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Topic: Ethenol Gas

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honeycoombs
Forum Member

Joined: 16 March 2002
Location: madison wisconsin usa
Posts: 117

Posted: 21 September 2005 at 9:48pm \| IP Logged

I have a 1996 Sea Ray 290 Dancer with a 7.4 L MPI Merc. It being trailerable I usually can fill up at an auto gas station. Just about all stations have ethenol gas. Engine manual states its acceptable to use l0% ethenol. I'd like some feed back on using 10% ethenol and its effect on engine performance and condition. Anybody out there?

Edited by honeycoombs on 22 September 2005 at 9:02am

Dream 'Inn
Forum Member

Joined: 24 June 2004
Location: Annapolis, MD
Posts: 2034

Posted: 22 September 2005 at 8:21am \| IP Logged

I know someone that is currently using ethenol in their suburban....they say it runs great and supposed to be better for it than regular gas...I would think if that is the case why there wouldn't be more of it out there, especially at the $2.20/gal they bought it for. (unless it has always been at $2.20, which used to be much higher than gas).

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Dream 'Inn II
2002 310 FV

Andina
Forum Member

Joined: 10 June 2003
Location: Beaufort, SC
Posts: 224

Posted: 22 September 2005 at 12:05pm \| IP Logged

Some established numbers.

I was puzzled about the gas mileage I was getting driving from Beaufort SC to St. Louis MO once every 6 weeks. My mpg on the trip to St. Louis was consistently about 25.5 mpg. The mpg on the way back to SC was consistently about 22.5 mpg. It puzzled me for some time - in an 850 mile trip, altitude should not be a factor and anyhow, the altitude of St. Louis is higher so the up trip should have been the less economical.

After a number of trips I determined it was the 10% Ethanol in the 1 tank full I was buying in MO whereas the gas in the East has no Ethanol. On a tank by tank basis I get 25.5 mpg on straight gas and about 21.5 on the 10% Ethanol gas.

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Andina Marie Foster,
Owner of Yandina Ltd.,
Marine Electronics Mfg.

gohoney
Forum Member

Joined: 29 October 2003
Location: midwest
Posts: 239

Posted: 22 September 2005 at 12:33pm \| IP Logged

We in the Midwest use more oxygenated (ethanol) fuel than anywhere in the country. Not because we want to, but because local polititcians need the farmers vote, so we are mandated! Anyway, the biggest problem with using 10% Ethanol is not just the reduced mileage. It's the fact that this fuel does not store well. If you lay your boat up over winter, be sure the last tank or two is regular marine gas, free of ethanol.

Boatman
Forum Member

Joined: 15 September 1999
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 49

Posted: 23 September 2005 at 12:24pm \| IP Logged

I've heard a whole lot of rumors about etanol causing all kinds of problems....so far have not seen any with the exception of moisture retention in fuel systems over time.

Doghouse
Forum Member

Joined: 28 May 2002
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
Posts: 188

Posted: 23 September 2005 at 1:49pm \| IP Logged

There are only certian engines that are "designed" to accept ethenol. Check with the manuf. if still under warrentee.

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