Ethanol Fuel-Your experience? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Brucelee · 03-20-2010, 05:02 AM

This may not apply to all but I recently moved to Iowa where Ethanol fuel (10%) is a big deal. I have been using it since I moved here in Nov as it is the best octane for the price.

Perhaps as coincidence, my Lexus now has a bad fuel injector. When I inquired at the dealership, the mgr told me that "off the record" none of the techs will use ethanol. They believe that a rash of new fuel system issues started to show up shortly after ethanol became king.

Also, they suggest that their own cars simply do not run right on ethanol. Many point to ethanol's lower energy per gallon issue but regardless, they won't use it.

I thought I would pass this along and ask if anyone else has had an issues.

As for me, I am going back to BP premium after I get the car back.

husker boxster · 03-20-2010, 05:27 AM

This is my experience...

I've used ethanol in new cars and have not had any issues. Where I've run into problems is using ethanol in used vehicles - clogged fuel filters, etc. I think running ethanol in an older vehicle when regular gasoline was previously used results in the ethanol cleaning out the gunk at the bottom of your tank. Said gunk starts flowing through your fuel system and depending on the size may clog the system somewhere along the line. Since new cars have a gunk free gas tank, ethanol works fine.

Brucelee · 03-20-2010, 05:47 AM

I think you may be right on this score. I have read much the same thing on my Google search.

Now, my Lexus has 138K miles on it ...

Adam · 03-20-2010, 06:33 AM

I've never had any issues with ethanol enriched fuel and that's all we use here in IL.

blue2000s · 03-20-2010, 11:17 AM

Colorado uses E10 for at least half the year. I've never had a problem.

Jaak · 03-20-2010, 06:07 PM

Here Shell has 91 octane as a 100% gasoline with no eyhanol mixed in. All my gas powered toys run best on this. The Boxster gets better milage as well as being peppyer on the Shell. My outboard engines run the best on Shell 91 as well as my lawnmower, snowblower and chainsaws. If I use any other gasoline mix there is a noticable difference in performance, especially outboard engines. Ethanol has a tendancy of absorbing water which makes it worse with a shorter storage life.

In studies I have seen, ethanol has about 85% of the BTU's that gasoline has resulting in about 10% less power. In my milage records I have noticed a drop in milage when ethanol mixed fuels are used. A Porsche driver here has had issues with his cats burning out when he used Sunoco 94, which has 10% ethanol mixed in it. He has since switched to Shell 91 and no longer has Cat issues.

A few folks I know also have issues with their snowmobile engines failing due to ethanol. The carbs need to be adjusted to a richer mixture as not to burn out the engines. They are in New Hampsire and all they have is the ethanol mixed gasoline.