The price of gas has dropped tremendously but how about your gas mileage? I have noticed that all my vehicles are suffering a loss of mileage, it does have something to do with the cold weather ( thanks Al ). The all knowing EPA has changed the formulation of gas and added more ethanol. This was brought to my attention the other day when I tried to remove the gas cap on my chainsaw, it was leaking. The plastic it is made from has reacted and swollen to the point I had to use a screw driver for more leverage to get it off. This crap is destroying our equipment, even after I used the correct additive to inhibit the effects of ethanol the last batch of gas jumped to 15% ethanol. Okay now I feel better but I'm still pissed that somebody thinks they can just make changes that destroys everyone else's equipment. Ethanol in gas.
You can remove the ethanol from your gas. Mix the gas with water agitate well, let it settle and decant the gasoline from the top of your container. The ethanol is attracted to the water more than the gasoline, so what you have is ethanol free gas. Easiest to do this in small batches for lawnmowers and such.
^^^^this for small engines. As to the ethanol content....try to find a source w/o out it or is limited to the lower 10%
Norm, since we are in the North East our current fuel blend is the Winter mix which always returns crap milage but better for the environment. Blah blah blah This is a great read for the truth about the Winter mix for the North East and th Mid West. http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/PICS/winterGas/winterGas.html
I found that when I bought my car, it ran fine with the old addative MTBE (also an "oxygnate", reduces CO, used as a clean air additive,made from natural gas) when they switched to ethanol, it my mpg dropped and it ran worse... I added jcw380 injectors, and then a tune, and it started to run great again... Simple fact is ethanol is lighter, and has less BTU'S per volume, so you are running leaner...then add to the fact it behaves differently (temps with the o2 sensors) it can cause issues. Pretune, I tried to find lower ethanol gas... Post tune, it does not matter since it was tuned with e10...so IMO makes the tune with it FOR THIS ALONE, basic drivability...I wish mini just had updated the software for our e10... The test for % ethanol is to mix a measured amount of gasoline in a container, and add a measured amount of 100% ethylene glycol....mix well, then settle...the ethanol will have migrated to the glycol...then just simple math to determine the % based on volume change... Not really doable for larger volumes, but still neat to see.
One tip... For SMALL batches of gas for power equipment, you can try to buy gas at a boatyard...more $$, but usually ethanol free....still cheaper than race fuel...
Good info...but I might add MTBE is no longer used...as stated is was great stuff when in the tank...but kinda toxic if absorbed through the skin or drunk... It moves very quickly through soil and water and ended up in drinking water..miles beyond any fuel "plumes" from leaksites, aka, gas stations....several major lawsuits from states resulted in its removal from fuel... So the jest of the article is great, but it is about a decade out of date....
There are 2 gas stations in my county that sell ethanol free gasoline. All the others have 10% ethanol. The 91 octane EtOH free gas costs about 40₵ per gallon more than the 93 octane E10 blends elsewhere.