Ethanol in gas
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 675
Likes: 0
From: Willis, Texas
Ethanol in gas
My neighbor just told me that his car gets 20% less gas mileage when he uses gas with 10% ethanol. If this is true how is this helping with oil consumption? Another guy that works on boats told me that he is seeing problems with the ethanol swelling carb floats causing them to stick and fuel pump diaphrams deteriorating. I just got some non ethanol gas in another county and I can't believe how much better my bike runs on that gas compared to the ethanol. I know the newer bikes and cars are using parts that are compatible with the ethanol but this may be causing some problems with the older models. T.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 501
Likes: 0
From: SW Iowa
RE: Ethanol in gas
I burn E-10 corn ethanol blended fuel in everything. (10% eth blend with regular dinosaur gas). Harley, Suzuki, car, pick-up, lawn mower, weed eater, sprayer,-everything,. and no problems whatsoever. My Ultra gets 40mpg, so that is good mileage for me as I tend to run 65-70, and carry a good heavy load all the time on it. I think your friend is full of sh-it!
Now, if you are talking E-85, 85% ethanol blend, then , \\; that is a whole new animal. I have never used that stuff as Even the Harley doesn't recommend it. You need "flex fuel" vehicles to burn that E-85, and reports are lower mileage, but it costs quite a bit less than E-10, so, you may get poor mileage, but lt still pencils out.
Now, if you are talking E-85, 85% ethanol blend, then , \\; that is a whole new animal. I have never used that stuff as Even the Harley doesn't recommend it. You need "flex fuel" vehicles to burn that E-85, and reports are lower mileage, but it costs quite a bit less than E-10, so, you may get poor mileage, but lt still pencils out.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 5
RE: Ethanol in gas
I think the reduced milage with 10% ethanol is somewhat over exaggerated, I've been running 10% around home for over 12 years now and I don't notice any difference from the gas I buy at home or when I'm traveling. \\; I've getting around 40 mpg on my 08 UC, got closer to 50 on my 02 Dyna and get better than the advertised mileage from my Honda Accord and Nissan Xterra, and they are always filled with the 10%. \\;
Tourer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
RE: Ethanol in gas
You shouldn't notice any fuel economy loss. \\; In fact, with ethanol, the octane is boosted a bit, so technically you could run midgrade and it's close to 92 octane. \\; I plan to burn it more now that I'm over 5k. \\; I ran premium (per the dealer) for the engine until 5k and now I'll run the other and watch for spark knock. \\; The only problem with ethanol is that the octane is much higher than regular fuel and that can eat away at seals and hoses on your engine - hence the reason for a car built for ethanol. \\; I'm on a fuel related project at work and you get to learn all kinds of neat ****...
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 136
Likes: 2
From: up north with the animals
RE: Ethanol in gas
could not run ethanol blends in our caddy and my bike knocks with it. some do some don't. Only real bitch I have is now all our groceries are going thru the roof, beef is sky high and land rent has doubled here.
WTF! another government idea screwing us up.
WTF! another government idea screwing us up.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 581
Likes: 0
RE: Ethanol in gas
actually i disagree. I do alot of driving for work and buy NON ethanol gas whenever i can. I have tracked mileage for over 2 years and with the 10% stuff i usually get 1-2 mpg less than NON ethanol gas. Ethanol is garbage as far as i am concerned. Useless and doesn't do anything to help our situation.
Tourer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 343
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
RE: Ethanol in gas
Some neat facts:
http://www.ethanol-information.com/unleaded.php
NOTE: \\; It helps your engine run cooler (not bad for us)
http://www.ethanol-information.com/unleaded.php
NOTE: \\; It helps your engine run cooler (not bad for us)
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 186
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota
RE: Ethanol in gas
Ethanol is another poorly thought out welfare program that transfers money from your pocket to someone else. \\; In this case it is the corn farmers and the ethanol producers that get your money.
 \\;
Octane does not eat seals, hoses or floats. \\; Alcohol does that nasty deed.
 \\;
Ethanol raises the octane of gasoline, but the octane rating at the pump is measured with the ethanol in the gas. \\; You get no hidden octane benefit from the ethanol.
 \\;
There is less energy in ethanol so the mpg will go down. \\; I maintain that my EG drops 3 to 5 mpg with 10% ethanol.
 \\;
Octane does not eat seals, hoses or floats. \\; Alcohol does that nasty deed.
 \\;
Ethanol raises the octane of gasoline, but the octane rating at the pump is measured with the ethanol in the gas. \\; You get no hidden octane benefit from the ethanol.
 \\;
There is less energy in ethanol so the mpg will go down. \\; I maintain that my EG drops 3 to 5 mpg with 10% ethanol.
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 513
Likes: 2
From: Coconut Creek, FL
RE: Ethanol in gas
Anybody who says their mileage stays the same with 10% ethanol is asleep at the wheel. My truck dropped from almost 23mpg/hwy to less than 18mpg/hwy when I was forced to start buying that crap. Now, I'll drive out of my way to find a station that doesn't add it. It's bad technology that our government is ramming down our throats. If it was such a great product, they wouldn't have to subsidize it to the tune of like $ .55/gallon to make it competitive. It's a huge waste of money and we're losing our choices. We better wake up soon!!
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: League City, TX
RE: Ethanol in gas
Ethanol is used as an oxygenate to replace MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) which was used to replace the tetraethyl lead in gasoline. \\; If you remember, the lead was put in the gas to reduce or eliminate "knocking" or "pinging" that resulted from the uneven burning of the fuel vapor in the cylinder. \\; Tetraethyl lead, MTBE, and ethanol were never intended to perform any magic or increase mileage or efficiency of the internal combustion engine. \\; The lead was polluting the air and MTBE was contaminating and polluting our ground water.
 \\;
In the oxygenate wars that followed, the corn lobby won and we now use ethanol to do the job the other stuff did. \\; Unfortuneately it does it by reducing mileage 15% and increasing cost 15%. \\; By the way, in the 70's, methanol was being touted in gasahol to stretch the oil, not ethanol. \\; Methanol is extremely corrosive and the metallurgical changes to burn methanol are prohibitive compared to burning ethanol.
 \\;
In the oxygenate wars that followed, the corn lobby won and we now use ethanol to do the job the other stuff did. \\; Unfortuneately it does it by reducing mileage 15% and increasing cost 15%. \\; By the way, in the 70's, methanol was being touted in gasahol to stretch the oil, not ethanol. \\; Methanol is extremely corrosive and the metallurgical changes to burn methanol are prohibitive compared to burning ethanol.