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Non Ethanol Gasoline

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by williaeh22, Aug 30, 2008.

  1. williaeh22

    williaeh22 Junior Member

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    I have recently discovered, with the help of the local newspaper, that BP Service Stations (not all) are carring an additive to their gasoline called "Invigorate". It is a non ethanol additive. I was under the impression that 10% ethanol was required by federal law back last May 2007. Evidently it is a state requirement, not federal, because Florida has some BP station carring this additive.
    I have searched on BP's web site for what the additive consists of, but found no information listed. The owners of the BP service station that I have purchased gas from, swear there is not any ethanol present in their gas (no stickers on pump). My mileage (one tank) seems to bear this out.
    Have anyone else noticed this change, in BP stations, in other states?
     
    #1 williaeh22, Aug 30, 2008
  2. rigormortis

    rigormortis Active Member

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    im not an expert about this at all, and i could be totally wrong...

    their is no federal law that requires specifically ethanol.. it only requires an oxygenate, and after stations stopped using mtbe, they switched to ethanol.
     
    #2 rigormortis, Aug 30, 2008
  3. markderail

    markderail I do 45 mins @ 3200 PSI

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    Petro Canada I've discovered adds Ethanol at the pump - as get this - engine cleaner.

    There's a tiny sticker on the pump that says there is as much as 10% ethanol.

    I was wondering why I was having such a low MPG rating since I've moved. From home, the nearest station is a Petro Canada.

    I've switched to Shell, Esso or Ultramar. I now get over 10% more kilometers.

    Like a jump from 510-525 kilometers for 30l of gas, to now over 600 kilometers.

    ! ! ! ! !
     
    #3 markderail, Aug 30, 2008
  4. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Ethanol is an engine cleaner. I hope you're not driving 10% farther to get a 10% improvement in fuel economy...

    Invigorate claims to be an engine cleaner additive package:
    bpinvigorate.com | About Invigorate
    and so like all of them is to some extent a marketing gimmick.
     
    #4 richard schumacher, Aug 30, 2008
  5. Marty111

    Marty111 New Member

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    I am most concerned with the long term problems that may arise from using fuel with ethanol. I've heard (can honestly say I haven't read owners manual cover to cover) that premium fuel should not be used. There are a few gas stations by me that sell premium gas "without" ethanol. It's mainly for boats, but I run it in my Harley. What about running it in a prius?
     
    #5 Marty111, Jul 3, 2011
  6. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    It wont hurt, but if it costs more than about 4 percent more then you're not likely to gain anything.

    I use Ethanol-free petrol here because it only costs about 2% more. I only get a few percent better mileage, so if it cost too much more (say 5%) I wouldn't even bother.
     
    #6 uart, Jul 3, 2011
  7. JamesBurke

    JamesBurke Senior Member

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    Similar thread going http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-fuel-economy/94348-real-gasoline-not-ethanol-4.html

    Canada has different gas regs than the US.

    From my post #21 on the other thread.
    Chevron Motor Gasolines Technical Review. Well written for the non engineer.

    Chapter 1 contents:
    1 • Gasoline and Driving Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
    Volatility
    Vapor Pressure
    Distillation Profile
    Vapor-Liquid Ratio
    Vapor Lock Index
    Driveability Index
    Volatility Specifications
    Antiknock Performance
    Octane Number Requirement
    Power
    Fuel Economy
    Factors Affecting Fuel Economy
    Fuel Economy Road Test
    Other Performance Factors

    http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/documents/69083_MotorGas_Tech%20Review.pdf

    Top Tier Gasoline
    "TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is the premier standard for gasoline performance. Six of the world's top automakers, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi recognize that the current EPA minimum detergent requirements do not go far enough to ensure optimal engine performance."
     
    #7 JamesBurke, Jul 3, 2011
  8. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Gasoline with up to 10% ethanol is not harmful to the Prius. Horror stories about ethanol come from using it in engines not designed for ethanol. For newer cars this is not an issue.

    Tom
     
    #8 qbee42, Jul 3, 2011
  9. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    That's extremely hard to believe at this point, especially since the entire state of Minnesota has been using nothing but E10 for well over a decade now. If there was a problem, why haven't my friends driving Classic model Prius had any trouble? For that matter, why haven't I? After all, I drove 118,185 miles in my Iconic model before trading up to the 2010.

    And be aware that your concern is also your very first post on this forum. That immediately raises suspicion...
    .
     
    #9 john1701a, Jul 3, 2011
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