Seems like it has been a long time since I first started seeing the up to 10% ethanol signs on gas pumps...

The other day I found a new gas station proclaiming Ethanol Free Gas! for about what I pay for Shell.

Any GOOD reasons to start using it (again) other than fuel economy?

 

Technical reasons? No.

Political protest? Absolutely, sign me up.

 

Excellent.
Glad to see it reappearing.
Just make sure it has proper octane.

Out here the only ethanol free is 85 regular. Not good enough for our Jags.

 

+1

Gas is for vehicles, corn is for feeding people.

 

Here is a good primer on gasoline blends: The Oil Drum | Refining 101: Summer Gasoline and The Oil Drum | The Switch to Winter Gasoline and a Primer on Gasoline Blends

 

Excellent stuff.
Head spinning but ok!

 

So the PO of my recent acquisition only used regular (87) gas in this poor thing. In reading these posts, I see it needs a steady diet of the best premium gas available. I am repenting immediately! Two questions:

1. Is the low octane gas in some way linked to the "Restricted Performance" DIC messages I get occasionally?
2. Is the 2001 4.0 engine immune to the effects of ethanol in general or should I be protecting the rubber seals, etc with ethanol treatment?

Thanks

 

- I use NE gas in anything that sits (mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, motorcycles, etc)
- With everything else even, you will get about 5% better gas mileage with NE gas: Alcohol has about half the enthalpy (inherent hear energy) of gasoline. Therefore, 10% eth gas has about 95% of the energy of 100% NE gas
- Around here, NE gas is much more expensive
- IMHO, Absolutely no reason these days in USA to have eth gas, other than as a subsidy to corn agribusiness (and, eth production is a v dirty industry, pollution wise, IRRC)

 

That so far is my only complaint about old Trump, he said they could up it to 15% alcohol.
Not a good thing at all, for us or our motorcycles,& cars.

 

My experience with other makes and models is that a gas filler cap that isn't completely close with trigger a check engine light. I've noticed that the rubber tether on my Jags freezes to the gas cap sometimes preventing me from completely closing the cap. I end up fiddling around with the tether and cap in order to get it closed. If you don't hear or feel the cap click it isn't closed and a check engine code may be thrown.

 

The only ethanol-free available in my area is premium octane, and MUCH higher than actual premium E10.

There is no real reason to not use E10 in your Jaguar, unless it sits for weeks at a time without being run. In that case, add some Sta-Bil to the tank and it will be fine. Sta-Bil counteracts the water absorption of ethanol in the fuel. I use it in my stored fuel in the shed, and in the lawn tractor's tank over the winter.

The slightly better mileage you get with ethanol-free doesn't come close to making up for the price difference.

 

ethanol free gas is better lubrication for fuel pump, injectors and doesnt dry out rubber
stuff will last longer if not using ethanol blend

 

My 2004 XJ does not like ethanol after warm up. It never received the recall update and tends to vapor lock upon restart after a twenty-minute drive.

 

Officially, there is no ethanol free gas anymore here in Germany. Unofficially, you do not even know how much ehtanol the producers mix in to the gas.

Why? Because the official designation for E5 is "contains up to a max of 5% ethanol", and for E10 it says "contains up to a max of 10% ethanol".
Notice the "up to"? It means that E10 could be 0% ethanol, that it could be 10% ethanol, or anything in between. It could even be that they sell only E5, disguised as E10, as it would cover both definitions... that's how precise the legislation is.

In any case, I have been running my SV8 for app. 50,000 km with E10, and I have not seen any problems up to now.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Try aviation gas if you're really concerned about using non-ethanol gas. Higher octane too. It's pricey but it is out there.

 

Higher octane is E5 here in Germany, so officially also not ethanol free, and aviation gas is not an option over here, as well.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Pricy, and illegal for automotive use, because no highway taxes are collected. Same with marine fuels from a boatyard.

 

Do you mean that it is illegal like speeding, using radar detectors and modifying emissions controls? Hmmmm. That's very interesting.

 

Well radar detectors aren't illegal everywhere...

I don't know how you'd get avgas or marine fuel into the car anyway. I don't think the nozzles fit. you have to fill can after can after can and dump it in after.