10% ethanol in gas....?!

[supastang03]

so i just filled up at a shell station, and there were notices posted all along the pumps saying the gas contained about 10% ethanol. WTF?

I have not been keeping up with current affairs for the most part lately, or the whole "go green" movement, so i have no idea what this is about.

my concerns are these...

Is it safe for my mustang?
Is it just a filler to basically gyp me out of 10% of gasoline?
WTF?

 

[2000fordstanggt]

im pretty sure it burns faster and has a higher octane rating, though what youre talking about doesnt sound like straight e85.

 

[myponyrocks]

Should be safe, just get less MPG

 

[Mustang5L5]

I've been running the 10% blend for 2-3 years now. Car runs fine

In fact...it's all they have now here in MA.

 

[Crzyhrse]

Your just now getting Ethanol down there? It's been around in the midwest for 20 years. Where I lived Ethanol (10%) was an 89 grade fuel. I used it alot with my DD cars and never had any problems with it. But with my '93GT I never used it. I bought the 91 grade due to my engine was pretty modified. Come to think of it, they don't sell Ethanol here either.

 

[Superhereaux]

I noticed that about 2 or 3 years ago. Could have been putting it into my car for longer, just never noticed.

My car has been slowly deteriorating from the inside out since then and it can barely move under it's own power now
























nah just ****in' with ya. She runs fine

 

['03GTinFLA]

I avoid the ethanol with my blower because it makes my car run like crap. That might just be with FI cars though?

 

[ocbaud]

there is a gas station down the street from me that is ethonal free. i love it, cause my truck hates it, so i always fill up there.

been trying to in the mustang too, just cause i dont like the extra crap in there.

 

[BennyBlown2v]

Yeah most stations around here have had 10% ethanol for a looong time. It won't hurt anything. Pretty much any car can run up to 30% ethanol and get away with it.

 

[Jacob_Royer]

I run e85 every other tank and i am getting no power or milleage loss whatsoever... But i have been driving like an old lady due to gas prices...

 

[the98stang]

Chevron has been using ethanol in their gas forever. Better for blown cars, not so much NA. Gas mileage isn't as good either. I say screw all the bigger gas companies right now because they are going to keep raising prices. 91 octane is $4.25 right now. F'ing BS

 

[Skidawg]

The nearest stations that aren't blended fuel are 25 miles away. E10 has been mandated here for years. A MPG difference is all you're going to see with it. Fuel systems have been designed to handle the small ethanol component of fuel for years.

 

[Jacob_Royer]

Im still getting 25mpg with e85 (1/4 tank 87octane 3/4 tank e85)

 

[bhuff30]

Your car was designed with the ability to run 10% ethanol. All cars built from about the 80s onward are designed to easily run 10% ethanol. If you can, I'd suggest you run 10% ethanol, as it promotes a better burn and keep the fuel system cleaner.

As for mileage changes on E10, there are none. I tested this in my 97 GT and I've read articles published by reputable sources that state the same. In fact, most cars on the road today can run up to E30 without a problem and some cars even GAIN mileage on mixtures up to 30%. While it doesn't make sense from an energy balance perspective, the ethanol promotes a better and more complete burn and of course allows for more timing and a more agressive tune because of the octane.

There was a station near me selling E20 and E30 and I tried it out in the 97GT. At the time, I drove about 400 miles a week, so I knew what my mileage was and it was very consistent. On regular 87, E10 or E20, I would consistently get 20-21mpg. When I was running E30, it dropped to 19-20mpg. I have since moved, but I would still run E20 or E30 if I could. In fact, some states are considering making E20 mandatory and the current testing shows that modern cars (80s and up) will have no problem with this.

Before I started running E20 and E30, the 97GT would ping BADLY. If it was warm outside and I did a hard pull in 3rd or 4th gear, it would ping so badly I had to let out of the gas. While running the E20 and E30, the pinging went away, of course because of the higher octane. Now, I'm running streight 87 and it still doesn't ping! The ethanol got rid of some carbon build up in the cylinder or gunk in the fuel injector so it runs right now with not a hint of detonation! The car has always pinged on a hard pull since my dad got it about 5 years ago.

As for running E85, I would NOT advise it without a tune. When you mix 1/4 tank of gasoline with 3/4 tank of E85, you get around 50-60% ethanol. I am surprised the computer can compensate that much without throwing a CEL, and there is no way it will compensate for that much ethanol, but there is no way it will run correctly on 85% ethanol. In fact, what is advertised as E85 can have up to 90% ethanol.

 

[LaserSVT]

Ethonol sucksand ima gonna keep my redneck opinion about it
We dont have that here in Texas, at least where I live. They have more incentives to burn oil than corn

 

[streethorse]

Ethonol sucksand ima gonna keep my redneck opinion about it
We dont have that here in Texas, at least where I live. They have more incentives to burn oil than corn

What station you goin to, Im in Garland and it seems almost all stations
have 10%, check the fine print. I want to try some pure gas since Ive
been running nothing but the 10%

 

[LaserSVT]

Im in Corsicana. I go to a little place up the road. We have our own gas plant but I have never seen the 10% stickers anywhere, even WalMart. I saw it in Dallas when I last went there but we are a farm town so

 

[streethorse]

Hmmmm, Maybe its required in the more populated areas.

 

[BurningRubber]

Most of our stations here in Myrtle Beach are not using an ethanol blend, or at least not advertising it.

I know Hess is, there may be a couple others but its not a big thing here yet.

I couldnt even tell you where to get E85 around here, if at all.

 

[bhuff30]

http://www.e85refueling.com/ If there is an E85 station near you, you can find it using that website. Around here, E85 is steadily around 40 cents per gallon cheaper than 87.

You could make some wicked cheap high octane fuel mixing in some E85. As I said earlier, 20-30% is no problem at all. If you mix 87 octane with 30% E85, you get around 93 octane. Starting with 93 gasoline should give you 97 octane.

For those with a blower, the 97 will allow higher boost. How much fun would an extra 3lbs of boost be?

For those stuck running premium, how would you like to make 93 octane for LESS than the price of 87?

As I said, 30% and less is perfectly safe and the computer will compensate perfectly. I've run 30% before and even put my wideband on to see the actual air fuel ratios. They are exactly the same and crappy as when I'm running streight 87 octane (13.5:1 in the mid range, dipping to 12:1 by 5000rpm)

I couldnt even tell you where to get E85 around here, if at all.