Posted on 02/01/2014 7:34:04 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I always try to buy pure gas, and I notice a significant drop in mileage when I use ethanol. That said, I sometimes wonder if I’m actually getting what I pay for, because the pure gas can cost significantly more, like $0.30 per gallon or more. I watch my mileage, have a pretty consistent driving pattern (to/from work), and sometimes notice the “pure gas” mileage drops for no apparent reason to what I get with known ethanol fill ups. If there was some sort of inexpensive kit that could instantly test for alcohol content in my fuel, I’d probably use it occasionally.
On pure highway driving (long trip, using the full tank), I get about 38 MPG on pure gas. My mileage drops closer to 36 MPG on ethanol. It’s a noticeable decline and seems to be more than energy density calculations would otherwise indicate. I wonder if anyone else has seen similar drops in performance when they use ethanol.
TPMS are crap. They break and then are expensive to replace. If someone can’t check their own tire pressure, they shouldn’t be driving.
that would be me...
In CA, your car will not pass the SMOG test if the check engine light is on. They won't even test it.
Head to the local airport and get some 100LL.
Never had any sensor failures related to ethanol. I think O2 sensors are just made in bad and good runs. I owned one Chrysler, built in 1984, that went through a O2 sensor, every 40K. The car was programmed to run rich, it was a 2.2L Turbo Series I. 97 and onward none of my new cars have suffered failures in the O2 sensor dept. (knock on wood).
I concur though on the carb rebuild issue. In some cases, I have torn the carbs down and cleaned them, to find aluminum parts slowly being corroded by the alcohol/fuel combo. Jets clog, floats stick, and I have even seen fuel lines dissolved to the point that you touch them, and they disintegrate.
Cleaning a carb once in a while is not so bad... but it gets old once you have to do it 2 times a season.
Another poster said that some fuels may have ethanol, which are “ethanol free”. This is possible, I guess, I don’t know the industry, but I can tell you a gallon of that stuff with no stabilizer, sitting in a 1 gallon can, outdoors for a year, will crank a engine. E10 will not. Once the alcohol evaps, what is left will not burn... not sure if it is because of all the water left behind, or damage to the gasoline itself.
There are kits, or, if one is careful, it can be DIY.
http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2146815/how-do-you-know-if-you-are-buying-ethanol-free-gas
Clarification: “what is left will not burn”
what is left will not burn in a gasoline internal combustion engine.
Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors (TPMS) are a real pain.
“When I stopped using E-10 gasoline and switched to 100% Gasoline, the mileage on my pickup went from 18.5 mpg to 20.5 mpg an 11% increase in mileage.”
Mathematically, ethanol shouldn’t drop mileage that much, but that’s my experience, too. Driving the same route to/from work, I drop a couple MPG on ethanol. On gasoline, I can drive for two weeks (10 days/same trip) on a tank. On ethanol, I have to fill up on the 10th work day.
I’ve been avoiding that E gas since they started making it, it does lower gas mileage quite a bit.
I drive a brand new hybrid and I vowed to never put ethanol gas in there. It’s had at most 2 tanks before I took ownership and they no doubt put E10 in there but I refuse to allow that to enter into a new engine. Especially as a hybrid, the fuel would be sitting in there longer.
I don’t see why the GOP doesn’t switch to a % elected system. The states with the largest percent of Republicans in elected office goes first.
Only if the vehicle tank is sized to give more range than the non hybrid you are comparing to.
Ethanol production enjoys a 51¢ per gallon subsidy. Blenders enjoy a 45¢ per gallon subsidy. Take those away, and you will find ethanol prices exceeding $2.59/gal.
Thanks for the links. It looks like all I would have to do is measure some water and then add “100% pure gas” in a test tube, mix, and see if the water level is the same as before (after it settles). If the water level rises, the gas contains ethanol. I’ve paid as much as 50 cents more per gallon for the pure stuff, so that’s a pretty good incentive for a station owner to cheat.
Been using this list for a while. My local station sells the ethanol free gas as marine gas. OK to use in cars too. It’s the only thing I use in my mowers or trimmers. If people have trouble finding it in their area, ask a boater.
But you pay more for it.
Batteries in the sensors. Not lifetime and they can go bad before you get out of warranty. Cost about $125 per wheel to replace. My 2010 model has had all four go bad. Cheap Chinese batteries is my guess.
That (the subsidies for ethanol) likely explains why pure gas is considerably more expensive than ethanol around here. Frankly, I’m really surprised the government hasn’t mandated ethanol and banned pure gas for automobiles outright. It’s for the planet...
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