I will be getting my MINI soon. I want to make sure I take proper care of the thing. Every gas station around here that has 93 octane gas says it contains ethanol (10%) I believe.

I recall reading somewhere that gas with Ethanol could be bad for the car. Is this the case? Is 93 octane easily available without ethanol?

I want to make sure I feed the baby with the right formula.

While I am at it, what are the recommended ways to break the car in? I read no rpms over 5k for the first 1,500 miles. What else does a new parent need to know. I wish there was a book called "What to expect when expecting a new MINI".

Thanks,
Nando

 

The owners manual will help you alot,not that helps while your waiting
,phone your dealer,maybe they could lend you one to read

 

Now is your chance. Make notes, ask questions, get answers, and write (and most importantly sell!!) the book.

I know I wish I had a book that went from A to Z. MC or MCS, sunroof or no sunroof, JCW or aftermarket (save the difference $$$ and pay for what might break). etc. etc.

Earl

 

break in: go easy on the clutch, easy on the brakes.

that's the nice parent way. it'll make for a spoiled mini.

alternative: ride the crap out of him. do an immediate oil change, ride the crap out of him some more, and then coddle. the clutch and brakes, you should still go easy on.

actually, i recommend doing the oil change after the first real drive on either break in. I chose the 1st method, as i have no *********. i also want to make sure my mini (my only car) lasts as long as possible.

i hear marathon stations have low ethanol content, but have not had a chance to check. i just use shell cause i have a credit card from them. 5% rebate, wheeee.

 

According to my Motoring Advisor Dana Prato at Mini of Charleston. 95 mph and 4500 RPM don't go to fast and watch the rpm's:smile:


Happy Motoring...

Art

 

The generally recommended way to break in a car is to vary the speed. You don't want to put on the cruise control. Just don't go the same speed or the same RPM level. That's not hard to do in a car with a small engine as the MINI as the engine seems to be always changing RPMs, i.e., going up and down hills and accelerating and decelerating. The MINI will be broken in at only 1250 miles if I remember right.:smile:

 

Also, basically you are letting the valves seat, so take it easy and don't go over 3,000 RPMs or if you must, then don't go over 4,000 RPMs.:smile:

 

At the MINIUSA
site there is an owners manual, but I think you have to have an Owner's Lounge acct. But all the important break in info has already been covered here!
Now the MINIUSA site has the MINI transformer robot!

Shelly

 

Nobody really answered his Ethanol question, I'd like to know as well. So how about the ethanol? Bad for your car?

 

I live in one of those states that helped create the need for questions about ethanol. Hey, I just live there so quit looking at me like that. The cheapest regular and an octane higher than non-ethanal blend has 10% ethanal. So, that's what most people use. I also use it in my cars except the higher octane requiring MINI. I've never heard anyone including mechanics say using it causes any problems.

As far as break-in, my motoring advisor said pretty much what others are suggesting: don't use cruise and vary speed, don't go over 45000 rpm or over 95, and take it easy on the clutch and brakes, all for the first 1,000.

Don't be like me, try to impress someone pullling out, and exceed those rpms. It was only once but it haunts me. I'd say it is only a short time. Don't over pamper but follow some variation of those things and you she/he will be fine.

 

If I recall ,the brakes take 500 miles to break in,with lots of break dust
Try to keep your wheels clean,the stuff eats right into the finnish

 

Ethanol, like all alcohols is very very "hydrophilic" (I think is the correct term) which means it has a propensity to attract water out of the atmosphere.
In that sense, any "ol" COULD be bad for your car.
The other drawback all "ols" have is that they tend to increase intake valve deposits.
In essence, so far science and experience say it is OK to use. Just remember that is what was said about lead as well........
Sooooo.......I would avoid using ethanol containing fuel (if you can) if I used the vehicle infrequently....the more it sits around, the more time the ethanol has to attract moisture out of the atmosphere. the more H2O in your fuel system, no good to man or beast.....
If I had to use ethanol containing fuel, I would make sure I used the top of the line stuff, as it will have more IVD additive concentration, which should negate e's propensity to make more deposits.

 

ethanol mixes should be absolutly no problem for your car, let me tell ya why.. A: Since sometime in the 70's all cars in the united states are required to have the ability to run on ethanol mixtures of 15% or most allow for more, esspcially in models common for the midwestern states which use a lto more ethanol in there gas, and also have teh most abundance of ethnol only fleet vehicles...

B: In some countries, like brazil, the mix is as high as 80%+. Because ethanol can be grown it is a big boost to the economy of smaller countries which can make use of it as a fuel and for a cash crop for ethanol producing farms etc..

C: ethnol burns cleaner than regular gas.

Hope that helps... I did a research paper on this once, if you want to knwo how I know. You can look a lto of it up online.. I meven think the Department of Engery has a good site about t, as well as Britich Petroleum actually at least tehy used to

 

Everybody thanks for the answers. I will not worry about putting standard gas with ethanol in the car. Chollomo, good deal, I have been to Brazil (not so small a country) several times, and I think they should be using more ethanol. Their pollution is horrible!! There is an inch of soot on the exterior of buildings in Sao Paulo. Driving in a cab, the driver told me he uses a car that runs on both gas and natural gas. Anyway thanks again.
Nando

 

"soot and smog" -> I would say that has more to do with proper pollution controls, factories, and things like catlytic convereters and mufflers etc.. We do have regulations on those things. I would say that they will eventually get there. they at least they are willing to embrace new technology, americans are so addicted to gas.

 

I remember hearing the same thing years ago- something about drying out seals or some such. Didn't stop me from filling up at the local Beacon (cheapest in town) and I've seen no adverse effects. Except that my '85 CRX at 185k refuses to die so I can replace it with a MINI...
New cars should have no problem at all with ethanol.

 

If I remember correctly, Ethanol is added to gasoline for two basic reasons - it can be cheaper than oil (but only because it is subsidized by the government) and it "oxygenates" the fuel, which reduces pollution and is required in certain areas at certain times of the year.

Cars used to have problems because the ethanol would absorb water from the atmosphere, and it would settle in float bowls , carbs, and fuel tanks, causing corrosion. Newer car's fuel systems are all corrosion-proofed, and the water poses no real problems anymore.

 

I have been running Sunoco 94 (10% ethynol) since june 2002 in my MCS including quite a few track days without any problems.

It just went through it's first Clean Air inspection with perfect emmisions - infact many mechanics recommend running a few tanks of ethynol gas before the test to get things 'cleaned up'

 

Brasil tried to run a lot of their vehicles on pure or 80% ethanol in the 1980´s. They first tried in normal cars, disaster, then they designed special cars (great for us racing in Latin America at the time cuz High Compression Pistons were suddenly available cheap!) AGAIN, disaster and eventually they gave up on the idea. Nothing, NOTHING prevents corrosion in the long term and in the pressence of water. They are now at around 5%. Brasil is starting to try to use it in diesel , (here in the USA as well), but as with everything else, there are problems.
Farmers though are a powerful lobby.......they will keep trying........and Brasil, having little oil, needs to try to find an alternative......of course then it will be savaged for turning their jungle into arable land.......

 

mY guess would be bio-diesel for the near future, and mayeb bio-deisel hybrid. That woudl be a hell of a deal, becaue the offspring of a bio-diesel plans is methenol and heat which can be used for both tradition power and anther fuel sourse for say, fuelcells. It's a nityproven concept. Only major drawback is funding on a large scale, he will powe to do it, and better corossion techniques for gaskets, form what I understand bio-deisel will work in regular diesel cars, but is a bit more corrosive, and wears out gaskes quicker. anyway, hey tfor the update about brazil I hadn't realized they had switched back to a lower precentage. I bet they coudl try again with ethanol with al the new tech that come out I bet it would work better now.

 

Bio diesel will combust in diesel engines.....it will eat gaskets and rot out rubber hoses...it also consumes more energy to make it than it creates so it is pretty much of a zero sum game. To boot, while it can reduce particulate matter emissions, in increases NOx emissions (and an engine emits like 20 times more NOx [smog precursor] than particulate matter.
either way you cut it....it is "green" in as much as it is renewable, it is sexy and has the backing of part of the farming community.
some chemestry lessons are in order.....methanol does not come from bio diesel.......