My Attempt to reach 40mpg.

[Arminius]

Going above 10% ethanol risks damage to your car, unless it is made to burn e85. Also, ethanol is not an efficient fuel, so you'll probably get a 25% reduction in FE in percentage of ethanol volume.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...anol_ov1_1.htm

[mhmitszach]

Originally Posted by Arminius

Going above 10% ethanol risks damage to your car, unless it is made to burn e85. Also, ethanol is not an efficient fuel, so you'll probably get a 25% reduction in FE in percentage of ethanol volume.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...anol_ov1_1.htm

The more than 10percent is what i wanted to know. thanks much.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by Arminius

Going above 10% ethanol risks damage to your car, unless it is made to burn e85. Also, ethanol is not an efficient fuel, so you'll probably get a 25% reduction in FE in percentage of ethanol volume.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...anol_ov1_1.htm

That's not necessarily true. MN is going to E20 soon. Brazil has had E20 for a long time. I've seen and have seen others get increase in FE with mixtures of E15. Here's a thread on it also check out this page.

You'll be fine with the a couple of gallons of E85 but if the mixture gets over E50 the mileage does start to drop pretty quickly.

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

That's not necessarily true. MN is going to E20 soon. Brazil has had E20 for a long time. I've seen and have seen others get increase in FE with mixtures of E15. Here's a thread on it also check out this page.

You'll be fine with the a couple of gallons of E85 but if the mixture gets over E50 the mileage does start to drop pretty quickly.

I'm not sure at what point any given manufacturer says damage might occur. However, most say 10% is safe on standard EFI, and no more. Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to use 15%.

As for efficiency, the EPA and Consumer Reports agree, Ethanol sucks FE, as compared to gas. No major study that I know of says otherwise. No scientist alive claims that gas has less usable energy than ethanol, or that ethanol is superior in energy storage and/or release.

As for what people on threads say, there are people who say they are running their cars on water, orange juice or coffee. I really don't have much confindence in what they say, for scientific reasons.

However, a standard EFI gasoline engine can typically only tolerate up to 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Higher ethanol ratios require either larger-volume fuel injectors or an increase in fuel rail pressure to deliver the greater liquid volume needed to equal the energy content of pure gasoline.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

[rsx2002]

Get a scanguageII. $160. installed and set up mine in under 3 mins. it tracks so many things including MPGs.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by Arminius

I'm not sure at what point any given manufacturer says damage might occur. However, most say 10% is safe on standard EFI, and no more. Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to use 15%.

As for efficiency, the EPA and Consumer Reports agree, Ethanol sucks FE, as compared to gas. No major study that I know of says otherwise. No scientist alive claims that gas has less usable energy than ethanol, or that ethanol is superior in energy storage and/or release.

As for what people on threads say, there are people who say they are running their cars on water, orange juice or coffee. I really don't have much confindence in what they say, for scientific reasons.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

*Sigh* Your avatar shows you have a bias against ethanol. As stated above MN (will) and Brazil both run mixtures of over E10 without damaging engines. Here's a link for a EPA approved conversion kit for ethanol for non FFV. Here's another for a pilot program from the KS that some cars get better mileage with blends of E20 or E30. I have found this also to be true.

The wilki page listed above in the previous post I found to be pretty accurate along with these links. I agree that you get less mileage with a non modified car on E85 but some cars will get better mileage with ethanol at varying blends. Like most thing related to the FE game it's something to experiment with and make your own risk accessment.

[mhmitszach]

Realized last night any real gains are going to me made by aerodynamics.

Just made some cardboard rear wheel covers, spray painted black kinda, should be putting them on tomorrow if I get tape. This tank only has 50 highway miles on it. So these should show some gain this tank, if they do help, which i see no reason they shouldn't.

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

*Sigh* Your avatar shows you have a bias against ethanol. As stated above MN (will) and Brazil both run mixtures of over E10 without damaging engines. Here's a link for a EPA approved conversion kit for ethanol for non FFV. Here's another for a pilot program from the KS that some cars get better mileage with blends of E20 or E30. I have found this also to be true.

The wilki page listed above in the previous post I found to be pretty accurate along with these links. I agree that you get less mileage with a non modified car on E85 but some cars will get better mileage with ethanol at varying blends. Like most thing related to the FE game it's something to experiment with and make your own risk accessment.

mhmitszach was not asking if some cars on the planet were able to burn more than 10% ethanol, so the comment is irrelevant. He owns a 90's Ford, and Ford would have voided his warranty if it was still covered.

As for Brazil, they have modified engines so they are "able to burn" (if you will read the article) that type of fuel. Stations in MN can sell gas with more than 10%, since there are cars designed to burn it. However, MN has not passed legislation to increase the percentage past 10% until the year 2013.

In addition, he asked about saving money. He can't save money if he 1) spends more money to buy the more expensive fuel and 2) burns it up faster than regular gas.

From the article:

Ethanol is most commonly used to power automobiles, though it may be used to power other vehicles, such as farm tractors and airplanes. Ethanol (E100) consumption in an engine is approximately 34% higher than that of gasoline (the energy per volume unit is 34% lower).

And..

In theory, all fuel-driven vehicles have a fuel economy (measured as miles per US gallon, or liters per 100 km) that is directly proportional to the fuel's energy content.[27]In reality, there are many other variables that come in to play that affect the performance of a particular fuel in a particular engine. Ethanol contains approx. 34% less energy per unit volume than gasoline, and therefore in theory, burning pure ethanol in a vehicle will result in a 34% reduction in miles per US gallon, given the same fuel economy, compared to burning pure gasoline.

[mhmitszach]

I really need to build an mpguino.

This tank is continuing my test of driving 60, using minimal ac/or windows down(it was 92 and muggy and then rainy today!), but still doing everything else the same plus the addition of as much neutral off coasting as possible. Probably up to at least 15 miles of 240 with the car off.

So today, for the second time ever ,while driving 60 and then 65 the 20 miles before, I reached half tank at 200 miles. Last time I did this I had a 39mpg tank.

Going to drive this tank a bit more and fill up soon.

I'm starting to think my car is better at 60 or 65 verses 55.

Also, used a gps to check speedometer. up to 45 mph is spot on. 55 reads two over. 60 reads two over. So when I used to drive 55. I was going 57.

[Arminius]

What state do you live in? The warmer weather should help. I live in Wisconsin, and have yet to use the A/C or drive with the windows down, although it has been tempting.