mikeyc6

First it was only the el-cheapo gas stations like Hess and BJ's gas, but now they all seem to be doing it: adding up to 10% ethanol to gas at the pumps. Does anyone know of a list of gas companies or stations that are not using ethanol? I'm not really worried about running it in my cars, but I've used meth and non-meth gas in all four of our cars and gas without ethanol gives about 5% better gas mileage than the ethanol-diluted gas whereas the price advantage of the ethanol gas is only 2%. So we're all getting ripped off by about 3% by using that crap.

Does anyone have any info on this? I Googled but didn't find much that was relevant. Are the stations adding it or does it get added before it gets to the individual stations? Is it dependent on area? How can you avoid the ethanol gas? Here in SW Florida, all my top choices for gas have diluted their gas with ethanol: Chevron, BP, etc.

Mike

Road Rage

you have no choice, ethanol replaced MTBE which was once in ALL gas.

havesleep

Why do you want to avoid it.

mikeyc6

So it's going to be a required thing in all gas soon? Why? MTBE didn't drop my gas mileage by 5%!

Because it's a ripoff? It's just a way to let gas companies charge us 3% more for gas: ethanol gas is 2% cheaper than non ethanol gas but you get 5% worse gas mileage. Not to mention that there isn't as much energy in ethanol so you're car will make less power.

Mike

bigdsz

I believe the State of Florida has mandated the use of ethanol in it's gasoline, and that the consumer will have no choice but to use it. Also many areas of the state are fed by common gasoline pipelines,ie, all the oil companies are using the same gasoline, but putting their proprietary additives in when the tank truck is loaded.

92drexel

Mikey:

Try this link: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/rfg.htm

Search under reformulated gasoline (RFG). Unfortunately, RFG gasoline was mandated by the EPA in the early 90's (under the Clean Air Act - I believe). MTBE was the oxygenate of choice; however, it is slowly being phased out due to concerns that MTBE is contaminating groundwater (I think there may be some law suits associated with this). Thus, ethanol seems to be the "new" MTBE. I hope this helps...

mikeyc6

Thanks. It does help. At least now I know I can stop looking for stations that don't use ethanol since they're all going to soon. If ethanol really is better for the environment (although I suspect that is debatable since you use more gas with 10% ethanol gas), I can live with it. When I saw it on the pumps, I just figured it was another way to rip off the consumer. If it's better for the environment than MTBE, I can live with that.

Mike

vdavenp802

There really is not reason as it is actully a cleaner burning fuel, and no need to treat the gas in the winter time. You probably don' t in FLA anyway, but us northern folks do.
Ever hear of E-85. Ever watch an IRL race (E-100). Ethanol is not controlled by the middle east countries. So wake up, smell the roses and thank the farmers for growing a good fuel for your Vette, that you can still drive when the oil runs out, and it will.

mongooseC6

My Tahoe is built to run on E85 but there is no ethanol available anywhere near here.

I am pumping the 10% sorry excuse for gasoline and have now gone from a 17.3 mpg average to 15.4.....that is a crock. It keeps going down and down and down.

Cruncher

In my area of Florida, all of the pumps now have a sticker stating that there is up to 10% ethanol in the gasoline. I use Chevron, Mobil, and Exxon brands; all the stations have the sticker. So far, I haven't had any issues. I know that in at least Cincinnati, OH, the Sunoco stations have been using ethonol or some kind of "thonol" (methanol?) in their gasolines for at about 10 years; their labels were on the side of the pumps. As a result, I never purchased Sunoco unless I was driving a rental.

maxp

Fat

For a couple of years now all gas in the US has to be ethanol diluted, no way around it

johnodrake

Don't like ethanol? Talk to your congressman and senators, they are part of the 545 that are responsible - not the oil companies. Oil companies would be just as happy with TEL....

shopdog

Happier, I suspect. I certainly would be.

07MontRedcp

The price of corn and wheat has jumped, forcing a real problem for third world countries, and here at home, hog, chicken and beef farmers are in real trouble from increased prices for feed and fuel. Let's all be thankful that congress has prevented development of our own resources.....NOT

BJK

Hoonose

It seems somewhat ironic, but the high cost of gas really negates much of the advantage of ethanol. When gas was 'cheap' it was easier to live with a 5-10% MPG reduction. Now that 5-10% is more important.

BSE1956

Ethanol blend of 10% is the "summer blend" that has been used for a few years now. In NY state it's mandatory. What ever nonsense the oil companies and their buddies in state government agencies are telling us is all questionable at best. Extender? Stabilizer? Pollution reducer? WHO KNOWS??? It's been reported in Road and Track and plenty of other reputable sources that ethanol has less than 70% of the potential energy from a same volume of regular gasoline. I'll leave the higher math and opinions to you........

johnodrake

The Clevite Kid

. . . nuthin' like a whiff of tetraethyl lead to wake up the ol' shopdog . . .

Ah, yes, longin' for the good-old-days of lubricated valve seats . . .

. . . and changing spark plugs every 10,000 miles . . .

mikeyc6

It burns a little cleaner, but we're using more of it (because gas mileage is reduced) so I bet overall there are more pollutants not less as we burn more fuel, stop more often to fill up, etc.. I guess I should consider myself lucky as I found some reports of 20% and even 30% reduction in gas mileage with E10. I guess I'll be happy with a 5% reduction. Also, making fuel from corn is not necessarily a good thing. Using this country's limited agricultural resources to feed our cars instead of our people isn't the best idea in the world either.

Mike