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It is basically Regular grade with a little more alcohol than the common E10. It’s fine for most modern vehicles that specify 87 octane. So it is not OK for an RDX. Or a motorcycle. Or small engines in general like mowers or generators, they should use ethanol free, if you can find it…
Your fuel economy will drop.
What exactly were you asking?
John Davie
Spokane WA
Last edited by John E Davies; Apr 16, 2022 at 09:58 AM.
It is basically Regular grade with a little more alcohol. It’s fine for most modern vehicles that specify 87 octane. So it is not OK for an RDX. Or a motorcycle. Or small engines in general like mowers or generators, they should use ethanol free.
What exactly were you asking?
John Davie
Spokane WA
Except that the RDX specifies 87 octane minimum.
EDIT: You know, I don't know why I even posted this. Those who want to use 87 will use it and those who want to use 91 will use it. Why any of us has the right to tell others what to use is beyond me.
Last edited by JB in AZ; Apr 16, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
EDIT: You know, I don't know why I even posted this. Those who want to use 87 will use it and those who want to use 91 will use it. Why any of us has the right to tell others what to use is beyond me.
The Acura recommendation for 91 is boxed and in BOLD font. I wonder why you posted that too. Just pump whatever you feel like. It’s a free country.
FEDS just changed the rules on E15 for summer use………nothing to do science or MPG……..some lame attempt to lower fuel cost.
But ethanol production has nothing to do with actual cost or actual benefits other than media/producer, lobby contrived benefits.
B. First off, pure ethanol has an octane rating of 113.
C. But that doesn’t matter because when ethanol is blended with gasoline, the gas manufacturer still targets the same 87, 89, 91, 93 level of octane. 93-octane fuel can be E0, E10, or E15. Likewise, 87-octane can be E0, E10, or E15.
D. One problem with ethanol is energy content. Pure gasoline contains about 116,000 BTUs per gallon. Pure ethanol contains only 76,330 BTUs per gallon. E10 fuel contains about 111,833 BTU per gallon and E15 contains about 106,814 per gallon. The lower the BTU per gallon, the more of it the engine must burn.
E. The higher the concentration of ethanol in fuel, the LESS power it generates, for a given amount of fuel burned. (That has nothing to do with the octane level.) Consequently, the higher the blend of ethanol in fuel, the worse fuel economy the car will get.
F. Another problem with ethanol is that it is corrosive. Most modern fuel systems today use materials that resist ethanol’s damaging effect. Will a 15% concentration of ethanol start to eat into fuel system components that a 10% concentration will not? Don’t know.
I can purchase non-ethanol gas here at numerous stations from 87-93 octane, even Shell. I read that there are more pros than cons. Better mpg for one as well as hp. Think I’ll try a tank of 93. Just hope I don’t blow the engine….you can even mix with partial tank of the ethanol blends.
It is basically Regular grade with a little more alcohol than the common E10. It’s fine for most modern vehicles that specify 87 octane. So it is not OK for an RDX. Or a motorcycle. Or small engines in general like mowers or generators, they should use ethanol free, if you can find it…
Your fuel economy will drop.
What exactly were you asking?
John Davie
Spokane WA
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I just want to know if Acura says it's okay to use E15. If they say it's okay, than it's okay. I couldn't find anything in my users manual regarding E10 or E15.
My Mazda manual specifically states use nothing higher than E10. I also called Mazda to confirm. I'll call Acura tomorrow to get their answer.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I just want to know if Acura says it's okay to use E15. If they say it's okay, than it's okay. I couldn't find anything in my users manual regarding E10 or E15.
My Mazda manual specifically states use nothing higher than E10. I also called Mazda to confirm. I'll call Acura tomorrow to get their answer.
Its not like anyone posted the manual explaining this or anything in the second post or anything like that already.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I just want to know if Acura says it's okay to use E15. If they say it's okay, than it's okay. I couldn't find anything in my users manual regarding E10 or E15.
My Mazda manual specifically states use nothing higher than E10. I also called Mazda to confirm. I'll call Acura tomorrow to get their answer.
From the manual that someone posted it looks like E15 is acceptable for RDX. However, if you have a choice, I would avoid E15 gas.
I can purchase non-ethanol gas here at numerous stations from 87-93 octane, even Shell. I read that there are more pros than cons. Better mpg for one as well as hp. Think I’ll try a tank of 93. Just hope I don’t blow the engine….you can even mix with partial tank of the ethanol blends.
No need to worry, Premium fuel contains less power than does Regular.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I just want to know if Acura says it's okay to use E15. If they say it's okay, than it's okay. I couldn't find anything in my users manual regarding E10 or E15.
My Mazda manual specifically states use nothing higher than E10. I also called Mazda to confirm. I'll call Acura tomorrow to get their answer.
I know it's not an RDX, but page 177 of my 2006 TL Owners Manual says:
"Some gasoline today is blended with oxygenates such as ethanol or MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to operate on oxygenated gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume and up to 15 percent MTBE by volume."
Last edited by horseshoez; Apr 17, 2022 at 10:30 AM.
I know it's not an RDX, but page 177 of my 2006 TL Owners Manual says:
"Some gasoline today is blended with oxygenates such as ethanol or MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to operate on oxygenated gasoline containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume and up to 15 percent MTBE by volume."
I can purchase non-ethanol gas here at numerous stations from 87-93 octane, even Shell. I read that there are more pros than cons. Better mpg for one as well as hp. Think I’ll try a tank of 93. Just hope I don’t blow the engine….you can even mix with partial tank of the ethanol blends.
why would you blow the engine with 93? In my area; there is no 91, just 87,89, and 93, which is what I use.
This is enlightening. I won't argue against btu, but this article provides evidence based information on E15 cleaning your engine better than a premium gasoline, and being less corrosive. Flips common assumptions upside down. https://www.theautochannel.com/news/...-gasoline.html
This is enlightening. I won't argue against btu, but this article provides evidence based information on E15 cleaning your engine better than a premium gasoline, and being less corrosive. Flips common assumptions upside down. https://www.theautochannel.com/news/...-gasoline.html
More rhetoric where if you say and write stuff often enough ……..it must be true.
Brilliant Branding Strategy and renaming ethanol so the buyer has no idea what they are purchasing. Brought to you by the corn industry.
This is enlightening. I won't argue against btu, but this article provides evidence based information on E15 cleaning your engine better than a premium gasoline, and being less corrosive. Flips common assumptions upside down. https://www.theautochannel.com/news/...-gasoline.html
was this article sponsored by corn ethanol industry?
ethanol blended fuels are more corrosive, its a fact.
You seem to have a grudge against ethanol for some reason and just accept every negative assertion wives tail ever produced about it.
Do you know anything about farming?
You seem to have a grudge against ethanol for some reason and just accept every negative assertion wives tail ever produced about it.
Do you know anything about farming?
The math does not work with ethanol………politics and farm subsidies.
Going from E10 to E15 is doubling down on a really bad idea.
You seem to have a grudge against ethanol for some reason and just accept every negative assertion wives tail ever produced about it.
Do you know anything about farming?
look at all the papers written about it, there is nothing good about growing corn to make ethanol.
Paper written by who? People paid by the oil industry that’s who. People using old data, incomplete data and just plain misleading data. One study even charged the energy the corn absorbed from the sun to negative side of ethanol’s ledger.
E15 will not harm any modern vehicle including motorcycles. It’s just plain silly the fear inducing propaganda that gets thrown around. We have dump trucks built in the 60s that sit with E10 in them for months at a time been that way for decades. Pump the carburetor full and they fire right up and run till they get parked for another six months or more.
The land use switch is way over stated. There was a great grain export boom in the 70s that saw a tremendous surge in sod busting (plowing grassland up to grow grain). This was followed by a collapse in demand and an economic crisis in agriculture. One of the solutions the government pursued was the conservation reserve program. This was before the ethanol growth in the 90s and later. Not all of that land enrolled in that program in the 80s has been put back in production. So in my opinion there is no net increase in land use for ethanol in the US.
Crop production has changed tremendously, we are devout notillers, we avoid tillage unless absolutely necessary and then only as little as possible. This allows for more carbon to be sequestered in the soil. Cover crops are being used at an ever increasing rate helping more carbon to be added to the soil from the air.
Switchgrass is interesting, sounds great carbon cycle wise but logistics may be complicated. It may require many more small distillery installations. Harvesting packaging and transporting such a bulky crop very far could eat up its advantage. Corn is a very dense package of starch, very efficient to harvest and transport.
+1 , the whole ethanol program was a bad idea. Highly political
Originally Posted by Ih8honda
The land use switch is way over stated. There was a great grain export boom in the 70s that saw a tremendous surge in sod busting (plowing grassland up to grow grain). This was followed by a collapse in demand and an economic crisis in agriculture. One of the solutions the government pursued was the conservation reserve program. This was before the ethanol growth in the 90s and later. Not all of that land enrolled in that program in the 80s has been put back in production. So in my opinion there is no net increase in land use for ethanol in the US.
Crop production has changed tremendously, we are devout notillers, we avoid tillage unless absolutely necessary and then only as little as possible. This allows for more carbon to be sequestered in the soil. Cover crops are being used at an ever increasing rate helping more carbon to be added to the soil from the air.
Switchgrass is interesting, sounds great carbon cycle wise but logistics may be complicated. It may require many more small distillery installations. Harvesting packaging and transporting such a bulky crop very far could eat up its advantage. Corn is a very dense package of starch, very efficient to harvest and transport.
Switchgrass is a great source for ethanol but it has alot of conversion processing issues. A Florida biotech firm may have solved it but I haven't read anything lately from them. The problem with corn is simple, it has awful energy potential compared to sugar cane and switchgrass. It also requires alot of fertilizer which in itself requires energy (natural gas) so it's a losing proposition for using corn for ethanol. Sugar cane and switchgrass makes the most sense, Brazil proved the sugarcane can be easily used for their ethanol program. https://news.mongabay.com/2008/01/sw...rce-than-corn/
Dont forget that farmers are growing corn for ethanol instead of growing food, this has consequences on higher food prices. And adding ethanol actually makes gas more expensive.
Dont forget that farmers are growing corn for ethanol instead of growing food, this has consequences on higher food prices. And adding ethanol actually makes gas more expensive.
Very, very little of the corn grown is for human consumption. Ethanol production has little to no impact on corn and corn product that humans consume. 90% of the corn grown is for livestock feed and biofuels. Even the by product from field corn used to produce ethanol and distilled products is fed to livestock. The corn we put on the table is sweetcorn of which there is always a plenty.
Very, very little of the corn grown is for human consumption. Ethanol production has little to no impact on corn and corn product that humans consume. 90% of the corn grown is for livestock feed and biofuels. Even the by product from field corn used to produce ethanol and distilled products is fed to livestock. The corn we put on the table is sweetcorn of which there is always a plenty.
thats not about corn consumption. The farm lands are used to grow corn for ethanol instead of growing other plant based foods. The net result is that you grow less other plants that are good for food consumption.
Very, very little of the corn grown is for human consumption. Ethanol production has little to no impact on corn and corn product that humans consume. 90% of the corn grown is for livestock feed and biofuels. Even the by product from field corn used to produce ethanol and distilled products is fed to livestock. The corn we put on the table is sweetcorn of which there is always a plenty.
All corn is a commodity with the price based on supply and the cost to produce. Diesel and fertilizer goes up corn price goes up.
Use corn for ethanol effects the supply and so the price goes up.
Higher priced Corn fed to live stock……..the price of meat goes up. Meat goes on the table.
Corn processed into corn syrup and sweeteners ………the food or drinks prices goes up. Food and drinks go on the table.
Simple as plain economics……..those ( companies and farmers) on the corn subsidies often don’t won’t to talk about or admit these facts.
Dont forget that farmers are growing corn for ethanol instead of growing food, this has consequences on higher food prices. And adding ethanol actually makes gas more expensive.
Yikes, this is all wrong. The corn that gets ground for ethanol doesn’t all go into ethanol. Only the starch is used for ethanol this leaves the protein and oil components of the grain to be used for food and other industrial purposes. Adding ethanol makes gas less expensive that’s a fact. That’s why E15 is cheaper than standard 87. The price of gasoline has been higher than ethanol consistently for years now. The efficiency of ethanol production has increased tremendously in the last thirty years.
All corn is a commodity with the price based on supply and the cost to produce. Diesel and fertilizer goes up corn price goes up.
Use corn for ethanol effects the supply and so the price goes up.
Higher priced Corn fed to live stock……..the price of meat goes up. Meat goes on the table.
Corn processed into corn syrup and sweeteners ………the food or drinks prices goes up. Food and drinks go on the table.
Simple as plain economics……..those ( companies and farmers) on the corn subsidies often don’t won’t to talk about or admit these facts.
Corn price goes up when demand is greater than supply period. It’s a world market supply shocks can swing markets wildly we have had multiple supply problems worldwide with the war and weather in Canada and South America.
And what are these “corn subsidies “ you are taking about?
Yikes, this is all wrong. The corn that gets ground for ethanol doesn’t all go into ethanol. Only the starch is used for ethanol this leaves the protein and oil components of the grain to be used for food and other industrial purposes. Adding ethanol makes gas less expensive that’s a fact. That’s why E15 is cheaper than standard 87. The price of gasoline has been higher than ethanol consistently for years now. The efficiency of ethanol production has increased tremendously in the last thirty years.
so we have left over corn products in excess instead of real plant based food. Corn syrup and other junk, great….
and no, ethanol is not cheaper. Its cheaper by gallon, but it contains 30% less energy than gasoline, so it you factor it in, its not cheaper.
All corn is a commodity with the price based on supply and the cost to produce. Diesel and fertilizer goes up corn price goes up.
Use corn for ethanol effects the supply and so the price goes up.
Higher priced Corn fed to live stock……..the price of meat goes up. Meat goes on the table.
Corn processed into corn syrup and sweeteners ………the food or drinks prices goes up. Food and drinks go on the table.
Simple as plain economics……..those ( companies and farmers) on the corn subsidies often don’t won’t to talk about or admit these facts.
Originally Posted by russianDude
so we have left over corn products in excess instead of real plant based food. Corn syrup and other junk, great….
and no, ethanol is not cheaper. Its cheaper by gallon, but it contains 30% less energy than gasoline, so it you factor it in, its not cheaper.
Moder engines burn ethanol blended fuel more efficiently than straight gasoline. The oxygen in fuel and the octane boost allows for more advanced ignition timing and more efficient combustion and cleaner longer lasting engines.
The left over corn products do get used for food. Usually as protein for livestock feed but I’ve heard of it being used in poorer countries for human consumption. The oil is used for food or industrial purposes.
, the whole ethanol program was a bad idea. Highly political
