Chrono

As a compliment to Dartmouth's thread about octane, I'd like to ask if anyone is seeking out and buying ethanol-free gas in areas that typically have 10% ethanol.

I'm on my second (expensive) tank of ethanol-free 93 octane and I could swear the car is performing better. However, maybe I just cleared out some bad gas or water.

jumper5836

I run ethanol-free as well. Seems to get way better gas mileage. Don't really notice that it performs any better just better mileage.

McCulla

What stations sell ethanol free in Florida?

Chrono

Typically available in Florida because of the marine hobby/business, but you have to look for it. It's especially hard to find ethanol-free at 93 octane.
Try here: http://pure-gas.org/

dasams

There's an app for that: Pure Gas

GSIRM3

Don't count on that being accurate.

Chrono

Agreed! Call the place(s) before going in. The site is more useful than nothing, and I've had luck with it.

Domer911

Conventional fuel (regardless of octane) won't "clear out" water better than E10, fyi.

Domer911

The mileage improvement is somewhere close to 3%

dasams

^ A gallon of ethanol has about 66% of the BTU's of a gallon of conventional gasoline. Hence, if you blend 10% ethanol into gasoline, you lose ~ 3.5% of the energy content. And energy content and mileage go hand in hand.

jumper5836

I think is a conspiracy by Governments to increases amount sold so they rake in the tax per gallon. Then tell us it is saving the environment. Mean while is is not good for engine longevity.

RED HORSE

The one station in this part of the state that sell ethanol free gas is about a mile from the house. I use their gas whenever possible. If you have doubts about ethanol content of your gas, suggest you buy a test kit and check it. I bought my kit off of Ebay for about $30.00 and checked stations advertising 10% ethanol and that is what the kit showed. Tested the ethanol free gas and the test confirmed gas is ethanol free.

Edgy01

I can;t but agree. Ethanol was always about bailing out the corn farmers. NOT about reducing dependence upon imported oil.

Tcc1999

Took the words right out of my mouth (or thoughts out of my brain). I'd add though, government pays corn farmers not to grow corn as a form of price supports; government mandates ethanol in gasoline so farmers can grow corn to be used for ethanol; government saves money by reducing price supports, creates a market from which taxes may be collected and maintains fuel supply / steady tax base.

The Beast just has to be fed and it is always hungry for more.

dasams

A little history. In the 90's, there was data that showed that oxygenated gasoline was cleaner burning and would improve tailpipe emissions in cars of that era. Hence, oxygenates were mandated and most refiners chose to blend MTBE because of the octane boost. The problem was that MTBE has a nasty property of being relatively soluble in water. MTBE was subsequently banned and most refiners switched to ethanol.

By 2000, auto emissions technology had evolved to the point it became clear that adding ethanol or any other oxygenate did not measurably improve tailpipe emissions. What's the Farm Lobby to do? Switch strategies and support the Energy Independence and Security Act which mandated ethanol blending

The data ranges quite a bit but the best that I've been able to determine is that 85 BTU's of fossil carbon are burned to produce 100 BTU's of corn ethanol. So there's a slight savings but not enough to justify the conversion of corn to ethanol IMO.

Interestingly, our very own Senator Feinstein recently proposed dropping corn ethanol from the Renewable Fuels Standard (EISA successor) to help the industry transition to cellulosic ethanol (nonedible plant based) where perhaps 15-20 fossil BTU's are burned to produce 100 BTU's of ethanol. This is a win for energy independence but doesn't have a snow ball's chance