# Ethanol and non-hybrid engines **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 7, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313 "2008-07-07T00:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeano42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@Jeano42](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeano42)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/1 "2008-07-07T00:07:38Z")
It’s getting hard to find gas that doesn’t have ethanol in it. I just recently bought a 2006 Kia Spectra EX. What is the ethanol going to do to my engine? What will happen to even older cars that are still on the road running on ethanol mix gases? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/2 "2008-07-07T00:24:34Z")
Likely nothing. It would depend on the engine and the percentage of ethanol in the fuel. What is the amount in your fuel (Like E-10 [10%]) ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/3 "2008-07-07T01:55:13Z")
Compared to 100% gasoline, E10 (10% ethanol) will give you slightly lower fuel economy. Your car is designed to handle E10. Just check the owner’s manual. And you are apparently confusing “hybrid” with “flex fuel”. The former vehicles use a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. The latter can use straight gasoline, E85, and any combination thereof. ---
**Author:** ![cappy208](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cappy208/32/31_2.png) [@cappy208](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cappy208)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/4 "2008-07-07T02:24:22Z")
you need to understand the types of products and their importance in relationship to your car. gasoline is required to run your car. if your car is 'flex fuel" it can run on both gas AND straight ethanol. (okay, 85% ethanol, 15% gas) ALL gas today has ethanol in it. (around 10% give or take a percent or two.) STRAIGHT (E 85) ethanol should NOT be used in a vehicle unless it IS “flex Fuel” capable. ethanol helps the fuel burn cleaner, and is better for the environment than its predecessor (MTBE) if you don’t believe me about MTBE google it up. you will be surprised how bad MTBE is for ALL of us! Ethanol has one bad side effect, it causes the vehicles to get slightly less MPG. the vehicles that use straight ethanol get around 10% less fuel economy! ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/5 "2008-07-07T02:56:59Z")
It’s not true that all gas today has ethanol. ---
**Author:** ![cappy208](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cappy208/32/31_2.png) [@cappy208](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cappy208)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/6 "2008-07-07T02:59:50Z")
where is gas with no octane booster added? although i have not been west of the rockies, i was under the understanding that all eastern gas has ethanol added. MTBE was outlawed nationally a few years ago. what has replaced it? ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/7 "2008-07-07T03:50:26Z")
See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common\_ethanol\_fuel\_mixtures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ethanol_fuel_mixtures). ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ethanol-and-non-hybrid-engines/16313/8 "2008-07-07T03:57:59Z")
What does hybrid have to do with it?? People have been using E-10 for many years without any problems. Why do you expect any?