[senza]

The "pointy headed" politicians in our fair province of Manitoba have recently passed a law that effective August 2005, all retail gasoline sold must contain 10% ethanol (gasohol). This will apply to all grades, including premium. Their goals are very noble of course...lower harmful emissions / more jobs in Manitoba(we have an ethanol plant) more $$$ for farmers etc.......my understanding is there are some benefits for vehicles eg the octane is higher ; regular gas here 87; regular ethanol 89....and the it burns cleaner...The concern I have is performance...ethanol burns cooler and provides less energy...which I presume will lower power output...Has anyone any experience in using ethanol in your Murano or any other VQ3.5 vehicle?

 

[Tyler_Canada]

One of the two brands I use whenever I have the choice is Sunoco, and their gas contains 10% ethanol. I have found no difference in mileage or power when switching between it and other (good) brands.

 

[GMTURBO43]

In Chicago it is kinda hard to find Non-Ethanol. I run it in the Murano and the Ty.

 

[senza]

Thanks for the input...I guess there is nothing to fear from using gasohol

 

[Eric L.]

I believe Ethanol is a universal additive to US unleaded gasoline, particularly as an oxygenate during winter months. In California, they use a reformulated gasoline which has even higher content of ethanol than the national average. Ethanol has an interesting property - it has less energy content per volume, but actually has a higher octane rating.

 

[hfelknor]

Ethanol is far from universal.
But it will be someday I imagine.

here is a map from Mobil.
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Files/US Gasoline Map 100102.pdf
I don't pretend to know all that this map shows.
But I know for instance that only Citgo here in FL has ethanol.

The properties of Ethanol allow for higher compressions which will allow for Higher HP.
But on cars like ours that were not designed with Ethanol in mind, it is a net loss.
Ethanol has only about half as much energy as Gasoline.
Of course, using a 10% means that you won't lose much.
But you will lose some power and some mileage. Sorry that's the physics of it.
And it is better for the environment....sorta.
It's a complex subject.
It has less Carbon Dioxide and more Nitro which creates smog......

It is used as an oxygenator and as such is far superior to the MTBE stuff, which is a carcinogen I believe.
You will see it used around major cities that have been cited by the EPA for failure to meet the clean air act.

If you remember the gas price surge last year.......Chigaoans were paying out the nose because a pipeline went down and their particular RFG wasn't available without trucking it in from other RFG areas. They weren't allowed to use just plain gasoline.


It's the stuff of the future. Politicians love it.


Homer

 

[Eric L.]

I forgot that, coming from California, not all the other states use reformulated gasoline (I just thought California used an even stricter regulated version).

According to the Chevron website:

76,000 Btu/gal. for ethanol and 114,000 Btu/gal. for conventional gasoline

 

[dklanecky1]

Check out your owner's manual, section 9, page 3.

It is reccomending no more than 5% methanol!

I know we get this stuff for at least 6 months per year here in the Milwaukee area and I also notice a decrease in my gas mileage as soon the stuff shows up in the winter.

I actually make it a point (when I'm outside the required area) to fill up whenever I can.

 

[Eric L.]

Check out your owner's manual, section 9, page 3.

It is reccomending no more than 5% methanol!

I know we get this stuff for at least 6 months per year here in the Milwaukee area and I also notice a decrease in my gas mileage as soon the stuff shows up in the winter.

I actually make it a point (when I'm outside the required area) to fill up whenever I can.

Methanol is not the same as the ethanol oxygenate added to many US gasolines in strict emissions control regions. I don't think there are any restrictions for running gasoline with ethanol in it.

 

[senza]

A problem with gasohol, which won't apply to Murano owners as our vehicles are new, relates to the cleansing abilities of ethanol. One tankful last winter in my '93 Grand Cherokee(400,000 kms) loosened up enough dirt/debris in my gas tank that the fuel pump was destroyed. (a $900 CAN repair bill). Our government web site warns of this saying to change your fuel filter several times after starting to use gasohol. Most fuel injected vehicles have the fuel pump in the gas tank, ahead of any filter, so the pump takes the brunt of the debris......ouch....

 

[ekaxel]

Ethanol additive 10% and below is not the same as "gasohol". I believe that was an old (mostly derogatory) term used to describe a fuel with more than 10% ethanol

 

[senza]

"Gasohol" is the accepted term for a mixture of 10% ethanol/90% gasoline.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/est/energy/ethanol/introeth.html

 

[Eric L.]

Ethanol additive 10% and below is not the same as "gasohol". I believe that was an old (mostly derogatory) term used to describe a fuel with more than 10% ethanol

Yeah I haven't heard the term gasohol used in a while. Being originally from California, I am used to the super strict emissions regulations for gasolines. I have heard of E85, though which is a common Ethanol/Gasoline blend.