# Can BMW take gas with 10% ethanol?



## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

ANd high ethanol fuels WILL have water in them, since high % alcohols will absorb water from the air.

At least the sealed fuel systems we have will limit that a bit.


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## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

I suspect I got some near St. Louis last week (Desperate for gas and glad I did as I-70 got closed down a few miles away). The car runs fine...but doesn't start up quite as quickly as usual and I hear that's one of the problems with ethanol laden fuel. Gas mileage also went down to what I normally get...guess they don't tell you that part of it.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Interesting, increased use of ethanol in auto fuels has driven corn prices up 30 - 60 cents per bushel. So changing to ethanol will be even more costly to us, the consumer.

TANSSTAAFL


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## HugH (Apr 26, 2006)

Pinecone said:


> Interesting, increased use of ethanol in auto fuels has driven corn prices up 30 - 60 cents per bushel. So changing to ethanol will be even more costly to us, the consumer.
> 
> TANSSTAAFL


Yes, both at the pumps and at the supermarkets!


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## mflint1513 (Jan 6, 2006)

Just looking at the thread here and saw this on the web. Looks like our BMW's aren't going to work with the new E85.

http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php


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## AusBmw (Jun 3, 2006)

Here's a stand point on ethanol from some one in Australia,our gov here has noted that ethanol Potential problems include engine knock, fuel system gum deposits being stripped away causing fuel filter blockages and plugging fuel metering components, perishing and swelling of the elastomeric and plastic materials in the fuel system on older vehicles, increased evaporative emissions from vehicles' fuel systems and increased aldehyde emissions from tailpipe.allso Australian vehicle manufacturers have indicated they may not continue warranty coverage where petrol with over 10 per cent ethanol is used. 

What's it mean for me and my bimmer? Well i try to avoid it a few years back there was big out cry/meadia campaigne that all the major petrol companys were adding etanol in it's blends and NOT telling us,as result most servos displayed stickers on its pumps saying "contains no ethanol" 

Flash forward to now and shell aus now offer whats knowen here as Shell Optimax Extreme which is a 100 ron blend with ethanol 5% according to sheel aus website,i run the 98 ron stuff in my bimmer and like I said I avoid this,this may change im yet to aks my mec if the car is ok to run but im thinking not.


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## HugH (Apr 26, 2006)

AusBMW - It looks like we're all heading for all kinds of problems due to our politicians not doing any conclusive research prior to pandering to big money. Here's a quote from Ed Wallace's latest's column. He has been in the car business for over 40 yrs and exposed MTBE as well as ethanol prior to any other journalist I know of:

"It's a ticking time bomb, just like MTBE: Sooner or later, because gasoline storage tanks either are older or are not properly maintained, the higher concentrations of stratified, or insufficiently mixed, ethanol could eat through their walls. Next thing you know, subsoil gasoline plumes will invade local neighborhoods and the water supply. In case you didn't know, benzene is not good for St. Augustine grass or children. This is what Hillary wants more of? For that matter, this is what Congress mandated last year?"

For the complete article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, go to this link:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/columnists/ed_wallace/


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## AusBmw (Jun 3, 2006)

Yeah and I might add that the gov did the research in the 1980's! No dont wipe your eyes yes I said 1980's for us here in aus!


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