gasoline ethanol content

J

jennyo

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
46
I just noticed the other day when i filled my gas tank in my car
i noticed that it said gas may contain up to 15% ethanol on
pump.i thought that it was only 10% allowed on the east coast.
Marine engines do not run well on more then 10% ethanol
anyone know what is going on with the gas companys.

Thanks jennyo
 
O

Outsider

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Apr 24, 2007
Messages
1,022
Re: gasoline ethanol content

The EPA granted the wish of ethanol producers (read as responded to bribes) to allow 15% in vehicles 2007 and newer. Then they did more 'testing' and said it would be OK in 2001 and newer. You're right about use, be very careful what you're putting in your tank ...
 
Fly Rod

Fly Rod

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Messages
2,622
Re: gasoline ethanol content

Will have to check the next time I go to the pump. It has always been 10% here.

Costco just opened a gas station around here and the prices are .10 cents cheaper then the regular low priced gas stations, they are getting 2.93 per gallon, in my city they are all around 3.17 per gallon.
 
QC

QC

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Joined
Mar 22, 2005
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22,783
Re: gasoline ethanol content

Moved this to Non-Boating Technical. I see marine mentioned by the OP, please search for other threads on the marine topic. This has been cussed and discussed many, many, many times, and bascially there are no conclusive "never in marine engine" conclusions.

Also . . . no politics or bashing, even those dirty rotten oil compaines. Thanks ;)
 
SparkieBoat

SparkieBoat

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

not the oil companies fault for sure...but generally speaking ethanol sux real bad for many different reasons
 
JB

JB

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45,907
Re: gasoline ethanol content

We have become so used to the many, many reasons that gasoline sux that we don't even realize that ethanol sux a lot less than gasoline. We just need to treat it differently, adjust our expectations and we have a better fuel.

If you treat E15 or even E10 as though it were pure gasoline and use it in engines over 20 years old you risk problems. The biggest problem around for E15 is the mythology.
 
NoKlu

NoKlu

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

I try not to use ethanol blends in anything. Less bang for the buck but it costs the same.
 
O

Outsider

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

The biggest problem around for E15 is the mythology.

Yeah, what do all those manufacturers know! Can't wait for the methanol myth to take hold, and the next train wreck ... ;)
 
veritas honus

veritas honus

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1,876
Re: gasoline ethanol content

ehenry said:
take a look at this site. www.pure-gas.org
Click to expand...

Just added a station less than 1/2 mile from my house; and another near my In-Laws lake house.

Jennyo, It's all about the almighty dollar. That's what's going on with the gas companies. There in business to make money. Higher percentage of lower cost ethynol sold at the same price as if it weren't there... Some gas stations do pass the savings on to the customer, some more than others.
 
bigdee

bigdee

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Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
Re: gasoline ethanol content

Jennyo said:
do[/I] pass the savings on to the customer, some more than others.
Click to expand...

Don't forget Big Brother.....they are forcing tax incentives for green and alternatative energy
 
bruceb58

bruceb58

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Messages
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Re: gasoline ethanol content

veritas honus said:
Just added a station less than 1/2 mile from my house; and another near my In-Laws lake house.

Jennyo, It's all about the almighty dollar. That's what's going on with the gas companies. There in business to make money. Higher percentage of lower cost ethynol sold at the same price as if it weren't there... Some gas stations do pass the savings on to the customer, some more than others.
Click to expand...
That is not the case at all. The oil companies are the ones having the ethanol forced upon them. Ethanol's main purpose in life in fuel is its use as an oxygenator and government agencies forced that on them.
 
SparkieBoat

SparkieBoat

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Messages
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Re: gasoline ethanol content

Yes government is forcing us to use ethanol. they are also taking money from me at gun point to subsidize it, the myth that ethanol is lower cost is WRONG..the government (with our money) subsidizes $1.80 per gallon of ethanol used to offset the cost. Ethanol sux..stop the madness

QC Edit: this is a perfect example of what we do NOT want in these threads. Please stop or this thread is gone. We can discuss energy equivalency, cost, retailers, distributors, sources, corrosiveness, filters, condensation, smell, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, fuel color, shelf life, heck we can talk about similarities to Vodka. But we CANNOT discus the politics behind any of this stuff. Always leads to a fight, and these are fights based only on opinion. Technical facts = Good. Politics = Bad.
 
bruceb58

bruceb58

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

MTBE was the previous oxygenator and because of the ground water problems with that chemical that is why the oil companies were mandated to use ethanol. Its an emissions issue. The subsidy issue is completely separate. My info comes from my friend who is a chemical engineer for Chevron. He states that we could go away from ethanol as an oxygenator for emissions by having the automakers change fuel injection systems to run at higher pressures.
 
SparkieBoat

SparkieBoat

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

SparkieBoat said:
Yes government is forcing us to use ethanol. they are also taking money from me at gun point to subsidize it, the myth that ethanol is lower cost is WRONG..the government (with our money) subsidizes $1.80 per gallon of ethanol used to offset the cost. Ethanol sux..stop the madness

QC Edit: this is a perfect example of what we do NOT want in these threads. Please stop or this thread is gone. We can discuss energy equivalency, cost, retailers, distributors, sources, corrosiveness, filters, condensation, smell, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, fuel color, shelf life, heck we can talk about similarities to Vodka. But we CANNOT discus the politics behind any of this stuff. Always leads to a fight, and these are fights based only on opinion. Technical facts = Good. Politics = Bad.
Click to expand...

Sorry..not trying to disobey forum policies..but what I stated are technical facts about political descisions, (so I guess it was a little political in a way.) and is the reason that ethanol will not go away anytime soon..it is easy to do your own reasearch..just google it. They are supposed to raise the mandates in June to the point that %100 gas will no longer be available by the end of summer, and they will have to start moving towards the %15 goal. And I am just a little mad about it all...guess I should not be venting in this forum. The good news is that there is a movement to slow/stop this increase. God Bless America..I hope everyone has a great day
 
QC

QC

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

We should take this to PMs as we don't discuss Mod decisions in the open forum . . . However, I see a teaching moment here :eek: Where you crossed the line was the use of "at gun point" and "forcing us" and "WRONG", those were opinions about "technical facts about political decisions". I think that's where it goes wrong.
 
veritas honus

veritas honus

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Messages
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Re: gasoline ethanol content

bruceb58 said:
That is not the case at all. The oil companies are the ones having the ethanol forced upon them. Ethanol's main purpose in life in fuel is its use as an oxygenator and government agencies forced that on them.
Click to expand...

The gas stations in Georgia don't have it forced upon them. They decide whether or not to use ethanol, and how much. The gas is separate from the additives at the distributor where I am. When I was still a career firefighter, we used to go to the local distributor occasionally to stay familiar with the operations and layout; and to keep our pre-fire plan current. I understand that there are some states who have ethanol forced upon them, but fortunately, Georgia isn't one of them. There are several stations near me which are ethanol free.
 
P

PiratePast40

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Mar 21, 2009
Messages
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Re: gasoline ethanol content

There have been E85 capable (FlexFuel) vehicles on the market for at least 5 years. I've rented several GM products from O'Hare in the last couple of years that were Flex Fuel. Fuel was cheaper per gallon but mileage wasn't as good as normal.
 
bruceb58

bruceb58

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Re: gasoline ethanol content

veritas honus said:
The gas stations in Georgia don't have it forced upon them. They decide whether or not to use ethanol, and how much.
Click to expand...
If that was the case, it isn't anymore. There were a many states in the south that had waivers after Katrina but not anymore. Another thing, if the stations blended it themselves, how could you possibly control the octane. Since ethanol increases octane, you wouldn't have the octane advertised on the pump.
 
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