Ethanol free gas? Yes or No

[Toothpick]

I’m considering running ethanol free gas in my car. I’ve read it’s a lot better for the engine.

Wondering if anyone here uses ethanol free?

I use it in all my small engines (outdoor power equipment). Never ran it in my cars though.

Thoughts?

 

[GreazyThumbs]

Yes if you have easy access to it. Ethanol breaks down over time and fouls the fuel systems. Especially in small engines as the gas ages.

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[Toothpick]

There’s an old country store next door to me that sells it. Can’t get much easier access than that. Regular is currently $2.59. Ethanol Free is $3.09.

 

[bberg100]

Very hard to come by in Colorado. A station in Greeley has it, have to call ahead. Small engines I get premium gas and add Seafoam or equivalent. Weed eater started first pull last weekend, after sitting in the rafters of the shed all winter with a half tank of gas in it. I've looked at the canned gas at work, $25 a gallon is not going to happen here.

 

[jason10mm]

I found a local source and tried it for a few tanks. Didn't see any kind of performance or fuel economy increase, so I don't think it is worth the cost for cars. Lawnmower though....all the way. That gas seriously hydrates over the summer if it sits in a can.

 

[Laird]

Chevron 94 with no ethanol. Period. In my mowers, Stihl brushcutter and F150. Real actual gasoline (not moonshine).

 

[ShaverGN]

Hard to find ethanol-free here. Only one station has it. They charge a significant premium. So, I just use regular gas in my hemi.

 

[GreazyThumbs]

There’s an old country store next door to me that sells it. Can’t get much easier access than that. Regular is currently $2.59. Ethanol Free is $3.09.

Yes then for small engines. Your car uses more gas and it does not have time to age so the regular stuff with a fuel treatment from time to time will suffice.

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[BigFoot]

I have never seen it around here. Where I have seen it is cost prohibitive. I buy the Stihl fuel for my blower.

 

[Try em all]

Alcoholized fuel compulsory here.
Fuel prone to collect water as its hygroscopic.
Makes my car rough & it misses.
Better once its hot.

 

[TexLaw]

It's not terribly hard to come by around here, but I'd have to go out of my way a little for it. I never worried too much about it, though. Sta-Bil always has worked fine, and I never worried about getting all the gas I needed to make it through a year, or anything like that. As I've shifted more to electric stuff, I don't really worry about it at all.

 

[Toothpick]

I suppose it helps that I live in a rural area. Lots of farmers and horse breeders around here. The next spot on down the road sells it too. That’s all they have is ethanol free.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Motorcycle, yes, 90% of the time.
Car, no.

 

[KellyG]

I try to use ethanol free whenever possible. I think I get better performance from my car (think being the operative term, I've no verified research) and I certainly don't buy into the economics of the 'turning corn into gasoline' lobby. I live in big farming country but corn is not a crop grown here without benefit of high intensity irrigation. All the corn grown in service of the beef and ethanol businesses has created significant pressure on the aquifer (Ogallala) and likely shortened the lifespan of more reasonable irrigated farming in this area. Not a good long term perspective, especially given we seem awash in crude oil these days. But that is another whole story.

 

[PugslyCat]

Up until a few years ago I would put alcohol free gas in the car all the time. The fuel mileage improved by a couple of MPG and it was only about a dime difference in price. Then the price gap increased to where it's now about $0.50 per gallon more to put alcohol free into the car. The fuel economy didn't increase enough to be worth the added expense.

Any car engine designed since the mid 1970's is going to take ethanol fuel into account. Earlier cars may have issues with tubing and seals dissolving and corrosion of some metal components. Not so much a problem for new cars, though.

I do enough driving and mow enough lawn that gas doesn't sit in cans long enough to accumulate water.

 

[Toothpick]

Same here with the mowing. I go through at least 2 gallons each mow. Mow roughly once a week.

My car gets 34.1 MPG so I’m not worried about improved MPG. I don’t think it will get any better. Mainly just curious if it would be better for the engine. Better performance (power)

 

[Acmemfg]

Depends.
Ethanol free with Sea Foam stabilizer keeps gas (and pre mix) happy for about 2 years or more.
Wife’s Ford runs Flex Fuel when available. No problems.
F150 Eco Boost does fine on 87 w/ethanol. 2009 Harley has been on ethanol 89 (mid-grade) since day one. No issues there either.
I’d rather put salt water in my lawn equipment than any grade ethanol fuel.

 

[DC_MPA]

I voted yes but need to say why I also wanted to vote no.

I always put ethanol free gas in small engines. All lawnmowers, weedeaters, generators, etc. anything that has gas sit for longer periods between uses, always gets ethanol free gas. I've yet to have an issue with anything. My Sears Craftsman push mower 6 years old, gets sea foam and ethanol free gas and it fires first pull even after a winters break.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Same here with the mowing. I go through at least 2 gallons each mow. Mow roughly once a week.

My car gets 34.1 MPG so I’m not worried about improved MPG. I don’t think it will get any better. Mainly just curious if it would be better for the engine. Better performance (power)

E85 is a tuners trick for turbo engines. Lower manifold temps mean you can safely bump up the boost. Basically burning alcohol.

 

[ouch]

I still want a car that runs 100% ethanol, or at least nitromethane.