Ethanol

[Lucky DAWG]

which places don't put it in their gas, i see the 10% warning even at kroger gas now, i thought that place was safe.



and to my understanding it damages your engine... correct me if i'm wrong

[slostang]

i will make your oil kinda thin and milky if you run a light weight synthetic.

tiz why i run a medium (10w-30) senthetic.

[Buttons]

i'm not for sure, but my friend started using it and his engine started to make weird noises. it might just something was wrong with his engine, but it might be from the ethanol.



but wtf is up with techron? lol. i was reading somewhere that volvo & mercedes-benz have been messing up, because of it.

[Lucky DAWG]

What about a truck? The one in my signature for instance.


I am not half as knowledgeable as most people on here on the mechanics of cars of most people on this website so i wanted to ask.


I don't run any kind of synthetic, my truck in the manual is just supposed to run on ol' 87 Unleaded Regular... dunno if that Ethanol would have any effect on my truck though. I just got it and would prefer not to start screwing it up from the get go

[Buttons]

well my friend had an older fox body mustang with a new engine in it? so idk. maybe it was the actual engine, but the ethanol could have played a part in it.

just try to google and see what you can come up with. i'm looking right now.


i'm taking a wild guess, and saying that your truck is not flex fuel. you can have a little bit, but a lot could cause serious damage. they say 10% ethanol is fine for a gasoline powered engine, but anything more is bad.

i think it's been good. a study at Iowa State University showed that gas could be anywhere from $0.29 to $0.40 higher if we didn't have ethanol in the gas.

[Double_0_Rusty]

Lucky Dawg, you're truck maybe flex fuel. If that's the case the ethanol shouldn't hurt it. I would check to see if it is Flex Fuel. Also with it being that you could run E85. If it's not flex fuel, never put E85 in it. It's a way higher octane fuel.

My dodge isn't flex fuel, and I run 87 octane with 10% ethanol. No problems.

[Echonova]

~sigh~ Any car can run 10% ethanol with no problem. Citgo is the only brand that does NOT have ethanol right now. Their bulk plant was supposed to convert July 15th but has not as of yet. With a 10% blend you will never tell the difference between that and normal gas. Other than your fuel injectors will stay clean. Don't believe me? I've been in the petroleum business for 13yrs and Ethanol conversion (for the store) is my main business right now.

[Echonova]

You cannot run higher than a 20% blend without problems to the vehicle. Hence E-85 (85% ethanol)... Bad. E-85 is around 115-120 octane; however ethanol is also a very good solvent and will eat rubber hoses and o-rings at such a high concentration. Also Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline so it takes more to burn. Which is why you need a flex-fuel, safe fuel system and a computer that will recognize the Ethanol and change parameters.

[SOHC MONSTER]

You cannot run higher than a 20% blend without problems to the vehicle. Hence E-85 (85% ethanol)... Bad. E-85 is around 115-120 octane; however ethanol is also a very good solvent and will eat rubber hoses and o-rings at such a high concentration. Also Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline so it takes more to burn. Which is why you need a flex-fuel, safe fuel system and a computer that will recognize the Ethanol and change parameters.

To my understanding you also lose horsepower with a high blend of ethanol, causing your engine to work harder and higher breakdown. Correct?

[Echonova]

To my understanding you also lose horsepower with a high blend of ethanol, causing your engine to work harder and higher breakdown. Correct?Not really, the flex-fuel vehicle compensates by simply sending more fuel. Running E-85 your fuel milage will drop by about 25%.

[SOHC MONSTER]

I havent read anything about my truck being a flex fuel vehicle. Its an 07

Edit: Googled it and it has been offered on vehicles since 1995.
Here is the list I found

No, 2006-2007 F150's, with the 5.4 V8, produced as Flex-Fuel Vehicles.
If it is E85 capable, it will be marked in 3 ways:
on the original window sticker
on the inside of the fuel filler door
in the VIN ( 8th character of vehicle id # is a "V" )

Here's a list of Ford Flex-Fuel Vehicle offerings since 1995:



2007
4.6L Ford Crown Victoria (2-valve, excluding taxi and police units)
5.4L Ford F-150
4.6L Lincoln Town Car (2-valve)

2006
3.0L Ford Taurus sedan and wagon (2-valve)*
4.6L Ford Crown Victoria (2-valve, excluding taxi and police units)
5.4L Ford F-150 (3-valve. Available in December 2005)
4.6L Lincoln Town Car (2-valve)

2004 - 2005
4.0L Explorer Sport Trac
4.0L Explorer (4-door)
3.0L Taurus sedan and wagon (2-valve)

2002 - 2004
4.0L Explorer (4-door)
3.0L Taurus sedan and wagon

2002 - 2003
3.0L Supercab Ranger pickup 2WD

2001
3.0L Supercab Ranger pickup 2WD
3.0L Taurus LX, SE and SES sedan

1999 and 2000
3.0L Ranger pickup 4WD and 2WD
3.0L Taurus LX, SE and SES sedan

Many 1995-98 Taurus 3.0L Sedans are also


See also VIN chart at
http://www.e85fuel.com/information/vin.p...

By the way , there has never been a need to take a Ford FFV to a dealer to have them 'switch it over' . All that is needed to switch from gasoline to E85, is to put your choice fuel in the tank...The answerer above whose 'Buddy" claims to have been stranded.....must have been ill informed.
1 year ago

[redrumracer]

Not really, the flex-fuel vehicle compensates by simply sending more fuel. Running E-85 your fuel milage will drop by about 25%.
see thats just not worth it for me on a daily basis, maybe using it as a race fuel ok, but not everyday regular gas.

[Echonova]

Is it 5.4? If not then no it isn't.

Check the list of 2007 e85 compatible vehicles and see if you have a flex-fuel vehicle by default:

Buick 3.9-liter Tarraza
Chevrolet 5.3-liter Avalanche
Chevrolet 5.3-liter Express
Chevrolet 3.5-liter Impala
Chevrolet 3.5-liter Monte Carlo
Chevrolet 5.3-liter Silverado ½ ton 2WD & 4WD
Chevrolet 5.3-liter Suburban
Chevrolet 5.3-liter Tahoe
Chevrolet 3.9-liter Uplander
Chrysler 4.7-liter Aspen
Chrysler 2.7-liter Sebring Sedan
Dodge 2.7-liter Avenger
Dodge 3.3-liter Caravan & Caravan Cargo
Dodge 4.7-liter Dakota
Dodge 4.7-liter Durango
Dodge 3.3-liter Grand Caravan
Dodge 4.7-liter Ram 1500
Ford 4.6-liter Crown Victoria
Ford 5.4-liter F-150
GMC 5.3-liter Savana
GMC 5.3-liter Sierra ½ ton 2WD & 4WD
GMC 5.3-liter Yukon & Yukon XL
Lincoln 4.6-liter Town Car
Jeep 4.7-liter Commander
Jeep 4.7-liter Grand Cherokee
Mercedes 2.5-liter C230 Sedan
Mercury 4.6-liter Grand Marquis
Nissan 5.6-liter Armada
Nissan 5.6-liter Titan
Pontiac 3.9-liter Montana
Saturn 3.9-liter Relay

[Echonova]

see thats just not worth it for me on a daily basis, maybe using it as a race fuel ok, but not everyday regular gas.A lot of people are using it as a race fuel for the octane level. :goodjob:

[Echonova]

If you wanna check... The list from 2003 to now.

http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/flexfuelsffvs/a/e85compathub.htm

[Echonova]

E-85 is not really worth talking about, there is only 2 stations (that I know of) selling it in Georgia.

[ShooterMcGavin]

~sigh~ Any car can run 10% ethanol with no problem. Citgo is the only brand that does NOT have ethanol right now. Their bulk plant was supposed to convert July 15th but has not as of yet. With a 10% blend you will never tell the difference between that and normal gas. Other than your fuel injectors will stay clean. Don't believe me? I've been in the petroleum business for 13yrs and Ethanol conversion (for the store) is my main business right now.
qft

[RandomGuy]

http://www.importatlanta.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160642

[Vteckidd]

~sigh~ Any car can run 10% ethanol with no problem. Citgo is the only brand that does NOT have ethanol right now. Their bulk plant was supposed to convert July 15th but has not as of yet. With a 10% blend you will never tell the difference between that and normal gas. Other than your fuel injectors will stay clean. Don't believe me? I've been in the petroleum business for 13yrs and Ethanol conversion (for the store) is my main business right now.

+1

[eViLMunkey]

which places don't put it in their gas, i see the 10% warning even at kroger gas now, i thought that place was safe.



and to my understanding it damages your engine... correct me if i'm wrong


Not on newer vehicles the damage happens to older ones since the Ethanol cleans the old sludge in you gas tank and sends it through you fuel pump, fuel filter then can colg injectors really badly.. it Fooked up a bunch of cars up here 2 years ago. E85 gas sucks a fat donkey D!ck but that's in my Trooper, the civic eats that shiat up since all it's had is 93 and 130 oct in it so the tank is clean :ninja:

[Elbow]

Ethanol FTW