Which is better E85 or 88?
e85 vehicles have ethanol amounts of up to 85 percent. Vehicles should mention being able to run e85 gas around the gas cap. 88-octane gas is better for the environment and costs less than 87-octane.
In a real-world environment, the difference in mileage between Unleaded 88 and regular gasoline is virtually undetectable.
Unleaded 88, also known as E15, consists of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. This fuel has a higher octane rating than regular 87 octane fuel, offering your engine a boost, and it burns cleaner than regular unleaded, improving our air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"Check your owner's manual or manufacturer website to be sure. All cars manufactured in 2001 or newer are approved to use Unleaded 88," Ciolkosz said. "E85 should only be used in cars that are 'flex fuel' vehicles," he wrote.
Q: Why is octane 88 priced lower than regular gas? A: Because of government ethanol subsidies, so the more ethanol in the gas, the lower the cost. Q: What does the octane rating mean? A: Octane ratings indicate the fuel's ability to combust.
E85 is actually safer for your engine than regular gasoline is. E85 flex fuel not only powers your engine but also cleans your engine, fuel lines, and fuel injectors. That's because E85 contains a high amount of ethanol, up to 83%. Ethanol is an excellent cleaner.
The U.S. EPA says Unleaded 88 can be used in vehicles that are newer than 2001.
Regular 88 is EPA approved for use in model year 2001 and newer cars, light duty trucks, and flex fuel vehicles.
It's perfectly safe to mix E85 with regular gas so long as you have a flex-fuel vehicle designed to handle fuel with high levels of ethanol.
Who can use it? All gasoline and flex fuel vehicles 2001 and newer can use Unleaded 88. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested and approved the use of this fuel in all light-duty vehicles made in 2001 and later*.
Should I use E85?
Commonly, it is 25% to 35% less expensive than other high-octane fuels. You'll see big savings on fuel. E85 can lower your vehicle's MPG by up to 25%, but many vehicles only lose 15% to 20% in fuel mileage. Even if you see a 25% drop in your vehicle's mileage, you'll still save money anyway.
Continually filling a standard gasoline car with this high-ethanol fuel can result in serious fuel system corrosion. Plus, when you accidentally put E85 fuel in a car, it may void your engine warranty. That means you could be on the hook for the repairs, even if your car is brand new.
E85 gas (also known as flex fuel) is a high-level combination of ethanol and gasoline that consists of 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol blended with gasoline. The percentage of ethanol depends on the geographical location and time of the year.
E-85 is also called “flex fuel,” and is only for flex fuel vehicles. The DOE says E-85 a type of gasoline-ethanol blend that's better for the environment but delivers fewer miles per gallon. Sheetz warns their flex-fuel should not be used in standard vehicles – and to check your owner's manual if you're not sure.
E85 (or flex fuel) is a term that refers to high-level ethanol-gasoline blends containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season (see Fuel Properties and E85 Flex Fuel Specification).
Can I mix premium and unleaded gas? Yes, drivers can mix the two types of fuel. The combined gas types will result in an octane level somewhere in the middle — something the vehicle “will survive,” according to The Drive.
Gas with an octane level 91 and above is considered premium, octane levels of 89 and 90 are midgrade, and anything below 89 is considered regular gas. 87 and 88-grade gas are considered regular, so there's no significant difference between them—you can use them for the same engines.
Here's a quick answer: The difference between E-85 and regular gasoline with an octane of 87 is that E-85, on average, produces 20-30% more horsepower, is 27% cheaper, and produces 40% fewer emissions. However, E-85 also has a 20 – 30% lower MPG and increases the amount of maintenance of the fuel system.
MPG. Due to ethanol's lower energy content, FFVs operating on E85 get roughly 15% to 27% fewer miles per gallon than when operating on regular gasoline, depending on the ethanol content. Regular gasoline typically contains about 10% ethanol.
E85 fuel has a faster ignition time and flame propagation when compared to gasoline. This leads to higher cylinder pressure, as well as increased engine torque and power, gaining up to 20%.
What is 88 fuel at Sheetz?
"Here at Sheetz, and only some Sheetz, too, have it. This one in Scranton, it's nice that it has it," he said. Unleaded 88 is a blend of 84 octane gasoline and ethanol. Unleaded 87 has 10% ethanol, and Unleaded 88 has 15% ethanol.
According to Top Tier website, Sheetz and Wawa don't use top tier fuel while Exxon and Shell do.
According to the EPA 88 gas contains 15% ethanol and that's not good for cars that are pre-2001, because they were not manufactured to handle this higher blend of ethanol. Your standard 87 gas only contains 10% ethanol and is ok for just about any vehicle, minus high-performance cars.
E15, usually dispensed from pumps with blue labels, should not be confused with E85, which contains up to 85% ethanol. It's for use only in flex-fuel vehicles, with engines that can withstand that corrosive effects of a high blend of alcohol.
What is the octane rating of E85 compared to gasoline? E85 has an octane rating ranging from 100-105, making it a high performance fuel. In comparison, regular unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of 87.
Octane amounts indicate how volatile a particular grade of gasoline is. Regular gas carries an octane level rating between 85 and 88, with an average rating of 87. Plus grade gas carries an 88 to 90 octane level rating, with an 89 average. Premium gas comes with a 90 plus octane rating that averages out to about 92.
E85 Cools Your Engine Better Than Regular Gasoline
Ethanol burns cooler than regular gasoline. It requires lower combustion temperatures. Also, it creates a thermodynamic cooling effect that regular gasoline doesn't offer. This is quite beneficial because E85 helps keep the engine cool.
“The reason for that is because the main ingredient in E85 - ethanol - is priced far below gasoline right now. You look at the wholesale terminals where the fuel is blended and ethanol today is selling for about $2.80 a gallon. That compares to gasoline that is selling for about $4.20 a gallon.
- E85 generates more torque and horsepower than gasoline.
- E85 burns cleaner and leaves no residue.
- E85's105 octane rating and cooling properties combine to provide a higher resistance to engine knocking than gasoline.
- E85 has fewer emissions than gasoline, resulting in cleaner air.
E15 gas contains slightly less energy than standard E10 gasoline, according to a 2009 study from the federal government. This means you're going to get slightly lower fuel economy with E15, which means you could need to fill up more frequently.
What will E15 do to your engine?
E15 Pros and Cons
Also, because of its higher octane (than regular 87-octane fuel), E15 reduces engine knock and promotes greater overall efficiency and power. Of course, environmental impact must be included as one of the pros. Vehicles using ethanol-based fuels as a whole emit less carbon dioxide.
Honda engines are certified and designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline.
It can last years, or it can go bad in as little as three months. Its longevity depends on a lot of factors, including: The amount of moisture in the air. Whether the fuel system is sealed.
Ethanol burns hotter than gasoline and that could damage engine parts.
Yellow. In general, when you see a yellow gas pump handle, it signifies that it is an e85 gas pump. E85 is an alternative fuel often known as biofuel that is commonly created from corn. Ethanol is an alcohol compound that is used as an additive in most common fuels (unleaded, super unleaded, and premium).
Shouldn't be a problem. The computer will adjust for anything up to 85% ethanol. Most regular gas has about 10% or more ethanol in it to begin with, and mixing the two will only result in an ethanol content somewhere between 10% and 85%.
MPG. Due to ethanol's lower energy content, FFVs operating on E85 get roughly 15% to 27% fewer miles per gallon than when operating on regular gasoline, depending on the ethanol content. Regular gasoline typically contains about 10% ethanol.
Unleaded 88 is also approved for use by Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota, Land Rover, Porsche, Jaguar, Honda, Subaru, and certain models of Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
E85 flex fuel is known for being more eco-friendly than regular gasoline. There's another benefit of flex fuel that only a few people know about. It can increase your engine's power!
Commonly, it is 25% to 35% less expensive than other high-octane fuels. You'll see big savings on fuel. E85 can lower your vehicle's MPG by up to 25%, but many vehicles only lose 15% to 20% in fuel mileage. Even if you see a 25% drop in your vehicle's mileage, you'll still save money anyway.
Is flex fuel the same as E85?
E85 gas (also known as flex fuel) is a high-level combination of ethanol and gasoline that consists of 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol blended with gasoline. The percentage of ethanol depends on the geographical location and time of the year.
It can last years, or it can go bad in as little as three months. Its longevity depends on a lot of factors, including: The amount of moisture in the air. Whether the fuel system is sealed.
“The reason for that is because the main ingredient in E85 - ethanol - is priced far below gasoline right now. You look at the wholesale terminals where the fuel is blended and ethanol today is selling for about $2.80 a gallon. That compares to gasoline that is selling for about $4.20 a gallon.
The decrease may be only a few percentage points, or it may be as much as 25%. Most people report a reduction in fuel economy of 15 to 25% when running on flex fuel. The loss in MPG is dependent on the actual ethanol content of the fuel that you're running.
Filling up a tank halfway compared to a full tank of fuel only reduces the weight by 2.5%. At this level it is likely to make very little difference on the vehicle fuel economy. We suggest if your drivers are regularly driving to advise them to fill the tank all the way to the top when they visit a petrol station.
It contains 15% ethanol compared to unleaded 87's ethanol content of 10%. "Additional ethanol can cause problems with things like corrosion," Ibbotson told 5 On Your Side, especially in vehicles made before 2001. However, that's more of a long term effect. "Most vehicles after 2001 can handle the 88," he says.
Gas with an octane level 91 and above is considered premium, octane levels of 89 and 90 are midgrade, and anything below 89 is considered regular gas. 87 and 88-grade gas are considered regular, so there's no significant difference between them—you can use them for the same engines.
"Here at Sheetz, and only some Sheetz, too, have it. This one in Scranton, it's nice that it has it," he said. Unleaded 88 is a blend of 84 octane gasoline and ethanol. Unleaded 87 has 10% ethanol, and Unleaded 88 has 15% ethanol.
E85 alone (even with a tuned engine) won't make your car louder. It may change the way your exhaust sounds, but most of the time there isn't a noticeable change in volume. Some car owners have reported a growlier sound with E85 and smoother running engine, but the sound isn't louder.
E85 burns cooler than gasoline. This means less heat build-up in the engine. When enough heat builds up, the engine loses power.
Why does E85 pump so slow?
E85 fuels are hygroscopic
That translates into a short storage and tank life because its prone to absorb moisture from the air. It also means that depending on how long the gas stays in your tank or the humidity level of your geographic area, you can experience poor performance and even problems with fuel injectors.