ethanol free fuel - who uses it

[08EscapeHybrid]

Not that its harder to burn, but ethanol has less energy per unit of volume than gasoline, so the computer has to command the fuel injectors to dump more fuel in to make the mixture right. Higher octane fuels are harder to burn though. I watch the LFT to make sure I am getting the ethanol free fuel that I am paying for.

[CRT1]

91 octane means that the carbon chains are longer on average and thus they are harder to ignite and burn slower. 87 is shorter chains and burn easier and faster and more likely to pre-ignite in a hot, high strung or out of tune engine. Assuming they are both pure gas they will have the same energy per gallon so it should not effect Fuel Economy unless your engine requires 91 and you put in 87 then your FE (and engine) will suffer.

08EscapeHybrid is right about ethanol. It behaves as if it has a higher octane rating but has the down side that is it much less energy per gallon, so when you get into E10 or worse you lose Fuel Economy per gallon.

[shadescape]

thanks

I haven't driven on the road- I don't usually drive but a couple times a week- I'll see what the trim says
another interesting aspect of the gauge

kind of nice that I can have 8 gauges on one page

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

Originally Posted by 08EscapeHybrid
If you're running a ScanGauge, just look at your Long Term Fuel Trim (LFT). This will instantly tell you if the computer is sensing a difference with the fuel.

It's difficult for me to buy E0 ; the closest pump is about 50 miles from home. But I buy it when it's not out of the way.
I have an SGII. What should the LFT read when using E0 ? E10 ?

[herm]

Originally Posted by 08EscapeHybrid

Not that its harder to burn, but ethanol has less energy per unit of volume than gasoline, so the computer has to command the fuel injectors to dump more fuel in to make the mixture right.

Ethanol has more oxygen than gasoline and that throws off the catalytic converter.. thus the need for a richer mixture and more fuel thru the injectors. I dont think you actually get higher exhaust temperatures from adding a bit of ethanol.

[shadescape]

just came back from a 57 mile run to pick up a hot water heater

LFT was steady at -.78- 30 min drive in town
return on the same road once again at-.78

15mph side wind so I drove at 54mph
both ways it pretty much read the same on the 8 gauges
Ist mpg 33.2 Avg mpg 32.1
HP1 31.2 TRQ1 88.6
%eng load 51.9 Tmg Adv 42
srt tri -3.1 lng tri -.78

will be interesting to see what these read with pure 87 octane

what do you think of these trim numbers- not sure I really understand
srt tri would change some- from a high of 2.7 to -3.1 depending on the rises and coast
lng tri was constant at -.78

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

thanks , shadescape. Next time I drive (Monday) I will look at the LFT value. Next Friday , I may be able to fill up with E0 and I will look at the reading for that as well.

[shadescape]

you're welcome

I'm getting pretty consistant mpg
not real sure what that LFT-.78 means

gone 178 miles on this tank of pure 91- still way over 1/2 tank
will be awhile before I go back to pure 87

for sure post your number- auto and driving for mpg I'm curious what yours says

[DaveJ]

I have started using E0 91 octane instead of E10 87 octane for the last 4 tanks.
I have a 330 mile trip I make every 2-4 months along the same route with the same stops.
130 miles 4 lane, then 70 mile city with maybe 9 different stops, followed by 130 miles home.
Previous E10 trips yielded 40.6 mpg and 42.6 mpg. Higher one was a time I used little air.
This weekend using E0 I got 45.3 mpg, using air 75% of the time.
I'm surprised it was up by an average of 8.9%, as i expected 3% or a little more.
Cost of the E0 is between 11 and 13 cents a gallon more, at current E10 prices($3.63) about 3% more cost.
Note: E0 87 octane not available here.
Car is an 2008 Toyota Corolla S with 54000 miles, auto trans.
Lifetime average with car is 34.66 mpg
Been using a scan guage about 8 months and it helped me get a higher mpg using better driving habits.
Note: GPS says I go 3.1% further than odometer, but I just use odometer readings, so you could add 3.1% to above figures.

[psyshack]

The HCHII had a hard day today.

The gas station I have filled up at for years shut down this weekend. And ran out of gas last week. Not wanting to get the grud from there tanks and knowing they were in trouble I stopped buying gas from them before the last drops were pumped. And all they have ever sold is real gas.

Being lazy like I am. I ran the HCHII down to sucking vapor. Really Vapor. LOLOLOL she died as I rolled up to a pump. One of those worthless political corn squeezin pumps. Sophie looked like a poor dog going to the Vet sick knowing it wouldn't come home. And then I did it. I poisoned her with E10. I felt so sorry for the poor HCHII.

The 45 mile drive in to work was Hell on the poor car. I don't have the SGII in the HCHII. But the poison in her tank was very evident. MPG dropped like a rock. She idled poorly, putting her into glide was painful. Idle stop was bad,,, rough rough rough. Engine refires after getting it into a glide were very hard and unnerving.

Bottom line I should have been in the 61 to 63 mpg range for the drive in this morning. Conditions were perfect. Of course before Honda put there stupid damn flashes on the car and all but made sure I wont be buying anymore of there products. It would have been a very high 68+ mpg run. So todays drive in with fresh poison in her tank was good for 52 mpg. Coming home with temps flirting at 100F I did not fire the A/C up went with cross flow windows down part way and fresh air from dash vents. Fought a head wind and got 44 mpg.

The HCHII is not going to like the corn squeezin's. And on top of that I am going to start getting a lot of private seat time with her. The wife was asked to retire last month. And she is going to exhaust all employment options in Okmulgee before she goes back to the Tulsa market. So as I get to stretch the legs of the HCHII and not have to share seat time with the wife and her mpg destroying ways. I have to find a new local supply of real gas. While there are retailers here that do sell real gas. They are not the kind of folks I really care to do business with. I would by it possible from Ske Alaneedsabath if I could pay at the pump. Man does that dude and his store stink. I work with **** pumps from time to time. And this dude makes that small like a bed of rose's. Then there's the dude that owns a A/C company and always has a hand in a local quicky to loose money on purpose. And does sorry A/C work to boot. Then there is the local retired dude that has a two pump stand. Never know when he will be there. He's working up to be a car wash owner. So I hope I can find somebody around work that will have real gas. And for the record. That link folks are posting is not always up to date.

Now the poor MZ3 gets to be driven by the wife and will get poisoned with the idiot college boy fuel. And she wont go to any of the local stations that sell real gas.

Isn't ones motoring life grand!!!!!