Ethanol Sucks

[va01gtstang]

I got my car back a few days ago after getting new crank and rod bearings put in after spinning a few. I also go a Accufab 75mm Tb/ Plenum put on. Well, while they were tuning it, my car kept leaning out at high rpms and they had to decrease the timing by six degrees. My car dynoed at 285 rwhp and 302 rwtq before Accufab TB/plenum. With the new tune and TB/Plenum, it dynoed at 277rwhp and 298rwtq. Keep in mind that I have a built motor with heads, cams, and Lt's, etc. Isn't that some crap? The tuner was saying a lot cars have been experiencing the same problem with the new gas and saying the new gas with extra ethanol is too oxgynated. Has anyone else noticed a difference in power with the new gas?

 

[hotmustang331]

Man that sucks...I thought it would be good too. Your power is WAY low with that stupid fuel. man it may be worth it to dump an ocatin booster in the gas on every fillup. Tell the tuners to richen your A/F, then they should be able to add in the timing. I think 13-1 is WAY lean for eothenal...could be the issue too.

 

[hotmustang331]

Oh and is his dyno a mustang dyno? Even your before #s seem low for a dyno jet....so mustang dyno would sortof explain.

 

[myponyrocks]

well look at the bright side, with the exception of at the track, every one else will be going slower too.

Thats like complaining about the power loss we have up here at altitude. Every one has to deal with it, so not much use in complaining. Though I suppose theres a much better chance of getting a state to change its fuel law than there is of lowering Denvers altitude.

 

[Pennywise2]

What brand of gas are you useing?

 

[Skidawg]

You are going to experience some power loss if you use an ethanol blended fuel. That seems like a lot.

If you happen to live in an area (or have access to) where it's not mandated, try the 100% fuel out and see what a difference it makes.

 

[HoustonGT]

The whole 10% ethanol gas crap makes no sense. I mean its cheaper, but it also lowers your gas mileage, so its not really appealing to anyone. It won't be until it turns into either a pure ethanol blend or the gas contains a percentage high enough to drop price to like $1.50/gal . My car ran like crap a bit too after getting stupid 10% ethanol gas on accident at a Shell station

 

[blacknblue2002]

I've been wondering if the ethanol gas hurt my numbers too....(only got 330rwhp at the dyno)....it's the only dyno run I've had since the s/c....and I don't have my boost gauge installed to check on my psi...so I blame it all on the gas....sounds reasonable to me

 

[HoustonGT]

I've been wondering if the ethanol gas hurt my numbers too....(only got 330rwhp at the dyno)....it's the only dyno run I've had since the s/c....and I don't have my boost gauge installed to check on my psi...so I blame it all on the gas....sounds reasonable to me

Yea, 330 seems pretty damn low for full exhaust and a few intake mods with that Mongoose kit. I thought you'd be over the 350 mark easy

 

[speedfreak98r]

Its like HoustonGT said. Its supposed to burn cleaner, and its not as likely to leak into the ground like the old additive, but you use more of it to get around; thus creating the same amount of pollution. Its like when they (the tree-hugging wackos) tell us to drive slower to create less pollution. Well, my idiotic friends, we are on the road longer if we're driving slower; It just cancels itself out.

 

[ADRENLN]

my car has been feeling weaker since putting some of that crap in there. not only that the whole engine sounds different and not in a good way.....i think we are out of luck on this one. this crap is spreading fast.

couldnt they just keep some normal gas around for us people that have spot and muscle cars? all the other people that dont give a crap about their cars or who dont care about performance can use that junk.

what about the track....they have to continue to use normal gass there right? not just the race gas, dont they have lesser octains too (93) or so?

 

[ADRENLN]

the dyno shows you lost like 15rwhp subtracting the new mods. thats a big loss. its everything i gained from l/t.

 

[va01gtstang]

Oh and is his dyno a mustang dyno? Even your before #s seem low for a dyno jet....so mustang dyno would sortof explain.

Yeah my car was dyno tuned on a DynoJet. It sucks cuz I was there all day with them tuning it. I mean they could have left the tune where it dynoed at 294 rwhp but it wouldn't have been safe for me cuz it would lean out top end. I just wish i could find a place without ethanol but i also heard that all gas has a little amount of ethanol in it even before this whole 10% ethanol thing happened. My dad was telling me they did this ethanol thing back in the 70's also.

 

[COramprat]

It won't be long before it is everywhere. They tried to mandate it here last summer but we got a reprieve. The only good thing is if they do force it in here I can go to a neighboring parish (county for you "other than Louisiana folk") and get the good ol 100%er. The mandate would be for East Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes...I can head 10 miles up the Interstate and get the good stuff.

 

[thomas91169]

The whole 10% ethanol gas crap makes no sense. I mean its cheaper, but it also lowers your gas mileage, so its not really appealing to anyone. It won't be until it turns into either a pure ethanol blend or the gas contains a percentage high enough to drop price to like $1.50/gal . My car ran like crap a bit too after getting stupid 10% ethanol gas on accident at a Shell station

yes but the point is to be more dependent upon our own sources than others.

using less of their oil will hurt them, leading to lower prices to try to bring back sales.


your tuner should know to add more fuel to make up for the ethanol. or you could add some toulene to the tank(i forget the ratio of toulene per gallon to equal a certain octane number)

oh and octane boosters are fake. they "say" 1 point, in all actuality, its .1, we even tested the NOS brand that everyone says works, and we still had the same dyno numbers and timing and could not lean out any(the whole point of going with a higher octane is to lean out and bump up timing). adding a couple cups of toulene was like a whole new beast, ran 5* more timing, leaned out and upped the boost and still werent seeing any knock(this was in my buddies 57 trim dsmlink powered 97 eclpse gst).

 

[Mike97gt]

I am screwed on this one, I would have to drive 1000 miles to get good old 100 percent fuel.

 

[jasonh_86]

What stations are using this gas?... and how do we know if we're getting the 10% ethanol??

 

[Pennywise2]

What stations are using this gas?... and how do we know if we're getting the 10% ethanol??

All the gasoline stations in my area are useing the 10% ethanol in
their gas and I think it makes my car run bad.You will know if they
are useing the 10% ethanol because they have to put the sticker on every
gasoline pump that says if they are useing 10% ethanol.I dislike the idea
also Jason.

 

[jasonh_86]

So far, I haven't seen one sticker yet


But it's only a matter of time til those bastids take it from everyone

 

[ADRENLN]

i went to a station today to gas up. last time i put ethonol in by mistake. today i saw no sticker so i saked them, they said no ethonol. so i filled up.

i posted earlier about my car feeling weaker on the ethonol. after today i dont know. the car felt the same on normal gas. however i never got a full 10% ethonol fill up so it might suck. when i filled up with it i had some normal gas in ther that diluted it ethonol.

i wouldnt mind if it wasnt killing power. wasnt ther some threads that stated that this ethonol gas could actually make power? guess that was a mistake huh.