10% ethanol is a gasoline standard?

[mmenta]

I never paid attention to gasoline content other than filling up my car with the octane level recommended by the manufacturer. I recently bought a 328xi and the user manual indicated up to 10% ethanol will not void the warranty. I looked for a gasoline stations in the local area that did not mix ethanol in the gas and I could not find one!

All the gas stations in my local area mix 10% ethanol in the gas. I have seen recommendations on the forum to use http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html. The Shell (toptiergas) stations in the local area also use this mix. Is this a country wide standard? Are there gasoline retailers that do not mix ethanol?

[Orient330iNYC]

I never paid attention to gasoline content other than filling up my car with the octane level recommended by the manufacturer. I recently bought a 328xi and the user manual indicated up to 10% ethanol will not void the warranty. I looked for a gasoline stations in the local area that did not mix ethanol in the gas and I could not find one!

All the gas stations in my local area mix 10% ethanol in the gas. I have seen recommendations on the forum to use http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html. The Shell (toptiergas) stations in the local area also use this mix. Is this a country wide standard? Are there gasoline retailers that do not mix ethanol?


its dependant on the emissions laws in your area.

for example, NYS uses CARB guidelines year round. so we get 10% ethanol all the time.

[328Vert_Jim]

Yep. Ethanol is used to help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced when one burns gasoline. Etanol has been used to replace MTBE which was found to be a BAD thing that was leaching into the groundwater. Essentially all of the more populated areas mandate the use of oxygenated gasoline. Hence, 10% ethanol.

[335e92tx]

I think the max is 15percent and it still be called Gasoline.. but it is common now in just about every blend.

[anE934fun]

Are there gasoline retailers that do not mix ethanol?
The 100/101 octane racing unleaded gas is not tainted by the presence of ethanol.

[Tanning machine]

the user manual indicated up to 10% ethanol will not void the warranty.

FWIW, I suspect that any vehicle manufacturer would have a hard time dodging claims of engine damage resulting from the use of a fuel blend that is virtually mandated by EPA.

Not that you should use E85--that's just whack.

[anE934fun]

There is an open question about whether the high pressure fuel pump failures are due to the ethanol content in our gas. Regardless (of whether the failures are due to ethanol content), there will have to be a solution that the fuel pump manufacturer (Bosch?) will have to provide. Telling us to stop using ethanol in the gas is a non-starter.

[Billd104]

E10, for the short term, is here to stay.

[anE934fun]

E10, for the short term, is here to stay.
I suspect that E10 will be around for the long term (at least as long as the present gasoline fueled engines are around) as well.

[wrh3]

E10 just became the standard here, I now get about 50 miles less to a tank of gas since Ethanol is less efficient than gas and long term I'm not sure how good it will be for the fuel system- there is a reason they truck Ethanol as opposed to using the pipelines, Ethanol eats certain metals and seals. One more example of government gone wrong, I would gladly pay the $ .20 more for gas with no Ethanol. My friend who works for the EPA and is a car enthusiast hates it too ;) Maybe if we tapped in to some of our own resources and built some new refineries we would be in a better situation now with regards to gas prices.........

Even though E10 is cheaper by gallon, it costs more when you look at reduced MPG and the amount of additional gas required to go the same distance.

[Billd104]

I suspect that E10 will be around for the long term (at least as long as the present gasoline fueled engines are around) as well.

What I meant was the ethanol content will probably creep up as the years go on E15, E20 etc. and E10 will be a thing of the past.

[anE934fun]

Maybe if we tapped in to some of our own resources and built some new refineries we would be in a better situation now with regards to gas prices.........
Ethanol content has nothing to do with gas prices. It is about putting oxygenates in the gasoline. Previously MTBE was used as the oxygenate of choice; but MTBE loves water and so, all of the contamination of ground water from leaking storage tanks. Ethanol provides similar oxygenation properties (as MTBE) but at a fuel economy penalty.

[328Vert_Jim]

Wrh3: the reason they truck ethanol around as opposed to piping it has little to do with it's corrsiveness but a LOT to due with its affinity for water. It will absorb water like crazy.

The energy content of a galone of E10 (10% ethanol) is about 3.2% less than that of straight gasoline so one's mileage might sufffer by about that factor. By the way, by law the minum percentage of ethanol in blended gasoline is 5.9%.

[jelliotlevy]

There is an open question about whether the high pressure fuel pump failures are due to the ethanol content in our gas. Regardless (of whether the failures are due to ethanol content), there will have to be a solution that the fuel pump manufacturer (Bosch?) will have to provide. Telling us to stop using ethanol in the gas is a non-starter.
...........

I remain concerned about the long term effects of 10% ethanol on the 335i fuel pump. My car is only four months old, and no trouble whatever. There was a posting or two, which I can no longer find, which showed a map indicating that fuel pump replacements were more common in states with colder climates (where, presumably, the ethanol might lead to greater water accumulation in the fuel tank). That fuel pump is very high pressure, very high tech, very high price. Let us hope that the latest design (which I have in my 2008 335i) is more resistant to contamination, if in fact that is the issue leading to pump failures.

Anyway, finding gasoline with no ethanol is no longer possible.

[wrh3]

Thanks for the information guys :thumbup:

[meddesigner]

Ethanol sucks. i was going to Shell and using V-Tech then one day they posted a sign about this ethanol stuff. The Exxon down the street from me currently does not see blends so i am using that. Gas milage went back up a bit and i am back to the level I thought I should be at which is around 21/22 in town with my 08 335i. This seems to depend more on temp and how lead footed I am during a particular tank full. The lowest It has gone is 18 and that was with the ethanol blends and a heavy foot.

[SJK]

I haven't noticed 10% ethanol having much impact on my cars, but it definitely affects my boat.

[Fulltone74]

Yep. Ethanol is used to help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced when one burns gasoline.

But if you aren't driving a old-school car with a carburetor that is running rich, with no electronic air-fuel mix control, the ethanol does nothing good for emissions.

Well, since gas mileage goes down at least 5% with ethanol, then all the associated HC, NoX, CO, and HC go up.

[Cains10]

I understand that E10 began to be widely used about a year ago around here. Many stations have started posting "real gasolione" signs. On Tuesday 7/1 the state will mandate info stickers on the pump so you can tell.:eeps:

[anE934fun]

Well, since gas mileage goes down at least 5% with ethanol, then all the associated HC, NoX, CO, and HC go up.
Nothing like selling out to the ethanol lobby.:thumbdwn: