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E15 gas

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by want_a_c, Jun 25, 2013.

  1. want_a_c

    want_a_c Junior Member

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    So I know its not available everywhere yet, but before long it will start showing up in more and more places.
    I know the gas cap says E10 only, but has just been approved for all recent cars.

    Is there anything special about the C, or any of the other latest gen Prii hybrid systems that could be problematic for E15 but fine with the E10 thats everywhere?
     
  2. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    I would say to not do it. Most cars don't have an explicit warning like this...
     
  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Ethyl Alcohol has 70% of the energy of gasoline (petrol) so it is just math:

    E0 = 100% x 100% + 0% x 70% = 100%

    E10 = 90% x 100% + 10% x 70% = 97% of E0 gas mileage

    E15 = 85% x 100% + 15% x 70% = 95.5% of E0 gas mileage

    If Toyota changes their mind about E15, still don't by it unless it is 5% cheaper than E0 or 2% cheaper than E10
     
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  4. strongbad

    strongbad Member

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    It hasn't been approved by Toyota or the majority of other auto makers. It has been approved by the agriculture lobby and Archer Daniels Midland that want to contaminate your gasoline with their watered-down substitute fuel.
     
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  5. Just don't do it. The manual (and even the label on the fuel cap) says not to use E15.
    In general, people have horror stories about paying for the repairs, caused by damage to parts in their car exposed to too much ethanol. It's not pretty. (And "too much ethanol" isn't usually covered under warranty.) Just avoid ethanol if you can.
     
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  6. mahout

    mahout Active Member

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    E10 or E15 is here for political reasons becaused the environmental lobby believes its 'green' in spite of the facts that:
    1. ethanol has a lower heat of combution than gasoline so therefore your mpg will drop
    2. ethanol is replaceable and reduces crude oil consumption means the cost to produce ethanol is more than the ciost of crude processing.
    3. divertig ethanol from food stuff processing increases the cost of foods at your grocery.


    Worse, ethanol is demonstrated corrosive to many gaskets and parts in the modern cost efficient to manufacture gas engine. thats not a concern of the 'green' lobby, they're busy saving the world.
     
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  7. Boats, snowblowers, lawnmowers, leafblowers, etc. their parts weren't meant for E15.

    E15 blows, and my state agrees: Maine to Ban Ethanol Blended Gasoline | AutoGuide.com News

    A few years ago, I wrote to both state senators about ethanol in the fuel being bad. One of the senators replied back to me and she agreed with me, so I think they heard me loud and clear. :)

    I know where there is zero-ethanol fuel. It costs 25c more per gallon, and I'll pay that much extra just so there is no ethanol in my car.

    Every time I see a move towards more ethanol, I just think the consumer is getting, well, you know:

    [​IMG]



    (Edit: Didn't mean to go on a rant, you know I luvs yall) :love:
     
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  8. TheEnglishman

    TheEnglishman Member

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    Ethanol works a bit counter-productive to its purpose in my opinion... It may be slightly cleaner, but you'll get less miles out of it and the engine will likely wear out sooner unless it's a FlexFuel vehicle. I always go for the 100% gasoline when I can, as long as it's reasonably priced (i.e. below 30 cents extra). It boosts my MPG about 5% and I just feel like it's the proper fuel for my engine. Not to mention that they could be using all of that corn to feed the hungry anyways.
     
  9. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    I buy only Regular. It is the grade that I most likely to have the least amount of ethanol in it.

    If there is any ethanol it, it is the lastgrade have it added. E85 mandates 85% by law. E15 requires 15%. Mid-grade and premium requires up to 10% to get it to the proper octane rating. What ethanol is available, after the other requirement is met, goes into regular. It could be zero.


    Regular is also better, because it's the grade most often sold. That means it does not stay in the tank long enough to gather a larger amount of water from the air.
     
  10. flotowngtm

    flotowngtm Junior Member

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    I have 2 4 wheelers a 2006 Kawasiki Brute Force 750 and a 2006 Yamaha 450. My uncle borrowed them one weekend. I told him to make sure he did not put E- anything in them. Sure enough he filled them both up with E-10, now there both garbage!
    Forget about the drop in MPG just dont put this fake gas in your car because its crap and will destroy you motor!!
     
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  11. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Minnesota made the switch to E10 years earlier than everyone else, so it was quite educational to read about the fears people from other states would post. We already had evidence there wasn't anything to be concerned about. Supposed horrors stories coming from the E10 rollout nationwide never actually materialized. It turned out to be just fine.

    Seeing a label or warning about E15 is a simple case of liability. If they tell you not to, there won't be any argument about later about warranty coverage... which has uncertainties even there's no ethanol involved. Think of the contaminants that come from air & oil already. For that matter, what about those additives coming from gas-station brands? Why accept greater exposure when you don't have to?

    What evidence is there that going from E10 to E15 represents a tipping point? For that matter, what would actually happen? There isn't anything backing up the claims.

    Reality is, ethanol can be derived from waste. Economies of scale will allow us to transition from the current crop sources the majority still use. Some people are fighting that change without evidence to support it. The effort is to spread fear to impede the progress. That's really disappointing.
     
  12. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    Speak for yourself. When the local stations in Tidewater switched to an ethanol blend on account that MTBE was banned, I got a "slug" of water in the tank that plagued me for 500 mines of driving. I'd had to stop and put more gas in the tank and hope that it did not stall my truck.

    quote="john1701a, post: 1831265, member: 410"]Reality is, ethanol can be derived from waste. Economies of scale will allow us to transition from the current crop sources the majority still use. Some people are fighting that change without evidence to support it. The effort is to spread fear to impede the progress. That's really disappointing.[/quote]


    Ethanol supports the corn growing farm lobby as the expense of the farmers who feed their livestock and everyone else in the economy. Guess where one of the first Presidential primaries are?


    Prior to 2000, Ford and the State of California produced and advocated cars that used Gasohol. It was methanol blended with gas. Methanol is cheap to produce from methane (natural gas) and can be produced from coal or landfills for about 50 cents a gallon. Ethanol, which cost more than gasoline to produce and was chosen by the government to subsidize for political reasons.

    Methanol is widely produced in China, and it is illegal to make ethanol from corn in China.
     
  13. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Methanol is toxic.

    Ethanol is not and some is now being produced from sources other than corn.

    Back on topic, the "Live Green, Go Yellow" campaign taught us much about how far automakers have advanced with the use of ethanol as a fuel. They were hoping we'd forget that happened and not notice the world around us... like Brazil, where E100 is a common fuel.
     
  14. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Hemp is cheaper and safer as an alternative... But all 3 are worse for you car. They rob MPGs and make you fill up faster, thereby using more gas...
     
  15. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    I haven't seen a whole lot of convincing evidence for ethanol I have to say. Everything published here is pushed by the ethanol industry. I continue to choose E0... it works. :unsure:
     
  16. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    No.

    They use more fluid that you are paying for, but less gasoline. E10 is 3% less MPG but 10% less gasoline, so you saving about 7% of gasoline. If you are paying more than 3% less for E10, you are even saving money, but have lower MPG.

    If your car is flexfuel ready, which the Prius is not, E85 has 30% less energy, so 30% lower MPG, but 85% less gasoline, so you save about 60% gasoline usage. However unless it is 30% cheaper than E0 you are not saving money (In MS E85 is about 10% higher than E10, so makes NO economic sense. The wife's anti-Prius is flexfuel ready, but has never used any)
     
  17. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    And gasoline mixed with ethanol isn't? That's news to me. Try drinking some.

    Brazil doesn't have a lot of natural gas infrastructure and reserves. They are in the tropics. They have an abundance of land and sunlight. I see very little economy in using food for fuel.

    Natural gas and methanol are the future fuels "beyond petroleum" And, the oil companies know it.
     
  18. Rob.au

    Rob.au Active Member

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    Ah yes, that's the other reason I had... at current prices here, E10 costs 2% 1.3% less than E0, so it doesn't make sense on that level.
     
  19. want_a_c

    want_a_c Junior Member

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    Maybe its that I'm in a different part of the country, but I don't recall seeing any stations that say 'no ethanol gas' or anything like that. Everything around here is E10.