My local Shell station started selling this newfangled 10% ethanol blend since the last time I filled up my 2002 Cadillac. I went on a 70 mile highway trip and noticed a slight power loss and slight detonation, plus a huge(for this car) mpg loss. I used to get 25-26 mpg on the highway, now it's 21.5 mpg.

I see the future of the automobile, and will are all going to be driving glorified golfcarts(hybrids) in the future.

You will lose a bit of gas mileage, though usually not more than 1 or 2 mpg. I have never heard of ethanol causing detonation though, it usually prevents detonation.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

That sounds about right. CT started blending Ethanol (10%) to replace MBTE(?) for their "winter" gasoline. The mileage drop in my wife's Odyssey is noticible, easily 10%. I wonder if that Ethanol blend is here to stay for emissions reasons?

On a side note, GM makes a big deal about their E85 capatible vehicles by throwing FlexFuel badges on them. We've got a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan for a run around vehicle here at work. Inside the fuel door is a sticker indicating that E85 can be used with very little fanfare.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

I noticed one of those "Flex Fuel" badges on a car yesterday. I buy Exxon gas most of the time. I think it is about 10% Ethanol. I never really thought about it. My mileage is not as good as I think it should be. Maybe that's the reason.

Well, apparently now people are starving in the Third World so that we can have fuel for our cars . . . What a crazy world this is!

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

We also now have E10 all year. My MPG goes down
3-5mpg with it. I thought alcohol would raise octane?
Don't engines made for alcohol have higher compression?
Tempted to use a lower grade gas to make up the mpg loss.

@##$% welfare farming, special interests!

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cult plus time equals religion

Gee, this makes sense. Lets blend in a corn-based product that costs more in energy than it can save AND it takes more of it and the petrol that it is blended with to go the same distance.
Seems like BIG CORN has a better lobby than big oil.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I don't think they have higher compression. What happens when you DON'T have E85? It will detonate like there is no tomorrow.

I had a flex fuel vehicle once. In order to put a supercharger on it, I only needed a special program and a supercharger. However, if it wasn't flex fuel, you would need injectors. Why? Because FF has bigger injectors to make up for the lack of power. FF also has a sensor in the tank to detect E85 and then it can advance the timing and pulse width.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I sure as hell don't know the intricacies, but do you think with our Caravan it's a simple as just pumping E85 into it? (Not that I'd want to.) I was surprised to see that logo inside the gas door. Is there something different about the GM engines that required more engineering in order to put the fancy FF badges on?

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

I know in Ford and GM they had a sensor in the tank. When it discovered E85 it would increase pulse width and timing. In your case, I can't see why it would be different, can you? I know it had ethanol resistant injectors and they were larger. 43pph vs the stock 26 pph, IIRC. That is why if you went with the supercharger, you would not need to run bigger injectors and fuel pumps. HOWEVER, that meant you couldn't ever run E85 if you chose since you are maxing out the pump and injectors, etc, etc.

In any case, I would caution against it. I ran it in my truck and the E85 made sucky power and mileage. Not worth it, IMO.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/2690341.html?page=2
The performance of E85 vehicles is potentially higher than that of gasoline vehicles because E85's high octane rating allows a much higher compression ratio, which translates into higher thermodynamic efficiency. However, FFVs that retain the capacity to run on gasoline alone can't really take advantage of this octane boost since they also need to be able to run on pump-grade gasoline.

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With turbo or supercharger more boost pressure can be used with E85.
More boost is like higher compression in a NA engine.

E85 also needs to run richer than gas, thus the poor mpg

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cult plus time equals religion

E10 was introduced about 1-2 years ago. You have been using it all along, just some stations are lazy about putting the sticker on the pump.

Yep it does suck, you cannot store it for more than 3-4 months.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That's gubment for ya...Side note: went to Philly this morning for a seni annual doctor appointment. about 230 miles RT. Started the morning with about 3/4 tank. Buurned it down to about 1/4. Gassed up when I got back @ 3.749 here for premuium. The car took $50.00 (for 13.33) gallons and hadn't topped out.

So figure I burned 40.00 in gas, 3 bucks for the bridge toll and 4.00 to park. Almost 50.00 to go see a doctor. Two and a half times the copay of 20.00.

First time I have ever spent 50.00 in gas for a car...(and more to come....). And Jersey has been using blended fuel for many years. I used to notice poor feul economy only in winter. Now it's an all year round proposition I guess.

The 124 has what, a 16 or 18 gal tank? 18x4.00=72.00

BOHICA!!!!

E10 or 10% ethanol was is some gasoline way back in the early 80's, maybe the late 70's in some areas. Still, 100% gasoline was available during that time. I agree it reduces mpg. It should not harm regular car compnents. But E85 I think needs more corrosion resistant components.
Tom

My Sentra use to get 33 MPG but now I get 23 at best. NY has had Ethenol for a while now and most people dont seem to care. This stuff makes corn expencive and may be starving some.

But it harms my wallet

Yes it does. Hence you cannot switch injectors from E85 cars to non. Totally different.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow