In this episode we talk about the effects of ethanol in gasoline and what the octane actually means.
Here are some of the bullet points from the show:
Ashley talks about like being "that dad" cleaning the windshield of her car along the street while waiting on the kid to get done with practice
The topic of discussion was octane levels and ethanol in fuel.
Gasoline's resistance to burn is measured by its octane rating. Higher octane allows for more advanced engine timing and more power. Most vehicles require 87 octane regular gasoline.
Octane rating is derived from the average of the Motor Octane Rating and Research Octane Rating. It indicates the pressure at which fuel will spontaneously ignite.
Unintended spontaneous combustion causes uneven engine pressure, damage, and knocking. Newer direct-injected vehicles had issues with hot oil igniting injected fuel, damaging engines.
Using higher octane gasoline than required provides no benefit. Using lower octane can reduce fuel economy and cause engine knocking.
Ethanol was added to fuel to make the U.S. more energy independent, though its viability is debated.
Fuel contains a maximum of 10% ethanol currently to accommodate older vehicles, though newer vehicles can handle up to 15% ethanol.
"Flex fuel" vehicles can handle up to 85% ethanol. Their engines are specially designed to adjust for ethanol's lower energy density.
E85 fuel is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Though its octane rating is around 105, it provides less energy so more fuel is needed to travel the same distance.
Using fuel with higher ethanol levels than a vehicle was designed for can damage components and trigger the check engine light.
Ethanol is added to gasoline in percentages to accommodate older vehicles. Flex-fuel vehicles can use higher ethanol blends.
We discussed weird automotive myths like: cars should be disposed of after 100,000 miles, Old cars were better, and old cars lasted longer
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Thank you for listening.
This show was originally broadcast live 10-18-2023
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