Ethanol Fuel. How Safe ??? - Page 3

AU-MUSTD · 27-09-2005, 10:14 PM

We'll im confused!!!!!!

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6T · 28-09-2005, 12:47 PM

[QUOTE=johnydep]Ethanol-blended fuels are approved under the warranties of all major vehicle manufacturers.

My wife has a 9-3 Saab, which according to an email we received this morning is definitely not approved to run on any ethanol-blend fuel. Frankly this surprised me, especially as Saab lives as part of the GM empire.

johnydep · 28-09-2005, 01:20 PM

[QUOTE=T3III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnydep

Ethanol-blended fuels are approved under the warranties of all major vehicle manufacturers.

My wife has a 9-3 Saab, which according to an email we received this morning is definitely not approved to run on any ethanol-blend fuel. Frankly this surprised me, especially as Saab lives as part of the GM empire.

Maybe because they are pushing this one; http://www.saab.com/main/GLOBAL/en/p...nt/5/index.xml

Quote:

the Saab 9-5 flex-fuel engine can give improved fuel consumption under mid to high load conditions. Whilst fuel economy over the official EU city and mixed cycles is unlikely to show an improvement, testing indicates that a useful 15 per cent gain can be expected at higher speeds because fuel enrichment for engine cooling is no longer necessary.

In its Saab turbo application, the high 104 RON octane rating of E85 fuel, the 85 per cent ethanol/gasoline blend most commonly available at filling stations, also produces a significant 20 per cent increase in maximum engine power, up from 150 to 180 bhp.

The adaptability of the Saab Trionic engine management system in the standard 2.0-liter light pressure turbo gasoline engine facilitates re-calibration and programming to accommodate the different ignition timing characteristics and fuel/air mixture requirements of ethanol. The only other significant modifications are the use of ethanol-compatible materials for the fuel tank, fuel lines and connectors.

"The engine management system automatically adjusts for the type of fuel so, if there is no ethanol available, the customer can simply run on gasoline at any time," says Kjell ac Bergström, President and CEO of Saab Automobile Powertrain AB. "Turbocharged engines are particularly well-suited to exploiting the benefits of ethanol and our work with this engine indicates there is a great deal of development potential for this fuel."

http://www.ethanol.org/PressRelease8.3.05.htm

Quote:

The Saab 9-5 BioPower is a flexible fuel vehicle designed to operate on E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), but can also use standard gasoline if E85 is not available. The 9-5 BioPower is the first turbo-charged vehicle designed to operate on E85. Sales have already begun in Saab's homeland Sweden, with very promising initial market acceptance. Demonstrator fleets are being taken to other European markets as well.

Prior to the Saab presentation, ACE will announce the results of its recent Ethanol Fuel Economy Study. The research tested the fuel economy, cost per mile, and driveability of various ethanol blends including E10, E20, and E30.

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Sa...l-preview/691/

Quote:

The added kick in E85s octane number allows the small, turbocharged motor to produce 180 horsepower, an improvement of 20 percent over the regular Euro-spec models 150 horsepower output. Saab claims that the extra 30 horses wont come at the expense of fuel consumption either. At low speeds there is unlikely to be any impact of the flex-fuel, however, its a totally different story at higher speeds. During testing runs, the 9-5 EFF posted a welcome 15 percent gain in fuel economy, as fuel-enrichment for motor cooling is no longer necessary when a vehicle is run on ethanol.

6T · 28-09-2005, 04:11 PM

Yep you're probably right on that one! Wheels within wheels as they say. We are but pawns...........
Conversely I've just received a reply from FPV and they say that E10 is no worries at all in my T3 which means, I guess, all AU and BA series Fords. So when the time comes I'll use it no worries.

geckoGT · 28-09-2005, 04:20 PM

I sent an email to Ford asking about warranty issues and they sent a reply saying that there are no issues.

They also supllied this link
http://www.fcai.com.au/ethanol.php/2.../00000001.html

megsy · 28-09-2005, 04:30 PM

well i dont know how many people saw ACA (yes i know) last night but they ran an artical about a BA falcon touring around on E85 (85% ethanol, 15% 98 ron) i want to know what the cost of filling a tank of that would be and what mods have to be done so it does not destroy fuel lines/injectors/pumps ect

geckoGT · 28-09-2005, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megsy

well i dont know how many people saw ACA (yes i know) last night but they ran an artical about a BA falcon touring around on E85 (85% ethanol, 15% 98 ron) i want to know what the cost of filling a tank of that would be and what mods have to be done so it does not destroy fuel lines/injectors/pumps ect

What is the point, we don't get that from the pumps here?

Sourbastard · 28-09-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckoxr8

What is the point, we don't get that from the pumps here?

yet ;)

geckoGT · 28-09-2005, 05:24 PM

Hmmmm! Makes you wonder, what weird and unsettled times we live in.

chief · 28-09-2005, 07:35 PM

Well tonight there was some very concise journalism on A Current Affair about E10. But hen again you dont believe everything you see on the TV let alone coming from ACA or TT. They were going on about having premium fuel with E10 in it for the same price as ULP. I wont touch the stuff, plus its hard to get in Sydney.

tbearz · 29-09-2005, 12:02 AM

well thats frickin fantastics according to some website my car cant run on E10 as it is a carburettor. The car in question is a 1.6l carb Ke laser, my only means of transport. Thanks johnny, you have left me up the creek with no paddles.

Steffo · 29-09-2005, 12:06 AM

Ethanol is very, very bad in engines that are not designed for it. That being said, E10 (90% petrol, 10% ethanol) is OK. ALL petrol in the USA is 90/10 mixed with ethanol for example. I use E10 premium in my car, its cheaper, and its a cheap car so I'm not too concerned. That's at the local servo that serves E10, at Mobil I put 96 RON Synergy 6000 and at Shell I put Unleaded 95 etc. Not too picky about where I fill up either.

T3rminator · 30-09-2005, 08:05 PM

For what it's worth I have it in writing from FORD that E10 (Ethanol 10%) is safe to use on the BA Falcon XR8s.

Anybody dare tried E10 on their XR8? How much cheaper is this compared to PULP? (I've never seen an E10 fuel pump to be honest)

geckoGT · 30-09-2005, 08:26 PM

First fill of E10 today, running fine so far.
Cost was the same as ULP (BP)

I am not going to do a study on this tank as there was still 24L of premium left in the tank. I will start it later when I have run this tank through. Also means I can be a lead foot for a while without keeping my normal running habits (no I am not normally a lead foot, just always first from the lights).

T3rminator · 11-10-2005, 04:32 PM

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd give some feedback on my first hand experience with BOOST98 (E10) on the BOSS260. After confirmation from FORD that it would be OK of course.

I'm going to have to agree with Jabba. The car responds and revs better with this "dodgey fuel". Not sure if it's my imagination (i'm usually fussy about feeling improvements) but I felt the difference straight away, even on my first fill where I had 1/2 tank of ULP. I'm now on the 2nd tank. I have tried Optimax & Ultimate previously and noticed no difference. But on BOOST 98 the responsiveness is a lot better. My car has the factory tune.

Another advantage is that it cost me $1.16 to fill up yesterday (eastern suburbs). L/100kms has remained the same so far.

How safe is this fuel? Don't know yet.....but my insurance is that I have it in writing from FORD that E10 is ok. I will be sticking with BOOST 98 from here on.