Ethanol E85

***Valandil*** · 02-28-2006, 09:20 PM

Anyone here use the stuff?

I didn't even know what it was until about 5-6 months ago. I pulled up at a gas station on the south side, in between stops with my job. Before I could get to the pump, a gas station employee came out to pump the gas for me. Well... that was the first time this has happened to me in Illinois since I've been driving (though I know it's standard in some states - Oregon & New Jersey at least).

Anyway - he tells me my car can take E85 (showed me the sticker) - and started to tell me about it. I had him stop on that pump and switched over to the E85 pump right away. Here's the deal:

* E85 is 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline.
* You can use it in your car if you have the green sticker saying your car can take it - right by your gas cap (mine is on the inside of the lid that covers the cap).
* If your car is a "flex-fuel" car (meaning it can burn either gasoline or E85), using E85 is actually better for your car.
* E85 burns cleaner.
* It's cheaper - the gas station on the south side was selling it for 20 cents a gallon less than gas - then 30 less... now one by me is selling it for 50 cents less than their lowest grade of gasoline (those are the only two stations I've found in the city that sell it though - and I've only seen one in my usual routes outside of town). I filled up this morning for $1.99 per gallon!
* It doesn't use NEARLY so much foreign oil - and doesn't send as much of my money out of the country to the middle east.
* The ethanol is made from domestically grown corn - which benefits my country's economy and even my regional midwestern economy (from the Middle East to the Mid-west, we might say!

). Illinois by itself just grows an unbelievable amount of corn every year - besides all the other big corn-producing states.

Anybody else have a flex-fuel car? Anyone else use E85? My car is a 2002 Dodge - but I don't think there are a lot of flex-fuel vehicles out on the road yet.

***Rían*** · 02-28-2006, 10:31 PM

wow, that's interesting! What year car can typically take it? Our newest car is a 2001, so I doubt if that will work

***Valandil*** · 02-28-2006, 10:34 PM

I think even a small minority of the newest models - I heard the figures once and they're pretty low. (but check near your gas cap to be sure about your own car)

Still - they're on the rise, and that's one of the things that Bush was pushing for - to increase the number of flex-fuel cars and require all new cars to be flex-fuel by a certain year.

rohirrim TR · 03-01-2006, 11:58 AM

I've heard of it but my cars not new enough, you could feasibly switch your older car over by replacing the fuel lines and maybe the tank, but where I live it wouldn't help because no one is selling it.

I've also heard that its higher octane and can boost your horsepower did it work on your's?

Hasty Ent · 03-01-2006, 12:26 PM

I like the idea, but the more I read, the more I find that ethanol is a net energy loser given the amount of resources it takes to produce. In addition, I'm starting to hear horror stories about ethanol plants and how they are an environmental nightmare. Lastly, I'm learning that ethanol is a classic example of corporate welfare that is economically unsustainable, as well as unfriendly environmentally.

Some info found here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases...hanol.hrs.html

And more here: http://www.acfnewsource.org/science/ethanol_woes.html

Still, I'm hopeful that solutions will be found for these issues, and that ethanol can emerge a viable alternative to gasoline.

Spock · 03-01-2006, 01:10 PM

It was a mandatory additive in Az. from about April through Oct. IIRC. Our cars, '87-'94, ran fine with it.

rohirrim TR · 03-01-2006, 02:44 PM

that would have probably been like 10% ethanol.
with E85 its a 85% percent ethanol and according to what I've heard will eat you fuel lines up because of the concentration.

Spock · 03-01-2006, 07:26 PM

I don't remember the concentration but I see what you are saying.

Snowdog · 03-02-2006, 07:29 PM

The 10% Ethanol has been in the pumps of most brands of gas for years. They used to have to say on the pumps. Here in Washington, Tesoro (Alaska gas) does not use any ethanol and adveertises that fact. Other stations (ARCO, 76) say 'up to 10%', and the ARCO Premium has a 'Low Sulpher' ad. Haven't seen any E85 pumps anywhere, but I'll have to look at my 2005 Malibu to see if its compatable, and if it is I will seek out a pump to try it once.

The big rage in the Seattle area is the 'bio-diesel'.

Lotesse · 03-02-2006, 07:35 PM

Bio-diesel's all the rage down here in L.A. recently, too. Apparantly it doesn't cost much to get a diesel car converted to be able to run on vegetable oil, and then the car gets like 35 to 40 miles per gallon of vegetable oil.

Here, here's a link to the BioDiesel website -

http://www.biodiesel.org/

Lotesse · 03-02-2006, 07:46 PM

Here, this is what I meant, re: the "hybrid" cars.- http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/hevs.html

02-28-2006, 09:20 PM	#1
*Valandil* High King at Annuminas Administrator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming - USA Posts: 10,752	Ethanol E85 Anyone here use the stuff? I didn't even know what it was until about 5-6 months ago. I pulled up at a gas station on the south side, in between stops with my job. Before I could get to the pump, a gas station employee came out to pump the gas for me. Well... that was the first time this has happened to me in Illinois since I've been driving (though I know it's standard in some states - Oregon & New Jersey at least). Anyway - he tells me my car can take E85 (showed me the sticker) - and started to tell me about it. I had him stop on that pump and switched over to the E85 pump right away. Here's the deal: * E85 is 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline. * You can use it in your car if you have the green sticker saying your car can take it - right by your gas cap (mine is on the inside of the lid that covers the cap). * If your car is a "flex-fuel" car (meaning it can burn either gasoline or E85), using E85 is actually better for your car. * E85 burns cleaner. * It's cheaper - the gas station on the south side was selling it for 20 cents a gallon less than gas - then 30 less... now one by me is selling it for 50 cents less than their lowest grade of gasoline (those are the only two stations I've found in the city that sell it though - and I've only seen one in my usual routes outside of town). I filled up this morning for $1.99 per gallon! * It doesn't use NEARLY so much foreign oil - and doesn't send as much of my money out of the country to the middle east. * The ethanol is made from domestically grown corn - which benefits my country's economy and even my regional midwestern economy (from the Middle East to the Mid-west, we might say! ). Illinois by itself just grows an unbelievable amount of corn every year - besides all the other big corn-producing states. Anybody else have a flex-fuel car? Anyone else use E85? My car is a 2002 Dodge - but I don't think there are a lot of flex-fuel vehicles out on the road yet. __________________ My Fanfic: Letters of Firiel Tales of Nolduryon Visitors Come to Court Ñ á ë ?* ó ú é ä ï ö Ö ñ É Þ ð ß ® ™ [Xurl=Xhttp://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=ABCXYZ#postABCXYZ]text[/Xurl] Splitting Threads is SUCH Hard Work!!

02-28-2006, 10:31 PM	#2
*Rían* Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not where I want to be ... Posts: 15,254	wow, that's interesting! What year car can typically take it? Our newest car is a 2001, so I doubt if that will work __________________ . I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva!

02-28-2006, 10:34 PM	#3
*Valandil* High King at Annuminas Administrator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming - USA Posts: 10,752	I think even a small minority of the newest models - I heard the figures once and they're pretty low. (but check near your gas cap to be sure about your own car) Still - they're on the rise, and that's one of the things that Bush was pushing for - to increase the number of flex-fuel cars and require all new cars to be flex-fuel by a certain year. __________________ My Fanfic: Letters of Firiel Tales of Nolduryon Visitors Come to Court Ñ á ë ?* ó ú é ä ï ö Ö ñ É Þ ð ß ® ™ [Xurl=Xhttp://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=ABCXYZ#postABCXYZ]text[/Xurl] Splitting Threads is SUCH Hard Work!!

03-01-2006, 12:26 PM	#5
Hasty Ent Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 516	I like the idea, but the more I read, the more I find that ethanol is a net energy loser given the amount of resources it takes to produce. In addition, I'm starting to hear horror stories about ethanol plants and how they are an environmental nightmare. Lastly, I'm learning that ethanol is a classic example of corporate welfare that is economically unsustainable, as well as unfriendly environmentally. Some info found here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases...hanol.hrs.html And more here: http://www.acfnewsource.org/science/ethanol_woes.html Still, I'm hopeful that solutions will be found for these issues, and that ethanol can emerge a viable alternative to gasoline. __________________ Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

03-01-2006, 01:10 PM	#6
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	It was a mandatory additive in Az. from about April through Oct. IIRC. Our cars, '87-'94, ran fine with it. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

03-01-2006, 07:26 PM	#8
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	I don't remember the concentration but I see what you are saying. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

03-02-2006, 07:29 PM	#9
Snowdog Dúnedain Ranger of the North Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: The Ruins of Arnor Posts: 892	The 10% Ethanol has been in the pumps of most brands of gas for years. They used to have to say on the pumps. Here in Washington, Tesoro (Alaska gas) does not use any ethanol and adveertises that fact. Other stations (ARCO, 76) say 'up to 10%', and the ARCO Premium has a 'Low Sulpher' ad. Haven't seen any E85 pumps anywhere, but I'll have to look at my 2005 Malibu to see if its compatable, and if it is I will seek out a pump to try it once. The big rage in the Seattle area is the 'bio-diesel'. __________________ "I am an outlaw, I was born an outlaw's son. The highway is my legacy, on the highway I will run."

03-02-2006, 07:35 PM	#10
Lotesse of the House of Fëanor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,150	Bio-diesel's all the rage down here in L.A. recently, too. Apparantly it doesn't cost much to get a diesel car converted to be able to run on vegetable oil, and then the car gets like 35 to 40 miles per gallon of vegetable oil. Here, here's a link to the BioDiesel website - http://www.biodiesel.org/ __________________ Few people have the imagination for reality. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Last edited by Lotesse : 03-02-2006 at 10:24 PM.

03-02-2006, 07:46 PM	#11
Lotesse of the House of Fëanor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,150	Here, this is what I meant, re: the "hybrid" cars.- http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/hevs.html __________________ Few people have the imagination for reality. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Last edited by Lotesse : 03-02-2006 at 10:23 PM.

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