would like to know, about ethanol, does it act like a thinner, does it run your engine hotter, do you get what your paying for, in the gas,tell the pro’s and cons
Ethanol is a fuel. It just has less energy density than gasoline. Many stations sell gasoline with as much as 10% ethanol in it. Ethanol burns slightly cleaner than gasoline, and can increase the octane number. But, with a lower energy density, it produces less horsepower per gallon. This means that you tend to burn more fuel to get the same performance. 10% added to gasoline shouldn’t change much, but some cars are more sensitive than others, and can show noticeable drivability differences.
A gallon of ethanol has about 2/3 the energy of gasoline. Now, if it costs 2/3 as much as gasoline, then no problem unless you need the range your full tank of pure gasoline has. It has to run richer than gasoline to be stoichiometric.
The energy content per gallon or pound has nothing to do with the horsepower the engine can make, it only affects the amount of fuel the engine has to burn to make that horsepower. Indy cars burn pure ethanol, they used to burn pure methanol but the rules changed, probably because Indianapolis is in a big corn growing state. Methanol (wood alcohol) has even less energy per gallon than ethanol.
Nitromethane, used in top fuel dragsters, only has 5000 BTU of energy per pound yet it lets these engines make ridiculous amounts of horsepower, but they go through a lot of fuel while making that horsepower.
If you have a choice between gasoline or gasohol(ethanol) buy the gasoline. This has been debated
at some length recently. It makes your engine run rich or in the old days flood. The way this happens
is that the O2 (oxgen) sensors don’t recognize the alcohol exhausts and the injectors open up more to compensate. Do a search on “ethanol” and “prius” make your own discision but do try running 2 tanks of both types thru your car and you’ll realize like I did that for every 20 gallons of gasoline you’ll
save between $15.00 and $16.00 over the cost of gasohol plus the car runs better. You have to keep up with your mpg to figure out how much it costs you to run ethanol. You have to know the mpg with gasohol and the mpg with gasoline and the size of your gas tank. Let us know the results of your cars response with the two gasolines only if you’re currently running ethanol.
If I’m not mistaken NASCAR and dragsters run with carburators and are not fuel injected, and there isn’t a concern with mpg.
Pro’s with gasoline: It’s designed for your vehicle’s injectors.
No problems with desolving “O” rings.
With miles per gallon, it is cheaper Much cheaper!
Con's with Ethanol: Caused 100 % failure rate in Airtex's in tank fuel pumps in the 1980's (per the Airtex rep.)
Can cause "check engine lights" to come on
Causes flooding by running rich
Can cause hesitations, bucks, and jerking
Returns to water when breaks down
Pro’s with ethanol: There is more of it available on the market.
Designed for carburators…In the 1970’s and 80’s it was suppose to
mix with the gasoline and extend mileage by 10 percent but with the injector systems of today it actually causes about 20 % wasted energy and costs.
The good and bad news is that it is bad for your car but theres enough for everyone.
Hope this what you were interested in.
Caballero
Pros: runs a bit cleaner (originally added as an “oxygenator”), domestically produced, can slightly raise octane rating, acts as fuel line drier, gets candidates votes in the Iowa primary
Cons: slightly worse mileage (lower energy content), E10 is tolerated by all modern cars but can dissolve fuel system parts in older cars, energy input into making ethanol is at best just about a wash, corn being diverted to ethanol has jacked up food prices, ethanol attracts water and can cause drivability problems if it absorbs too much from the air, gets candidates votes in the Iowa primary
What do you mean when you say “causes the injectors to open up more to compensate” I always believed in pulse width modulation for more fuel.What type of F.I. are you refering to?
Everone has already explained the technological pros and cons.
However it works really great to fuel politics. Representatives in the sanate and the house with agricultural constituancies love ethanol.