Posted on 02/01/2014 7:34:04 AM PST by SeekAndFind
It seems to be a growing trend that motorists are shopping around for gas stations which offer ethanol free gas, even if they have to pay a bit more per gallon to get it. Distributors are noticing, and more and more stations are featuring this option. (You can find a list of such stations near you here.) I noticed this myself during a recent trip in New York, and now it’s showing up further south as well.
Arthur Wyckoff III has sworn off alcohol — in his gasoline.
“I make it a point, before I get real low, to make it to a gas station that has 100 percent gas,” the Chickamauga, Ga., man said Thursday morning as he fueled his Toyota Corolla at the Sav-A-Ton on LaFayette Road in Fort Oglethorpe.
The gas station is one of a number in the Chattanooga area that advertise gas free of ethanol. The grain alcohol additive — usually derived from corn — makes up 10 percent of almost all gasoline sold at the pump around the United States.
“The ethanol, it just messes up your engine,” Wyckoff said.
The repeating theme among customers is repeated here. Drivers have become more and more aware that not only is the higher corn gas bad for engine components, it actually costs you money by cutting down on your mileage.
Pure gas means better mpg
There doesn’t seem to be any dispute that pure gasoline delivers better mileage than gas that’s part ethanol.
Mileage suffers by 3 to 4 percent using E10, or gas that’s up to 10 percent ethanol, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
But one factor which some auto shoppers may not be aware of is that the industry is aware of these dangers and they aren’t going to honor warranties on vehicles guzzling the latest 15% ethanol blend unless you’ve got a brand new car or one that is specifically rated as a “flex fuel vehicle.”
AAA and a number of automakers came out swinging against E15, warning that the extra ethanol could corrode plastic, rubber and metal parts in cars not built to handle it.
Five manufacturers — BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen — stated their warranties will not cover E15 claims, the automobile association warned. And eight others — GM, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo — said that E15 may void warranties.
“Research to date raises serious concerns that E15 … could cause accelerated engine wear and failure, fuel system damage and other problems such as false ‘check engine’ lights,” AAA stated. “The potential damage could result in costly repairs for unsuspecting consumers. This is especially tough for most motorists given that only about 40 percent of Americans have enough in savings to afford a major auto repair.”
We already knew that high levels of ethanol will destroy boat engines and some smaller engines such as those in your lawnmower. But Consumer Reports confirmed back in 2011 that buyer beware. Auto makers won’t pay for damage caused by E-15.
The new orange label displays “E15″ in large type and states that the fuel is for use only in 2001 or newer model-year vehicles or flex-fuel vehicles, and that it is illegal to use it in other vehicles or in power equipment such as lawnmowers.
In response to the release of the labels, nine automakers—including Chrysler, General Motors, and Toyota—wasted no time writing letters to Congress criticizing the proposal and noting that they will not honor warranties for older cars running on E15. The automakers say they are concerned about the effects of E15 on engines, fuel pumps, and other fuel-system components in cars that were not designed for it. (Learn more about ethanol: “The great ethanol debate.”)
In January, the EPA approved the use of E15 in all cars from the 2001 model year on. The only cars that would be warranted for use of the new fuel are flex-fuel vehicles, which are designed to use concentrations of ethanol up to 85 percent (E85).
Keep in mind that you’re paying for this though your tax dollars because of subsidies which continue to keep the “renewable fuels” push not only afloat, but mandatory in most cases. And in exchange for your big hearted investment, unless you do your research, you can see your boat engine, your lawnmower and even your family car producing expensive repair bills. And unless your car is one of the new ones which “qualifies” by way of design, your warranty may be void.
For now – thanks to Uncle Sugar – ethanol free gas is going to cost a bit more at the pump. But the EPA shows no signs of relenting, and until the President who put the current policymakers in place is out of office there’s no relief in sight. It may be worth the extra investment to put real gas in your tank just to avoid the downstream costs later.
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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