4 ms·

I'm not an expert, but my understanding is most modern (non-carburetor) cars can run 100% ethanol without issue. The problems arise, not from the combustion pro

I'm not an expert, but my understanding is most modern (non-carburetor) cars can run 100% ethanol without issue. The problems arise, not from the combustion process, but from the increased acidity causing increased wear on non-metal components like seals and gaskets. Most consumer gasoline already has ethanol mixed in, I doubt a modest increase will be an issue. ----- Also, most consumer stations have 10% (unleaded), 85% (e85), or 100% (racing). I'm not aware of any stations that consistently offer anything between 10% and 85%. I suspect your car's warning it warning against e85 and racing fuel.

esaym 8y ago
Beyond 10% you run in the acid issues as well as needing a higher fuel to air mixture.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  Ethanol is corrosive to lots of materials but it isn't acidic.
bluGill 8y ago
Most computers don't know how to adjust the air-fuel ratio for higher levels of ethanol. It isn't impossible to do that but it is additional effort to put in those mappings. There are a lot of stations in Iowa that offer E15. Few other states even have one. Even in Iowa a lot of stations have said they won't sell it because of the legal issues.
- lutorm 8y ago
  There are also cold-starting issues when running very high ethanol fractions.
ams6110 8y ago
> most modern (non-carburetor) cars can run 100% ethanol without issue Unless you buy a car specifically built for E85 or higher fuel this is not true. It may vary regionally, but E85 is not widely available where I live (middle of corn country, midwest USA) compared to regular gasoline or diesel.