Oops. I Put E85 In My Honda

[jz78817]

@Musicat

None of what you say seems to match my experience. I fuel my snowblower and lawnmower (a really old model), a 1985 Toyota and a 1985 Yamaha scooter, all with the only fuel I can get locally, supposedly 15% Ethanol. Haven’t had any problems that I could blame on it, and my “check engine” light doesn’t come on.

1. I said it was anecdotal, and this came from equipment vendors saying they were rebuilding carburetors more frequently than in the past once E10 became widespread.

2. The only one of the things you mention that would likely have a relevant “check engine” light is the Toyota, and I’m not so sure a 1985 would monitor emissions that closely to light it when E85 was in use.

@engineer_comp_geek

I have also heard that blended fuels aren’t as stable in the long term, so for something that sits for a long time (like a lawnmower in the off-season) you can have serious problems with fuel degradation. In my area (southeastern PA) I don’t bother to drain my lawnmower at the end of the season, although I don’t leave it full either. With maybe a quarter tank of stale E10 gasoline and three quarters of fresh the mower always starts. I haven’t had any problems with corrosion in my lawnmowers or snow blower either. YMMV.

the problem with ethanol is its affinity for water (i.e. hygroscopic.) low blends like E10 usually aren’t problematic, but E85 is another kettle of fish. R/C glow engine fuels are roughly 60-90% methanol which like ethanol is hygroscopic, and they go off within weeks if not kept in tightly sealed containers.

@captainhurt

Electric motors are far more efficient, never break down, and dont require all the auto’s toxic “FLUIDS”, pumps and other toxic crap that LEAK everywhere. best of all electric vehicles are FAR SIMPLER STRUCTURE/DESIGN. that should give folks a start.

when half the weight of your car needs to be battery in order to get anything approaching comfortable range, EVs are not a mass-market thing.

[captainhurt]

Ellen, Can you suggest a more recent discussion on the topic. There’s no animosity here, just pure facts and help for those seeking advice. Dont confuse disagreement with hard-feelings. I gave links to scientific analysis and hard real-word experience and other boards to help the casual reader on the topic/thread. Thats positive i hope you agree, and not negative simply because of the evidence provided?
Again, there’s no animosity or bad feelings, Ellen, but this discussion is still OPEN and not CLOSED, therefore, allows new posts, posts that dont necessarily follow a certain perspective with threats of censorship.
Its clearly demonstrated by new posts and posters that the subject is still actively searched for and contributed to with active readers that can benefit from discussion.
Again, if you have a more recent THREAD, that’d be handy, or if you feel this discussion is stale or needs to close, isn’t there a way to close it?

[quote=“Ellen_Cherry, post:38, topic:444347”]

captainhurt, welcome to the Straight Dope. As was noted above, your posts on this topic revived a nearly five-year-old thread, so you are responding to a discussion that happened that long ago.

[jz78817]

@captainhurt

There’s no animosity here, just pure facts

no there aren’t.

I gave links to scientific analysis and hard real-word experience and other boards to help the casual reader on the topic/thread.

no you didn’t.

Thats positive i hope you agree, and not negative simply because of the evidence provided?

you haven’t provided any evidence.

Again, there’s no animosity or bad feelings, Ellen, but this discussion is still OPEN and not CLOSED, therefore, allows new posts, posts that dont necessarily follow a certain perspective with threats of censorship.

there’s no CENSORSHIP here. most all internal combustion engines can burn ethanol as fuel. that does NOT mean that they all can burn ethanol WELL. An internal combustion engine designed to burn gasoline will run best burning gasoline. An internal combustion engine designed to burn alcohol will run best burning alcohol. A flex-fuel engine will do its best with a wide range of gasoline-ethanol blends. but I’d almost guarantee you it’ll do far better on straight gasoline than it will E85.

Its clearly demonstrated by new posts and posters that the subject is still actively searched for and contributed to with active readers that can benefit from discussion.
Again, if you have a more recent THREAD, that’d be handy, or if you feel this discussion is stale or needs to close, isn’t there a way to close it?

ethanol has lower energy density per gallon. it takes more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than you’ll get back by burning it.

@Ellen_Cherry

captainhurt, welcome to the Straight Dope. As was noted above, your posts on this topic revived a nearly five-year-old thread, so you are responding to a discussion that happened that long ago.

[captainhurt]

hehe… “ok”.

[swampspruce]

I would also challenge the assertion that EVs are less toxic.

1. I grant that they are less toxic in your driveway, but many places are still reliant on coal for electrical production which pushes a LOT of pollution into the air so you have only offset the problem out of your back yard.
2. The manufacture of the battery packs involve a lot of REEs and older battery technologies use lead. What happens when these cars are in accidents or are scrapped? Until N.America embraces the idea of corporate recycling and makes it profitable, they will end up in land fills.
3. Batteries need a much higher energy density before they are mass marketable in a meaningful way. A car with a 200 km range is little use in rural America or Canada where distances between charges can be quite distant.
4. I like the idea of EVs and would even consider one in my future, but I can’t afford $45k for a vehicle in which I can barely fit 4 adults and carry out a trip from where I live to the nearest major city 300 km away.
   You make a few points about using the car less, but for some people, the paradigm shift required won’t happen without some major changes.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@captainhurt

Frankly i have no interest whatsoever in 100 yr old standard “engines” (ICE). Electric motors are far more efficient, never break down, and dont require all the auto’s toxic “FLUIDS”, pumps and other toxic crap that LEAK everywhere. best of all electric vehicles are FAR SIMPLER STRUCTURE/DESIGN. that should give folks a start.

The electric motor predates the internal combustion engine. You may not have any interest in “100 year old standard engines”, but you seem to have plenty in 180 year old ones.

Yes, the electric motor is far better than an internal combustion engine - in theory. In practice, we’re not there yet. I know you hate theory.

I gave links to scientific analysis and hard real-word experience and other boards to help the casual reader on the topic/thread.

You gave us links to YouTube and a minivan message board. If you want to prove a point, try referencing a peer-reviewed study, or at least a source people have heard of.

People who post YouTube links in debates are generally (though not invariably) crackpots, so try not to do that.

[Malacandra]

I have this strange inchoate urge to post the word “butt” in this thread.