General Discussion

Melon

(1,499 posts)

25. Ethanol gas is a step change improvement over what we were using. MTBE and MTT. Many comments here...

Sun Mar 22, 2026, 11:33 PM

10 hrs ago

A bit off.

The gasoline needs an octane booster to raise the octane and run without knocks in our modern engines. The previous octane boosters did a lot of harm to the environment and are still in our water.
Ethanol is much safer. There are other octane boosters you can use. They are all more expensive and come from petroleum based feedstocks. Ethanol is a renewable resource.

Gasoline in many stations using ethanol free gas use iso butanol. It’s not hygroscopic and much better in marine applications. It’s also more expensive.

Ethanol is about a 113 octane. It’s cheap and doesn’t damage the environment permanently if spilled. It also doesn’t require more oil or natural gas to produce.

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Check your vehicle manuals to make sure yours can run E15 (Unleaded 88). [View all] roamer65 Yesterday OP

AAA warns E15 gasoline could cause car damage dalton99a Yesterday #1

Your link is 14 yr old NickB79 Yesterday #7

Meanwhile, the average age of a US car is 12.8 years. If you're privilaged enough to own newer it's useless info... Lancero 6 hrs ago #31

Big problem for motorcyclists and boaters jmowreader Yesterday #2

and will destroy the carbs. The gas today is very corrosive. I Emile Yesterday #6

Sounds Made Up To Me ProfessorGAC 14 hrs ago #16

It's hygroscopic. Not corrosive. It should use ethanol free which contains iso butanol for boats. Melon 10 hrs ago #24

I drove a 60s classic car in the late 90's when gas stations stopped selling leaded gas. C Moon Yesterday #3

Members of our VW club use a lead additive for their older bugs. I buy Emile Yesterday #4

Ah, that's what it was! C Moon Yesterday #5

Tetraethyl lead. roamer65 18 hrs ago #14

Unless your car is 15+ yr old, you're safe NickB79 Yesterday #8

Not all of them after 2001. roamer65 18 hrs ago #13

Your truck is 20 yr old NickB79 15 hrs ago #15

For small engines and two stroke engines, bite the bullet and buy ethanol free gas. indusurb Yesterday #9

I believe Sheetz stations carry regular gas, no ethanol, in addition to those with ethanol. mucholderthandirt 23 hrs ago #10

It has iso butanol in it likely instead. Melon 10 hrs ago #23

I have to drive 20 milies to the next county to find it and its is more expensive. Historic NY 6 hrs ago #30

The fuel ethanol industry needs to go away. hunter 22 hrs ago #11

That's not true. And it does substitute a percentage Melon 13 hrs ago #19

Ethanol is boondoggle scam GreatGazoo 21 hrs ago #12

It's an octane booster. Not a scam. Melon 13 hrs ago #18

Your car would have to be over 14 years old not to be in compliance. Melon 13 hrs ago #17

And nobody has a vehicle THAT old. BWdem4life 10 hrs ago #21

10% ethanol is still available. Melon 10 hrs ago #22

My 2008 Toyota van is doing ok Attilatheblond 9 hrs ago #28

In Pennsylvania our retail gas automatically switches over to 10% ethanol in March FakeNoose 13 hrs ago #20

It's more expensive because it requires more refining. The government has VOC requirements on what goes into Melon 9 hrs ago #26

Ethanol gas is a step change improvement over what we were using. MTBE and MTT. Many comments here... Melon 10 hrs ago #25

I just checked my car's gas requirements..not more than 10% ethanol. I have never check the gas pump before Deuxcents 9 hrs ago #27

E15 85% and I don't think it is for many vehciles WhiteTara 9 hrs ago #29