Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

[James W.]

Check out the attached story

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...678_page_1.htm

Someone pass the Alka-Seltzer

Jim

[Patrick H.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

"Technical Assistance / File Not Found"

[James W.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

Check out the attached story

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...678_page_1.htm

Someone pass the Alka-Seltzer

Jim

My computer skills are sometimes lacking. Try this link:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...514_058678.htm

[Paul C.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

If this was true--how does Brazil do it? The cars there can run on either 100% gas or 100% ethanol or anything in between and they don't seem to have a problem.

Every dollar you spend on ethanol stays right here in the US and helps our economy--whereas oil dollars end up in the middle east.

Someone is not telling the true here. All our vehicles should be flex vehicles that way we can burn anything depending on which price is cheaper--oil or ethanol.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

If this was true--how does Brazil do it? The cars there can run on either 100% gas or 100% ethanol or anything in between and they don't seem to have a problem.

Every dollar you spend on ethanol stays right here in the US and helps our economy--whereas oil dollars end up in the middle east.

Someone is not telling the true here. All our vehicles should be flex vehicles that way we can burn anything depending on which price is cheaper--oil or ethanol.

Ethanol costs more to make than it's worth. More energy goes in than comes out.
If it weren't for farming and agricultural lobbies I don't think you'd see it at all.

But that's just my opinion.

Patrick

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

The cars made for use in Brazil are designed for up to 100% alcohol. Those made for use in this country are not. I am not so sure they have vehicles that can run on 100% alcohol or 100% gasoline or anything in between -- but if you say so I'll believe it. They are still designed and produced for the level of alcohol that they run on.
Yes they have some/many cars running on 100% alcohol -- which they make mostly from sugar cane planted specifically for that purpose. You might consider trying to start a car with 100% alcohol in the winter in the north of the USA. It will likely not happen. Alcohol doesn't like cold weather. However in a country that the equator passes through ... works fine except in their mountains.
They have great beaches and beachwear, BTW.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

The cars made for use in Brazil are designed for up to 100% alcohol. Those made for use in this country are not. I am not so sure they have vehicles that can run on 100% alcohol or 100% gasoline or anything in between -- but if you say so I'll believe it. They are still designed and produced for the level of alcohol that they run on.
Yes they have some/many cars running on 100% alcohol -- which they make mostly from sugar cane planted specifically for that purpose. You might consider trying to start a car with 100% alcohol in the winter in the north of the USA. It will likely not happen. Alcohol doesn't like cold weather. However in a country that the equator passes through ... works fine except in their mountains.
They have great beaches and beachwear, BTW.

when we ran race cars on 100% methanol if it was below 55 degrees we had to start them on gasoline

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

when we ran race cars on 100% methanol if it was below 55 degrees we had to start them on gasoline

Thaqt would make it a lot of fun at -20*F. Probably have to lite a fire under the engine to get it going.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

Thaqt would make it a lot of fun at -20*F. Probably have to lite a fire under the engine to get it going.

i can remember my dad back in the 30s setting a pan with a burning mixture of sand and gasoline under the oil pan in the winter to help start his car because he had no garage. a lot of time we would shut the race car engine by using gasoline from a separate container attached to the race cars fuel line so the next time we started the engine it would fire right up and it also prevented the water in the alky from attacking the internal of the fuel pump and carb during the weeks storage

[Tim S.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

Ethanol is bad news! I own a couple of NAPA Auto Parts stores in Wisconsin. The gasoline in our area seems to be an ongoing test bed. The fluctuating levels of alcohol in gasoline (above 10%) can make an instant spike in part warranties. The practice analyzing fuel pumps continues to point to an overdose of alcohol in the gasoline. We experienced it a few years ago with fuel pumps and injectors and currently see problems come in waves. The one common denominator between brands of cars and parts is the gasoline.
Someone is not telling the truth, but I do not believe it is the media!

Tim

[Jack H.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

"whereas oil dollars end up in the middle east."

That position is often recited. But, as I recollect, roughly 50% of our oil imports come from Canada and Mexico...

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

i under stand the ethanol can not be shipped thru the pipe lines the gasoline comes thru do to moisture pick up so it is added to the gasoline at the bulk storage plants before sent out in the truck to the station along with some other additives. if the blender is not watching what he is doing he could add too much ethanol and get over the 10% limit. JMHO

[Jim T.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

If there is 50% from Canada and Mexico, what % comes from Alaska and from the rest of US?

[Clem Z.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

some US oil companies advertise they use no arab oil in their refining.

[Terry M.]

Re: Ethanol, It's not just bad news for old cars

If there is 50% from Canada and Mexico, what % comes from Alaska and from the rest of US?

This one is old (2006) data. You can spend some time on Goggle and find more answers, but one has to be skeptical about statistics:

http://acta.us/growls/2008/02/where_do_us_oil_imports_come_f.html