Got gas today. Pump says "contains up to 10% ethanol".

[Bag302]

I've been oblivious to the encroachement of ethanol as an additive to our gas until today. I noticed these new signs (warnings?). What do I need to know about this stuff?

I'm in FL. Should I avoid it or CAN I avoid it? Or just not worry about it?

I searched the forums but didn't see much other than possible injector damage to pre-1994 Q's and a drop in fuel economy. How is this stuff in the M?

Thanks.

[AZhitman]

Shouldn't be a problem with modern injectors, which are designed to deal with ethanol.

Either way, blame the greenies for yet another absurd and patently useless money-waster, foisted on the populace through Chicken Little scare tactics.

[GJEMD]

Either way, blame the greenies for yet another absurd and patently useless money-waster, foisted on the populace through Chicken Little scare tactics.

More likely ADM and Conagra can be thanked for this bit of Green hoax.Ethanol at any concentration is corrosive to mild steel. Flex fuel cars have the fuel system in stainless steel.

[Bag302]

I also noticed that this normally busy gas station was not busy today.

Do you think people are boycotting?

[jadeM45]

I see them popping up all over the place in FLA. The crappy thing is that the gas is no cheaper than the non blended stuff. From what I have seen and read we are ok up to 10% without it affecting the engines. Anything over that it will cause issues.

I would love to see a comapro on gas wit and without on a dyno and mileage wise.

[THT]

I see them popping up all over the place in FLA. The crappy thing is that the gas is no cheaper than the non blended stuff. From what I have seen and read we are ok up to 10% without it affecting the engines. Anything over that it will cause issues.

I would love to see a comapro on gas wit and without on a dyno and mileage wise.

In general, you'll get 10% less fuel economy as a molecule of ethanol has 6% less potential energy than a molecule of gasoline. Also, switching from blended to non-blended will kill your catalytic converter.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,I was afraid of this coming to Southwest Florida. In Sarasota, I have not seen Ethanol yet. I only go to Mobil/Exxon and BP.M.L

[EZcheese15]

Almost all gasoline is 10% Ethanol. Or a minimum, 5%. I don't think they have to mark it at 5% though. But 10% doesn't hurt you. Just don't fill up with 85% ethanol (aka E85), and you'll be ok

[jankenpo30]

If you state has adopted the law. Best you can do is move out of state. All gas stations will have to fall in line. Don't come up here to GA though. All stations are on it, may not have the signs, but they are all on it....I'd suspect FL is much the same.

[lfj2025]

That's all I see around here but have never had a problem.

[auditech10]

We have had maybe 20 cars come into my dealership, within the last two months, where the customer has put in E85 and it seems that German engines just will not run on this. We have to drain the fuel tank at the least and let me tell you, that will probably be the most expensive tank of gas you can find, after the job is all done.

[THT]

We have had maybe 20 cars come into my dealership, within the last two months, where the customer has put in E85 and it seems that German engines just will not run on this. We have to drain the fuel tank at the least and let me tell you, that will probably be the most expensive tank of gas you can find, after the job is all done.

Unless the engine was designed to run on E85, it simply will not work. It's not isolated to German cars. I know that E85 won't work in my Rav4, Maxima or M45 because it's E85 and not regular fuel.

[Q45tech]

The major rub is that the " May contain up to 10% ethanol" leaves it up to terminal as to how much if any ethanol they actually blend in to gasoline.

Worse is if they use the gasoline designed to require 10% ethanol to meet octane and don't have enough ethanol or just skip it to save money now that ethanol [delivered by truck or rail] cost more than gasoline by pipeline.

Yesterday in Georgia ethanol delivered to teminal cost 3.2453 per gallon due to transport cost. Whereas in Florida it was $3.1810 via barge/ship.

The cheapest ethanol state was 66 cents less expensive than Georgia.

All about the net blending costs whether you really get 10% ethanol or not and it probably changes by the day [when ever tank truck refills your station].

New conversion states are always the highest until they rationalize transport costs or create local production.

If Georgia/Florida imported ethanol from Brazil [{< $2] to Savannah and then trucked to ATL they would pay a 54 cent import duty but ship tranport might be cheaper were it not for the last 200 miles from the coast.

Whereas RBOT regular was $3.1864

[auditech10]

I know more than a dozen people that have older Chevys, mid 90s-mid 2000s, that use e85 and neither of them have complained about anything nor have they had any problems at all. I highly doubt that any of those cars/trucks were designed to use e85, but i dont know.

[tomosawa]

Here in Hawaii, ethanol has been around for some time. The "may contain up to 10% ethanol" sticker is on every pump on every brand of gas. I personally feel that the ethanol lowers the mileage per gallon I get on my 07 M45. The ethanol added gas wrecked havoc on my 03 MB E500! I had to take it into the dealer for fuel mixture adjustments; started to notice performance loss too! SAVE THE CORN TO HELP FEED WORLD FOOD CRISIS!!!

[jbillion]

I know more than a dozen people that have older Chevys, mid 90s-mid 2000s, that use e85 and neither of them have complained about anything nor have they had any problems at all. I highly doubt that any of those cars/trucks were designed to use e85, but i dont know.

Why do they use E85? I think the cost savings per gallon is erroded by poorer milage. Probably not much savings and it will eventually ruin their engine, if it was not designed for E85.