E10 Ethanol and gas mileage

[dukey33]

Have you noticed a reduction in fuel economy since E10 replaced the MTBE oxygenated fuel in major cities?

[macktruckturner]

I noted the stickers in Katy when my Dad filled up the GL1800 - maybe he'll post some useful information. Here on post I have not seen indication of E10, nor have I noticed degraded economy in my SV650S. My truck is getting worse mileage currently, however it also despirately needs a tune-up.

[kocook]

Been monitoring the MPG on the truck. Definitely dropped about 1 mpg. Have no idea on the scoot since I did not buy it to count pennies.

[donroger1]

I really don't know. :-)
I have a motorcycle and a roadster. Both are for pleasure. :-D
I have the benefit of a company car and the fuel costs for work are on them. ;-)

[jhansen]

My Heritage appears to be getting about the same. Same station each fillup so the same product (alledgedly). :trust:

[mode12]

station by my house is ethanol free.

[fratermus]

Just put in my first tank of 10% etho yesterday. Will know in a few what happens to the mpg.

[Jack Giesecke]

I got the best mileage I ever got out of my OldWing on my trip up to Oak Hill recently, 45 to the gallon! I filled it in Angleton, but not sure if it was an Ethanol blend or not, must have been, though. If there's any reduction, I think at least on a bike, other factors must mask it. I had a tail wind and was cruising about 65 mph all the way up to Henderson. Normally, I'm running at or a little over the limit. A slight headwind and I'm back down to or below 40, so I ain't gonna crow too much about it. :rolleyes:

[Tourmeister]

No ethanol here in Huntsville that I have seen. I have seen it in Conroe though.

[Ben Eberle]

I have seen E-85 for sale at the HEB in Buda but I have not seen any E-10 where I live. You should get less mpg from ethanol because it only delivers about 12000-13000 BTU per pound as compared to about 18000 BTU per pound for gasoline. If using E-10 gives you better gas mileage and power, thats a hint that maybe your carb is jetted too rich for gasoline.

Different fuels require different jetting. Fill your tank with methanol or nitromethane and your carbs will be jetted hopelessly lean.

[fratermus]

Ok, finally burned off that tank of 10% Eth. I got a little over 55mpg on that tank, down a bit from the 56.5 for the previous few tanks. Not as much of a decrease as I might have thought.

[Shaggy]

I havent really seen a decrease using the E10 stuff, but our Avy is flex fuel capable and I run E85 in it as much as possible.

Here is a post from about a month ago that I made on another forum. Yes prices have dropped since then but the formula is still the same....

This is on E10

30 gallons x $2.26 = $67.80 to fill up and at 20 MPG highway that should = 600 miles on a tank, so then that would mean 11.3 cents per mile in fuel.


This is on E85

30 gallons x $1.96 = $58.80 to fill up and at 17.5MPG highway that should = 525 miles on a tank, so then that would mean 11.2 cents per mile in fuel


Oh and BTW.... E85 is now 1.71 at the Kroger in Carrollton as of yesterday and reg was 2.01.

[Radlouie]

Just moved here from California, did not notice a drop in gas mileage but the check engine lights came on in 3 of my cars, when I put the Toyota on the tester it said bad fuel. The lights went out after 3-4 tanks of gas and the error codes have cleared.

[scratch]

That's some sophisticated programming, almost verging on AI territory - tells the engine to just shut up and get used to a diet of Spam instead of sirloin. :lol2:

I've noticed a slight drop in mileage with E10 fuel; maybe 1 mpg.

[Cagiva 549]

Everything I own is getting as much as 20% better mileage than a year ago , consistantly running 200 miles per tank on the KTM , 300+ km on the GC and my ElCamino is getting 22mpg , the first 15 years I owned it the best I could get was 17mpg . Maybe I'm just getting it broke in . SEYA

[Tracker]

Not that anybody here lets their bikes sit long, but I would not want to let my bike sit even less with a tank of E10.

[P-Ratt]

Does Dallas use ethanol? I was traveling last week and noticed a difference between Houston, BCS and Dallas. I seem to get lower economy, but don't notice a cost difference.

[Tekisasu DR]

I did not know the difference in MPG, but heard Yamaha tech guy was saying it could cause to carb trouble. So I am trying not to use it for my bike.

Ken

[wonder91178]

DUDE!

I went to fill the Avalanche up this morning at the Kroger on 731 in Crowley and they had their E85 pump installed, and it was $2.99 a gallon! :eek2:

Not that mine takes the stuff, but geez!

[1TallTXn]

I haven't noticed any of the local stations putting up signs about the new stuff, might have to pay attention next time I get gas.

[DANNYROTH]

Are we going to lose the option to buy regular 100% dinosaur bones gasoline like we did when unleaded was introduced/mandated?

I haven't tried any in any of my vehicles, that I know of.

[DANNYROTH]

You should get less mpg from ethanol because it only delivers about 12000-13000 BTU per pound as compared to about 18000 BTU per pound for gasoline. If using E-10 gives you better gas mileage and power, thats a hint that maybe your carb is jetted too rich for gasoline.

Different fuels require different jetting. Fill your tank with methanol or nitromethane and your carbs will be jetted hopelessly lean.

Question: I have seen vehicles with labeling regarding their ability to run on E-85. Does the fuel system sense the difference in the fuel and automatically adjust, or does the operator have to make some type of change to set the system for the lower BTU fuel?

[Tourmeister]

Are we going to lose the option to buy regular 100% dinosaur bones gasoline like we did when unleaded was introduced/mandated?

In the name of protecting consumers and encouraging "competition", our government has been eliminating options/choices for years. It is called protecting us from the evils of the free market :suicide:

[sherob]

Question: I have seen vehicles with labeling regarding their ability to run on E-85. Does the fuel system sense the difference in the fuel and automatically adjust, or does the operator have to make some type of change to set the system for the lower BTU fuel?

AFA my wifes E-85 Tahoe... you do nothing... same as using 10% ethanol in you vehicles now. The E-85 engine has been equiped to handle the 15% ethanol ;-)

[Tx White Knight]

Does Dallas use ethanol?

Yes the larger Metromess areas do us something like a 10 to 15%. It is mandated by the EPA. They started in Oct or Nov I think, it was on the news at the time. I belive there are 5 or 6 counties around the DFW area that have to use it.

My milage did drop from 42 to as low as 36 on this junk and you loose some power. Some stations are worse than others it seems also. I know a guy in the Houston area that says he gets his worst milage from Shell.

The reason for the messed up vehicles is the ethanol disolves the gunk in your tank and carbs and plugs stuff up.

The long and short of it you pay more and loose some milage, real money saver :giveup:

[fratermus]

Yes the larger Metromess areas do us something like a 10 to 15%. It is mandated by the EPA. They started in Oct or Nov I think, it was on the news at the time. I belive there are 5 or 6 counties around the DFW area that have to use it.

If they are going to nanny state us, they could at least start by requiring only the gashogging vehicles have to use the ethanol.

Kinda like HOV lane; anyone with mixed mileage over (say) 30mpg is already doing their part to reduce smog and pollution and doesn't have to use the stuff.

[Tx White Knight]

anyone with mixed mileage over (say) 30mpg is already doing their part to reduce smog and pollution and doesn't have to use the stuff.

Naw they are more like the Army, one person screws up and everyone gets to do 100 pushups :trust:

Part of the big deal on the news was that it could not be hauled in the same trucks as normal unleaded, dirvers had to be certified I think, tanks at the stations had to be empty before putting this junk in.

Best option is to drive out of the metromess and get gas but by the time you got back you would only have 1/2 a tank left :doh:

[P-Ratt]

Naw they are more like the Army, one person screws up and everyone gets to do 100 pushups :trust:
I started to laugh, but remembered how many times I had to do that.:miffed:

[Tx White Knight]

I started to laugh, but remembered how many times I had to do that.:miffed:

I think we can look back and laugh but at the time it was the pits, those DI's just had to love us :rofl:

[backspinnn]

My mileage in my Prius dropped from 55 to 45 when the 10% ethanol became mandatory. I agree with what the other poster said about Shell gas, my mileage is always the worst with Shell and Albertson's gas.

[Hotboot]

I am the one vote noting better mileage in the FJR. 3-5 mpg better.
Blending started April 1 and after a thorough thrashing to Arkansas and back it stayed consistent. Surprised after learning how this junk is mixed and it's lower output.
The carbed FZ does not get ridden enough, have to use RXP to cure the low RPM stumble in that bike, ethanol sucks but it's better than MBTE. We will be drinking that stuff in our water forever.

[Ben Eberle]

I am the one vote noting better mileage in the FJR. 3-5 mpg better.
Blending started April 1 and after a thorough thrashing to Arkansas and back it stayed consistent. Surprised after learning how this junk is mixed and it's lower output.
The carbed FZ does not get ridden enough, have to use RXP to cure the low RPM stumble in that bike, ethanol sucks but it's better than MBTE. We will be drinking that stuff in our water forever.


If you are getting better gas mileage with E-10 than with E-0, then that should be a hint that your carbs are jetted too rich for E-0. If you visit a high altitude state like Colorado, you could even look for E-10 or higher to correct the jetting of a bike jetted for sea level use.

[Tx Rider]

Dunno so much about nanny state but oil is going to run out, and dependence on it is big problem for us already.

As far as I'm concerned the sooner we change to a new fuel we can make here the better.

I'm betting it won't happen until mega corps own the vast majority of farmland here, something that's been creeping forward for a couple decades now.