New Fuel Blends

[sdacbob]

I was reading on the internet and they are saying the new fuel blends will be coming out in May with the 10% alcohol mix. I was wondering if this will effect the tune on super charged cars. Will new programing be required? Just a thought.

[ctrlraven]

Do you remember the website that you read this on? If so please post it here so we can all read on another reason for gas prices to go up.

[shakes_26]

They are replacing MTBE, which IIRC is a clean air additive. Very expensive, a serious poison, and bonds well with water, so its on the EPA hit list for contaminating water supplies. The liabilities for refiners is huge, so they are switching to ethanol, which accomplishes the same effect.

Which effect is that? Well it helps boost octane rating partly, and in higher % it is considered an oxygenate, thats for you up north folks and your government mandated 'special blends'.

More info? clicky here (http://www.epa.gov/mtbe/gas.htm)

And no, properly mixed it should not affect us as the octane rating is the measure of compression required for that 'fuel' to spontaneously combust. So 93 Octane with MTBE is the same as 93 Octane with ethanol substituted.

[sdacbob]

I was thinking that since the ethanol mix burns faster that it might cause a lean condition and the fuel rate might have to be increased.

[shakes_26]

I think the percentages involved are very small. But I'm no expert, do a web search, there soem really good stuff out there.


I was thinking that since the ethanol mix burns faster that it might cause a lean condition and the fuel rate might have to be increased.

[texascorvette]

I lived in Iowa when this stuff first started being added to gas about 30 years ago. The auto manufacturers at that time were worried about the ability of ethanol to corrode the heads, pistons, cylinder walls, etc. I moved to Texas in '79, so I haven't had to worry about that crap until ethanol showed up in the pumps a couple weeks ago. Does anyone know what effect it will have on the internal parts to our engines? Do we need to reflash our computers to accommodate the new fuel?

[Warpath]

I was thinking that since the ethanol mix burns faster that it might cause a lean condition and the fuel rate might have to be increased.

Lean/rich depends on fuel to air ratio only. How fast it burns won't change A/F. I can't confirm ethanol burn quicker. My internal combustion professor told us it has less internal energy than gas meaning you have to burn more of it to get the same energy as gas. If it does burn quicker, you may need to retard timing. But, I would hope the gas companies are smart enough not to change their formula so drastically that everyone in the country has to get a tune up.

[Dr Caleb]

Does anyone know what effect it will have on the internal parts to our engines? Do we need to reflash our computers to accommodate the new fuel?

Nada. Zip. Zero.

I've been running mine on 10% ethanol since the day I bought it. I've also been running my CV for 14 years on 10%.

Never had a fuel related problem yet.

[duhtroll]

Agreed. Any "ethanol warnings" you hear are hype, and nothing more.

[grampaws]

Nada. Zip. Zero.

I've been running mine on 10% ethanol since the day I bought it. I've also been running my CV for 14 years on 10%.

Never had a fuel related problem yet.

Ditto!! Your next peelout willl do more damage!!