E15 Gas?

[EveTide]

So this has finally hit central NC. 

Would using the E15 gas be bad for mileage or the engine in general? 

Has anyone else used this with success or at least without any noticeable difference?

[axulsuv]

I use ethanol free premium , no fuel worries and great mpg ...

But that is a personal choice I make .

[ASD Dad]

Yuck!  Ethanol is terrible.  The only thing it is good for is lining pockets of corn producers and the processors.  Only benefit is the full on E85 gas for highly tuned engines and that is due to it's incredibly high octane rating.  A lot of engine guys have been tuning and setting up motors for E85 vs. the old race gas.  

 

Other than that it is terrible stuff.  I wouldnt run that in my NV.  

 

axulsuv - you are in SC, where are you finding ethanol free premium?  I can get ethanol free regular a lot of places and do that for all my small motors (mower, trimmer, leaf blower, etc) since ethanol destroys those motors.  Just curious more than anything else.  I mainly run QT regular which is 10% ethanol on my NV and never had an issue.  When I tow up to the mountains I will run either ethanol free regular or premium with ethanol.  Even though I have never pinged with ethanol regular it doesnt hurt to have the insurance.  I do notice a very slight bump running ethanol free in MPG which is normal.  

[EveTide]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll steer clear of the E15.

 

I don't know where to get ethanol free gas here in Central NC.  I will try that next time I have a full load or tow. 

 

90% of the time I run around the city with just the second row of seats in and no cargo, so running the E10-87 is fine for now I think.

[ASD Dad]

As long as you're regularly running it through the tank E10 is OK for modern cars.  Ethanol loves water and will pull any moisture out of the air making a sludgy varnish.  It also eats/corrodes anything not made for ethanol like rubber seals, hoses, etc.  That is why it reeks havoc on small engines that sit for a while.  Many manufacturers will void your warranty if they find ethanol damage - Stihl, Echo, Husq, etc.  Ethanol destroys the carbs and fuel lines.  

 

We use it since we have so much corn in the US and it was a nice way of stretching fuel supply years ago when gas prices were really high.  I think they use it now due to politicians and lobbyists!  

[wollip]

Axulsuv -

 

Will the mpg gain with premium non ethanol justify the cost difference over regular non ethanol?

Or is it a personal choice regardless of price?

 

I also avoid ethanol whenever possible but sometimes find it hard to obtain non ethanol when running the interstates.

[axulsuv]

ASD ; I've got a locally owned Citgo franchise that has eth free premium at 3 of their   stations and one sunoco store has it too .

Wollip ; Now that reg. prices have dropped , I don't know if it will be cost effective , as I still pay 2.50 + for eth free premium .But the eth free reg. is almost as much here . But i do know my van is happiest with premium... I even run ave. gas in my motorcycles ... :)

Glenn 

And when on the open road , sometimes you gotta take what you can get ...

Edited February 3, 2016 by axulsuv

[chphilo]

I am new to this 5.6 engine, but I did not see any description of this being a flexifuel engine, so I assumed that it's non-flexifuel engine. Am I missing something?

[xavman]

Most modern cars have the parts to handle higher levels of ethanol.  the differences between 10% and 15% ethanol are likely negligible to the seals etc that are ultimately susceptible.  The truth is though, that there is no reason or benefit for using more ethanol, especially for the 3500s (cannot speak for the 1500 and 2500 vans).  the fact that ethanol is cheaper should also be informed by the fact that there is less energy in 10% ethanol gas vs 100% gasoline.  Most cars get poorer MPG when running ethanol blends.  the bigger the beast (heavier the car), the less effective a 10% ethanol blend is compared to straight gasoline.  So, CHPHILO, there is no reason for you to ever consider using anything but straight gasoline (or 10% gasoline if you have no choice).

[chphilo]

xavman, good info. I've read somewhere that it actually is more expensive to run ethanol gas because of the poor mpg, not to mention whole lot of other problems it brings. I don't plan to use 15 % ethanol on any of my vehicles even if they are flexifuel. If ethanol-free gas were available to me where I live, I would get those. But for now, my only option is 10%. 

Edited May 26, 2016 by chphilo

[wollip]

pure-gas.org is a user updated list of all the ethanol free gas stations in the US. There is also an app for iPhone called Pure Gas that will tell you the stations near you as you travel.

 

Both of these are fairly accurate and up to date. However, when traveling I have learned not to search too far out of the way or I become the guy to update the database about a closed station.- plus no gas in the tank.

 

I have also learned from the contributors to this site not to worry about the occasional tank of ethanol contaminated gas ( seems it burns hotter and occasional use might help clean out the fuel lines). And this flat-lander also learned to pay for the premium grade when I visit the mountains. I don't think I would have thought of that on my own.

[radin2son]

I agree about not straying too far to find the "right" fuel. I also get the pros and cons for using premium, but...

 

We use whatever regular (85 or 87) we can find and have never noticed any problems whether driving in the mountains or flat lands.

[wollip]

About the regular grade, good to know.

I've got the V8 and have never had the motor ping or chug - just keeps going. Run it on regular grade 90+ percent of the time. An 8 degree slope is usually the steepest thing I encounter - except for eastern Tennessee.

[radin2son]

Our NV also is a V8. We sometimes end up using off brands but see the same fuel takers delivering fuel no matter what rhe brand. So no problems in this regard either.