuel to achieve the same mileage as gas.

Brazil has got their ethanol system set up really well, the corn based system we have in the US from what I read is not as effective and has actually take feed away from livestock pushing up the price of beef...I like steak and I like to drive so am getting it from both ends...

 

Ethanol will eat away at yours seals as well. Ethanol has an octane rating of about 104 (R+M/2 method). This means it requires less oil to get to 87. I believe there is a tax break for fuels containing Ethanol. Even though they say ethanol is cleaner, this is not true. It is cleaner out of the tailpipe, but not out of the atmosphere. It requires more oil/pollution to make ethanol than it would to just use oil in the first place.

 

My Toyota tech, who is a top notch mechanic, says to avoid using fuel with ethanol cause it eats away at everything it gets in contact with, from seals to gas lines etc. Anyway, that is what he suggests I avoid and he was told this via his training through Toyota. He has been a tech for Yota since 1986-7ish until 2004, so he's got the experience and knowledge (from Toyota itself) to back it up. I don't question him. But then again, to each his own.

my 2cents, Cheers

 

Corn based ethanol production is very energy intensive, and for every 1 unit of fossil fuel used to produce ethanol from corn, there is 1.3 produced from it. Sugar cane, like Brazil uses yields about 6 units to the 1 fossil. There is also supposed to be a grass that grows wild in America that yields 10-11 to 1 for production.

As far as ethanol in the gasoline, here in CA, they've been putting that stuff in the gas for years. Up to 20% sometimes. I notice NO difference in performance, or MPG. I doubt that a 10-20% blend of ethanol would hurt anything.

 

I think it is at all of the gas stations around here. I dont notice much of a diffrence in my truck, but I do in my Mustang. We actually tested it at the drag strip, ran a tenth slower in the 8th. We ran seven passes on reg, seven on e85 mix.

 

i just did a research paper over alternative fuels....got my research from good sources...but have had mixed research also..some say its better for the environment...some say its worse..all i know is that its cheaper...but not by much because of the less mileage..which isnt much...but E85 decreases mileage by about 27%...which is alot...the flex-fuel tahoes get like..14 in the city on gas...and 8 or 9 on E85..which is horrible brazil is doing sooo good with their ethanol system because they use sugar-cane to produce it..corn is almost the worst crop to produce ethanol and vegetable oil (for biodiesel) from...Oil Palm is the best...but is only found in africa...if i remember correctly...it will take one hectare of oil palm to supply one family with all the vegetable oil/ethanol they need for a year...and still have some leftover..rapeseed is the best in the states...i think we should switch to diesel engines..and run $.60/gallon B100 (pure biodiesel)...thats what my dad and i are doing...even though it does give you less mileage...at $.60/gallon..u cant beat that with a damn stick...so i am...BIODIESEL ALL THE WAY!!!!...especially since im eventually going to be swapping in a 4BT cummins...or a 1.9L TDI jetta diesel...either wouldbe nice...the 1.9 for the mileage...and the cummins for the sheer power...o well..i think i kinda got off subject.. ..i hate it when i do that...

 

Where is the proof?

 

I have been thinking diesel myself, researching diffrent options for the engine bay.

 

Lowering emmisions in the winter months is done by oxygenating the fuel, not burning ethanol.

 

WSUWESTON is right..it does clean the system...to a certain extent...in diesel engines...bio-diesel is about the best thing u can run through it to clean it out...the 10% of ethanol isnt going to do much...but now E85 will (cuz of the higher amount of ethanol)...i wont ever run it though...im ok..i'll stick with regular gas...i dont want any ethanol to be ruining my 20R....lol

 

Diesel is the most expensive fuel on the market right now.

 

Most of your common fuel companies already add additives to the fuel they supply to keep engine parts clean.

 

A-men brother, keep it up...

 

welll...some of the additives the companies put in there hurt the engine too...(i aint sure on that...got it from a source at school)..im not saying the regular gas doesnt clean the engines..im saying that ethanol does too..and supposedly cleans better and more efficiently....and jsn_stockard is probably thinking diesel swap...because...instead of getting 15-20 mpg with gas..he can get over 30mpg with diesel with the 1.9L TDI jetta diesel...for a lil bit more money....im thinking diesel swap because we can make bio-diesel in our shop....