EPA Approves E15 Ethanol

[bj66]

I live up here in Corn country, and there are several stations where you can select the amount of ethanol you want in your fuel. Besides unleaded, and 10%, there is 30% etc, all the way up to E85. These pumps are called blender pumps. I know a few guys who have experimented with different rates in their pickups for a long time. They say that of course the mileage drops off a bit for the 10%, but the 30% blend is where the dollar savings come in. The mileage is almost identical to 10%, but the price savings offsets the drop in mileage from regular unleaded. They said they havent had any mechanical issues either. These are later model pickups 07's or newer.

[Drreb]

I have the Star Tron and the Stabil cannot tell the difference between the 2 products that both seem to work. Would recommend either.

[jfoster]

I may have missed it in the everyone's comments....Question, is ethanol in all three grades or just regular 87 octane?

[Capt-D]

The stuff is in all three grades, so there is no getting away from it. And this 15% blend comes to us via 54 ethanol manufacturers who petitioned congress to sell more of the c#*#. The US consumer sure didn't want it.

[GAWildKat]

I dunno how many ppl are there have the ability but some cars can be converted to run on ethanol. My caprice is one, just have to replace all the rubber stuff and I have a car that can take gas or ethanol. Hubby and I had considered making the conversion when the engine needed rebuilding or replacing. Maybe we will have to do it sooner.

[Bobby G]

**UPDATE**

 

Here is the latest on this development. E-15 cleared the latest government hurdle and can now be brought to market, probably as early as next month in select locations. Here's the details:

 

http://www.jsonline.com/business/e15-ethanol-blend-clears-another-hurdle-2t4glqq-142157163.html

 

In this era of rising gas prices, the price drop will be attractive to some folks. As to putting it in your scoot, do your own homework on this, and don't just listen to what either "special interest group" has to say on it. But NEVER put this stuff in any small engine like a lawnmower or ATV.

 

[BuddyRich]

They have been selling E-15 for over a year here at some of the Vallejo's. I won't use it.

[Yammer Dan]

Should be able to make the advertise what they sell without having to read fine print!! You don't know what you are buying at most stations.

[stevej]

I think that it is all a bunch of hype from both sides. I have been using ethanol blend since it was introduced in the late 70's early 80's; I am in rural MN where it all began, and have used it in everything I own. I have had my maxim since new, my John Deere lawn tractor since 89, my 80 hp Mercury outboard since 89, 92 polaris 4 wheeler. I had a 90 buick, bought new, that I put 220,000 miles on until the timing chain broke in 2008. Newest vehicle we have is 2004 Jeep (have had for 3 years), plus 01 dodge (flex fuel) 2 95 jeeps, 96 gmc, 86 ford,(all aquired at least 6 years or more ago, kid's need something to get back and forth to school and work) 78 skid loader with a Onan engine that I have had for 10 years, plus several other Briggs engines on push mowers and pumps. I have several gas trimmers, oldest since 1982 (Greenmachine,it is quite worn out) newest one I have had for four years, same chain saw since 1986 (burned wood to heat the house for six or seven years, now it sits in the garage, with gas in it, and gets used three or four times a year to cut fire wood for bon fires....I have yet to touch the carbs on the maxim, have maybe gone through the carb on the string trimmer and chain saw 2 or three times, have never touched the lawn mower or the outboard and only put a fuel pump in the gmc about 6 years ago. I do like to use a lot of Seafoam though, I also put that into just about everything, especially the small engines.

 

Too early to tell how the Venture will do, that one had 8 year old fuel in it when I got it and was a mess, took three cans of Seafoam through the system, complete cleaning of the carb and new diaphrams to get it to idle and run without the choke on.

 

If the ethanol is as bad as some studies and hype make it out to be, none of these engines should have made it past the first year.

 

What I think is more important is knowing that the fuel you buy comes from a reputable station, and keep it fresh and the engines maintained. Also, if a station has not been carrying ethanol in their tanks as a regular product offering, expect trouble. We learned here early on that ethanol will clean out every spec of rust from the storage tank and put it right into yours.

 

Had a former employer, who told me that when on the road, look for good stations, he is a motor coach operator who traveled the US and Canada, who had personal experiance filling up at what looked to be a questionable station, but it was close to where he was and he needed fuel; said after filling he did not even get away from the pumps before trouble began, the engine would hardly run because the fuel was so poor.

[Bobby G]

Steve, I don't think that use of an ethanol blend is the issue. It's the amount of ethanol in the blend that is in question here, and the as-yet unknown long term effects on certain engine components, not just carbs. Remember, the EPA regs are only concerned with compliance with emissions, not engine performance, wear and tear, parts malfunction or anything else. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute's independent study of E-15 shows major potential problems if used in currently designed and manufactured small 2 and 4 stroke engines. The EPA has already acknowledged this. E-10 has been adapted to by engine OEM's over the years, but E-15 has not, so I don't think it's much ado over nothing. E-15 could really become a major issue, but engine performance be damned, there's no doubt that it's here to stay.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Bobby G

[BuddyRich]

Dan, Here, they have the pumps marked. You have to select those pumps and then select the E15. Now on its side it does produce more power. The Fusion runs like a bat outta he%% when its running on E15. But the mileage suffers by 20%. Its a flex fuel so it can run on the E15. Smokes the tires good though...

[Yammer Dan]

There are stations here that buy gas anywhere they can get it. And I deal with one of these for several reasons. Prices are always good and his filter system (that I've seen) is great. He makes a effort to do his best for the neighborhood. Gas prices raise elsewhere and he keeps his at the lower price til he has to refill and pay the higher price. He makes a effort to get good gas but gets it the cheapest he can.

[MiCarl]

"It's just putting a little more whiskey in your Coke kind of thing," Lamberty said.

 

Since ethanol gets fewer mpg isn't it like putting a little more Coke in your whiskey?

 

Modern fuel injected vehicles have oxygen sensors, air mass measurement sensors, throttle position sensors, knock sensors and computerized fuel delivery and timing. Whatever blend you run through them should work, so long is it doesn't fall outside the parameters of the electronics and controls.

 

A carburetor on the other hand is designed to mix precise amounts of gasoline and air. Start mixing other stuff in and it just won't work as efficiently as it was designed.

 

Then there is the issue as to whether the components in the fuel system are ethanol compatible.