Premium Fuel Containing Ethanol... good or bad?

M

mikezed

Member
What are your thoughts on some premium fuel containing ethanol? Some local stations state their premium fuel do not contain any ethanol, while others state it may contain up to 5% ethanol. The price difference is about $0.05 - $0.10 a Litre.

I had a discussion with a friend about performance engines and premium fuel containing 5% ethanol. He stated that fuel that does not contain any ethanol got better gas mileage.
I know our manual states the FX can burn fuel with up to 5% ethanol .

Not much discussion on the topic that I found – - what are your personal experiences?
 
I don't know what it is, but on my 2009 FX35 I sniffed the exhaust fumes coming out of the back and it smells like a strong concentration of alcohol. Does this mean the gas I'm using contains a lot of ethanol?
 
Probably--- I hate the Ethanol fuel mix my Norton has a fiberglass tank and the ethanol started eating through the tank si I had to epoxy seal the tank to protect it from the ethanol.

Ethanol:tdown:
 
With the environment and energy concerns in mind, ethanol is a viable substitute and additive to modern cars. Think of it as a way (that works) of diluting fuel to make it last longer. You know, like cutting coke with flour. The problem lies in older cars, specialty cars, and low mileage vehicles that can't handle anything but the pure good stuff. My preference is to keep ethanol out of any gas that goes into a carburetor or is not used in 2 or so months. If you're talking about a modern vehicle with fuel injection, burning thru the fuel regularly, and keeping up with regular maintenance, ethanol is fine.
 
yeah, the main difference is the ethanol content is alcohol. like he said, burning through it regularly is no problem really, but alcohol in the fuel makes the fuel also able to absorb & mix with moisture. don't think they sell ethanol in cold climates in the wintertime because of this...
 
Infinity manual clearly states NOT to use gas containing any ethanol or you would risk engine damage, so I would go by the book on this one and not use it. If the fuel is cut with ethanol, it's not "premium" fuel anymore.
 
Ethanol gasoline can actually help absorb moisture in a fuel system and help prevent frozen fuel lines in the winter. Ethanol is also a solventand*will keep injectors and other components clean.
 
Fyi , from infiniti fx 2010 manual:

gasoline containing oxygenates
some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing
oxygenates such as ethanol, mtbe and methanol
with or without advertising their presence.
Infiniti does not recommend the use of fuels of
which the oxygenate content and the fuel compatibility
for your infiniti cannot be readily
determined. If in doubt, ask your service station
manager.
If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline, please
take the following precautions as the usage of
such fuels may cause vehicle performance problems
and/or fuel system damage.
● the fuel should be unleaded and have an octane
rating no lower than that recommended
for unleaded gasoline.
● if an oxygenate-blend, excepting a methanol
blend, is used, it should contain no more than
10% oxygenate. (mtbe may, however, be
added up to 15%.)

if a methanol blend is used, it should contain
no more than 5% methanol (methyl alcohol,
wood alcohol). It should also contain a suitable
amount of appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors. If not properly formulated
with appropriate cosolvents and corrosion
inhibitors, such methanol blends may
cause fuel system damage and/or vehicle
performance problems. At this time, sufficient
data is not available to ensure that all
methanol blends are suitable for use in
infiniti vehicles.
If any undesirable driveability problems such as
engine stalling or hard hot starting are experienced
after using oxygenate-blend fuels, immediately
change to a non-oxygenate fuel or a fuel
with a low blend of mtbe.
Take care not to spill gasoline during refueling.
Gasoline containing oxygenates can cause paint
damage.
Click to expand...
 
its unavoidable

why don't car manufacturers start tuning these vehicles to take this formula of gas? ford and chevy have flex fuel. :dontknow:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top