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Ethanol-free GAS

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  jgbackes 
#1 ·
Hey! I am pretty ignorant about the subject in question "Gas", though I have a vague notion of what pure gasoline and ethanol gas are. First, pure gasoline is self-explanatory no additives, just simple plain gasoline. Ethanol gas also self explanatory contains a certain amount of ethanol mixed with the once "pure gas". So a few weeks ago I almost ran out of gas leaving from key largo to Miami, no gas stations near were I was and I had a mile to go before my car ran out of it. Pulled up in this marine in the hopes that they had gas. For my luck they did and filled me up with Ethanol-free gas $5.00/gallon... :confused: Let me say that I have never experienced my car the way I did. Ran smoother, I saw literally NO significant gas loss on a 60+ miles trip. So my question is... Is ethanol-free gas the best for our cars, and if so are they worth the money? Could it be that the carbon build up on our cars and valve leaking issues be from the ethanol gas? Since it leaves residues on valves? I plan on calling a BMW/Benz mechanic friend of mine and ask him what benefits can it bring specifically for the F01 if any.

What you guys think?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Bring money.

I think it will cost you more at land based gas stations. Might be preferable but looks like an uphill battle at this point.

This site was given in a thread about non-ethanol gas over on Off Topic:

http://pure-gas.org/

The only station on the list in the Bay Area is a few miles from my place. I happened by last night low on gas and stopped in. They want $7.50 a gallon, call it racing fuel, it's listed at 100 octane. I didn't buy it.
 
#3 ·
Hey! I am pretty ignorant about the subject in question "Gas", though I have a vague notion of what pure gasoline and ethanol gas are. First, pure gasoline is self-explanatory no additives, just simple plain gasoline. I plan on calling a BMW/Benz mechanic friend of mine and ask him what benefits can it bring specifically for the F01 if any.

What you guys think?
Alcohol has a much higher octane rating than gasoline. It is used in automobile fuel to reduce engine-knocking without using more expensive anti knock additives.

Part of the tradeoff you get for the antiknock characteristics is lower fuel efficiency. A gallon of high-octane fuel has less energy (fewer calories) than lower-octane fuel. Thus, putting high octane fuel into a low-compression engine is worse than useless--it lowers your mileage and your performance. You case use it in a BMW because those engines get more power through higher compression.

If the manufacture (or tuner) of the car knows that the fuel used will always be 100 octane, they can safely increase the output of the engine without having to worry about harmful engine knocking (pre-ignition)

Gasohol (blended gasoline and alcohol) has received considerable governmental financial support because it is alleged to have important ecological and economic advantages. It is, for instance, supposed to reduce our extraction of nonrenewable energy, to have a cost advantage over gasoline, and to reduce pollution.

It looks to me that:
  • The evidence that the amount of nonrenewable energy used in producing the corn ethanol is less than the amount of energy it provides as a fuel
  • The price competitiveness with gasoline is doubtful
  • The environmental benefits are far from proven. In brief, current U.S. policies encouraging ethanol production to produce gasohol do not seem economically rational.

If you can purchase "pure gasoline" at a competitive price than by all means use it. I think you will find however that with current subsidies on Gasohol you will not be able to justify the additional cost.

As far as the clean engine portion of your original question, because there is no gasoline hitting the intake values in a direct injection motor, no fuel additive of any kind will decrease the amount of carbon buildup. Walnut blasting is going to be a standard maintenance practice for direct injection engines from here on out.

jeff
 
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