Ethanol Vs. Non-Ethanol Gas

Any thoughts on if it's worth the extra $ to buy Shell which is non-Ethanol Vs. buying the 5%-10% Ethanol mix at your local minimart?

Many of the stations around here have a sticker on the pumps stating the gas MAY contain up to 10% ethanol. The BP station I frequent has that sticker on the 87 & 89 octane but the 91 octane says it's ethanol free. I've tested all three grades and haven't found ethanol in any of them.

Ethanol tends to wear down engines quicker.

The ethanol mix is more caustic than regular gasoline, so, as [the.nameless.one] said, it will tend to wear down your engine faster.

Additionally, the ethanol-gas blend is less efficient than is regular gas, and the typical car will get something like 5% decreased fuel economy with E10 (the 10% ethanol/90% gas mix prevalent at most stations). So, if you could get 300 miles on a tank of regular gas, you'll get 285 miles using E10.


This doesn't take into account the massive amounts of water used to produce corn-based ethanol (the type used in the US), or the fact that you're burning food to power your car.

Yeah you getting screwed with the gas/ethanol combo, especially if your vehicle is more then about 5 years old or more. I have to drive 6miles out of the way to get gas that has no ethanol in it. Damn politicians and environ"mental"ists and their "its better for the environment" gas that actually is worse wince you have to use more to get the same result.

I wasn't going to reply here and make myself more of the fool than I am but, EL is mostly right.

It's only more caustic because it is hygroscopic.

It's fine to run in any engine if you take precautions.

The bad thing is it takes almost double the amount to equal gasoline. ( http://biodiesellogic.com/Web%20Page/BTU%20Content.htm )

It's cheap now but,wait. Diesel was cheap before. Propane was too!