Observations between ethanol and real gas

[Chris-PA]

My Blazer went from almost 20 MPG on straight gasoline down to about 14 on the alky stuff. Almost 25% mileage drop while saving 10% gasoline doesn't actually decrease gasoline used, it increases the total required to get from A to B. The 'experts' keep claiming the mileage drop is only 2-3 % on the alky mix. I say BS to that. The truth is we would need to import less oil if the alky went away. I really do hate the whole program the EPA and oil companies have shoved down our throats.
Rick

You should get it fixed, that reduction is not from 10% ethanol. I've been driving the same car for 11 years, and it gets the same mileage it always did. 10% less energy in 10% of the fuel is pretty much a 1% overall reduction in the energy contained in the fuel.

Adding oxygenates to the fuel was a really stupid idea, which as far as I know was pushed through by CALIFORNIA. I don't live in California, so I don't know why it was in my fuel here. But it was nowhere near as dumb or as putting lead in fuel, and they knew how damn dangerous it was at the time they did it. But it was CHEAP and so the oil companies did it.

You need additives in the fuel, some to increase octane. Ethanol is a scam as a main fuel, because it takes more petroleum energy to make it than you get back in the ethanol, but as an octane additive maybe it makes sense. They will have to use something, and everything has some detrimental effects.

 

[Modifiedmark]

You should get it fixed, that reduction is not from 10% ethanol. I've been driving the same car for 11 years, and it gets the same mileage it always did. 10% less energy in 10% of the fuel is pretty much a 1% overall reduction in the energy contained in the fuel.

Adding oxygenates to the fuel was a really stupid idea, which as far as I know was pushed through by CALIFORNIA. I don't live in California, so I don't know why it was in my fuel here. But it was nowhere near as dumb or as putting lead in fuel, and they knew how damn dangerous it was at the time they did it. But it was CHEAP and so the oil companies did it.

You need additives in the fuel, some to increase octane. Ethanol is a scam as a main fuel, because it takes more petroleum energy to make it than you get back in the ethanol, but as an octane additive maybe it makes sense. They will have to use something, and everything has some detrimental effects.

I agree that I have not seen that much mileage reduction but there is some, there has to be. I have posted before that I drive about 100 miles a day round trip and have seen a reduction of mileage in my daily work car. Its lost a couple mpgs since the e-10 came to be.

Thing is though do the math, 2mpg x 5-600 miles a week over the course of a year? Yeah it adds up fast.

 

[Chris-PA]

I agree that I have not seen that much mileage reduction but there is some, there has to be. I have posted before that I drive about 100 miles a day round trip and have seen a reduction of mileage in my daily work car. Its lost a couple mpgs since the e-10 came to be.

Thing is though do the math, 2mpg x 5-600 miles a week over the course of a year? Yeah it adds up fast.

It could well be, depending on how the engine control system responds I guess. But not 20mpg to 14mpg, that's a 30% reduction. On mine it's not been measurable relative to other variations like summer/winter blend, etc. My engine is less than 1500cc and I drive it for mileage (most of the time anyway - now and then I run across some kid that needs a driving lesson, and that kills the mileage a bit). Maybe other engine and loading configurations respond differently.

Something to keep in mind is that oxygen sensors can degrade over time, even though they set no codes. That usually causes the engine to run richer. Also, it only takes a little bit of knock and if you have a knock sensor the system will retard your spark - that's a quick way to kill mileage which is not really the ethanol directly. It can be difficult to do a real controlled test.

 

[ToMang07]

It could well be, depending on how the engine control system responds I guess. But not 20mpg to 14mpg, that's a 30% reduction. On mine it's not been measurable relative to other variations like summer/winter blend, etc. My engine is less than 1500cc and I drive it for mileage (most of the time anyway - now and then I run across some kid that needs a driving lesson, and that kills the mileage a bit). Maybe other engine and loading configurations respond differently.

Something to keep in mind is that oxygen sensors can degrade over time, even though they set no codes. That usually causes the engine to run richer. Also, it only takes a little bit of knock and if you have a knock sensor the system will retard your spark - that's a quick way to kill mileage which is not really the ethanol directly. It can be difficult to do a real controlled test.

I think it effects higher compression engines more. I saw about a 25% reduction with my Ram when they switched up here. It effected my Subaru less, (33mpg to 30mpg) but my Ram/Hemi went from 15-16 to 10-12. Wasn't some just coincidence. I noticed the difference in virtually ALL my engines.