Dough's new ed thread - United Bimmer Community

**doughboyea** · 05-16-2006, 01:05 PM

So I was going to the Hess station that I normal ever-so-often and saw a tag on the pumps:

I know the image is real shitty, but the white tag reads: "CONTAINS 10% ETHANOL." This is the first time I've seen that tag, meaning it was never there before.

I was under the impression that in order to use Ethanol (E85, right?) you needed a converter or something. Though it is only at 10%, does it have any effect? Isn't it true that using ethanol, though cheaper to produce, doesn't create better MPG? And being cheaper to produce and buy for stations, aren't they price gouging by keeping the price the same? I paid $3.09/gal and other stations along the same route were in the same range, some at $3.05 and others a little more.

So educate me people.

Dough

witeshark · 05-16-2006, 01:17 PM

It's a good point - guess we need to look into that

**BMWLotAttendant** · 05-16-2006, 01:40 PM

I'm pretty sure we recommend it.

I'll double check when I go to the BMW of Seattle dealership this week!

**celsdogg** · 05-16-2006, 02:12 PM

i think right now, ethanol isnt even cheaper to produce or move around the country. i recently saw the same thing when i went to the gas station and took a picture with my phone:

as for the performance benefit, i dont believe there is one, and in fact may be worse for vehicles that are not flex fuel capable. . . but im no expert. . .

**doughboyea** · 05-16-2006, 02:28 PM

^hmmm.... perhaps I should've placed this in a new thread....what you think mods?

Dough

**celsdogg** · 05-16-2006, 02:29 PM

im no mod, but i think maybe so. . .

**celsdogg** · 05-16-2006, 03:17 PM

Check post #10, new educate me series from dough Note: now post 1, new thread as Dough suggested

**Numark318i** · 05-16-2006, 03:45 PM

Dont like the ethanol. Its basically alcohol(isnt it?) and you dont get as good gas mileage with it.

CA has had it in their fuel for a while.

**celsdogg** · 05-16-2006, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Numark318i

CA has had it in their fuel for a while.

isnt that partially why their octane sucks? i think i heard that before, not sure tho.

**Numark318i** · 05-16-2006, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by celsdogg

isnt that partially why their octane sucks? i think i heard that before, not sure tho.

yea. our gas sucks.
i think it is cause of the ethanol.

We drove to Oregon with the 330, and we had CA gas untill we ran out in Oregon. Filled it up with 87 oregon gas and the car was noticebly faster and ran alot smoother.

**zeaq328i** · 05-16-2006, 07:15 PM

Since this a education thread.

Can anybody tell me what's the difference between muffler and cat- back?

Well all petrol here only have Ron 92, Ron 97 and diesel. I use Ron 97 for my car which is much cleaner fuel.

**doughboyea** · 05-16-2006, 07:56 PM

Cat back is an exhuast system from the catalytic converter back to the muffler.... hence cat-back. Your Ron 97 is probrolly equivallent to our 93 Octane. I could so be wrong on that one... but if I am right, yea, it would burn cleaner.

Back on topic though... Ethanol....aka E85.

Dough

PS, thanks to the mod that did the little bit of magic here.

**Hoppy** · 05-16-2006, 09:15 PM

gas has had ethanol in it for a while now

**Rooz** · 05-16-2006, 10:11 PM

if it makes sutff go boom, it's good for you

**94bmw325i** · 05-16-2006, 10:36 PM

My friend was talking to me about this the other day, he got gas from BP recently that contained ethanol and he was saying that it burned much faster..