Quote:
Originally Posted by PoleCat2SSRS2010
Ethanol requires more fuel consumption always! Its attractiveness comes from the cost per gallon and higher octane (from running cooler). Racing ethanol by comparison to racing gas requires ~33% more consumption and a butt load of maintenance b/c it draws in water from the air. There is an additive but you still have to flush the system when you are done for the day.
As for E85 in comparison to pump gas, you will use more and in the end there is no real savings.
Also, ethanol in general will dry out the rubber seals in the pumps and hoses and cause break down. Not sure what has been engineered into the system and not sure if anyone is talking.
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PoleCat is right about ethanol efficiency. It has about a third less BTU's per gallon than gasoline but is higher in octane. BTU's are the units of energy being released (power) and its higher octane rating helps reduce spark knock. 10% ethanol mix would have about 3% less BTU's than a gallon of gasoline, so in theory it would lose 3% in fuel mileage. If you got 23 mpg on gasoline you would get about 22.3 mpg on 10% ethanol mix. In my testing it on my 1500HD truck it averages about .5 mpg less than straight gasoline. For it to be an equal value the price would need to be 3% less and for people using E85, the price would need to be 33% less. I hope this helps you understand it better.