I found a local Shell gas station that sells 90 octane "Ethanol Free". I currently use Sunoco 93 Octane with 10% Ethanol.

Any advantage (or danger) in trying ethanol free gas??

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Can't get ethanol free fuel in AZ, but when we go on long trips, was available in many states. When available, I always bought it. No noticeable increase in power, but the mileage went up.

The requirement for ethanol really stems from reducing pollution, no other benefit for the car (I believe). However, it's my understanding that it takes a gallon of gasoline to make a gallon of ethanol.

 

I only use Shell 91 octane which is the only fuel I can get without ethanol. A chemical engineer friend who did some work for Shell & Ferrari F1 team regarding fuel told me steer clear from ethanol whenever possible. Can't say I totally followed his reasoning why, but he knows way more about this than I do so I listened.

 

It doesn't. It was intended to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Pretty sure it's actually a farm subsidy in disguise. There are no benefits and a lot of drawbacks.

(I'm sure if I'm misinformed someone will correct me. Because this is the internet.

 

You make a good point, hadn't thought about that. Though here in AZ, it's required to 'reduce emissions'. Sounds like a conspiracy to me

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/...emissions.html

 

always stick to ethanol free gas (E0), as the gasoline contain slightly more energy compare to same volume of ethanol, that's why MPG goes up. And I've heard people say the E10 gas will tend to break the seals in the fuel system in older cars as they arent designed for E10 gas. My mini does run way smoother if I use E0 gas, with E10 it feels like its been fuel by sandpaper lol

 

Ethanol itself is a fantastic fuel. It does have lower specific energy output compared to pump gas which will equate to lower mileage. Personally, I could careless. For me this equates to less than $150 per year.

The benefit (to me) comes with the increased octane rating compared to premium gas. Ethanol also burns cooler so it can be very useful for those that want to get aggressive with tuning their car. Note: The octane rating displayed on the pump already factors in the ethanol content.

If I had E85 available close to me, I'd mix for E30 or so. The fuel systems in most modern cars are more that capable of handling higher concentrations of ethanol.

For those that claim your car runs better on E0, it would be nice setup a blind test to see if the effect is imagined or not.

 

With a tuned car, I'll take the higher octane rating over ethanol free any day. I also spray in methanol and water, so it's not like id be alcohol free either way

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So no benefits in switching from Sunoco 93 E10 to Shell 90 E0 then?

I was hoping it would eliminate that PITA slight hesitation which happens only when I have the AC on.

I was told this may be happening because "MINIs hate ethanol." :-(

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My mileage improves by ~10% when we switch from winter (10-15% ethanol) to summer (0-5% ethanol) gas mix in NY/NJ area.
You pay roughly the same price for both, but one will give you better mileage.

Sounds like it will be very quick and easy to give it a try and let us know how it works out!

Ethanol gas is 100% farm subsidy boondoggle.

I remember reading a few years ago that it takes more than a gallon of gasoline to grow and process enough corn to make 1 gallon of ethanol...

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Fingers crossed.

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Well, I drove around quite a bit today with the 90 E0 gas and thus far seems slightly different. I won't post what I'm noticing yet as it could be butt dyno.

I will say there is a subtle difference in sound. Not in a bad way, but I can't understand why. Maybe "deeper" sounding?

Also here are two videos. To me they sound pretty much the same. However, to the trained ear, you might hear something I can't.

1st with 93 Octane Sunoco E10

2nd with 90 Octane Shell E0

Thanks everyone. I'll keep you posted as time progresses.

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You need to have your wife fill up the car and not tell you which kind. It will be slightly more objective.

 

There are only 2 stations in my county that offer E0 gas, and they charge about
40c more per gallon than comparable octane E10 gas. The E0 is only available in
87, 89, and 91 octane. I get a little better mpg with E0 (1-2 mpg) and performance
seems similar between E0 91 octane and E10 93 octane in my R50. With the current
relatively low gas prices, I splurge a little and getthe E0 at least every other tankful.
I figure it's friendlier to the fuel delivery system's rubber parts.

 

The biggest problem with ethanol is in applications where the fuel sits for prolonged times, such as a seasonal motorcycle, snowsled, atv etc. The ethanol is a known water absorber, it sits dormant and collects water and causes problems when you try and run the motor.

BG makes some good products for ethanol based fuels. It is a real concern if the vehicle is going to sit.

Also, don't run any ethanol based fuels higher than 10%. Cycle World had done a story where any ratio higher than 10% causes the engine to run excessively lean and exhaust temps rise considerably.

 

I run 91 octane E0 quite a bit and think the engine runs just a bit smoother. Gas mileage might be better but hard to tell. Between the JB+, sport button and SprintBooster, I can't say my mileage has been the best!

 

I'm still running on my first tank full. I see subtle differences but wonder if I need to go through a whole tank and then some for the motor to "adapt" to the E0 gas?