Does anyone remember taking chemistry back in middle and high school? How difficult it was to balance equations and how intimidating it was to handle a test tube? Whether you remember that subject fondly or not, chemistry and the properties of various substances dictates our lives and how we function. While we won't dive into an overly complicated chemistry presentation, we will be educating you on a common chemical related process and what it means for your car.
We're talking about ethanol gasoline. This was the topic of contention a few decades ago and now it's commonplace in your vehicle's engine. Don't know what we're talking about? Toyota of Clermont is here to help whittle down the details and help you understand how this substance affects your ride.
The Deets on Ethanol Gasoline
Ethanol is a fairly standard substance found in just about every grade of gasoline today. Here are a few specifics on where it comes from and how/why it's used today:
- Clermont ethanol is a commonly occuring substance in the environment. It's organic and is the same substance found in alcoholic beverages that many people drink (your friendly reminder to not drink and drive).
- It's also used in the medical field as common disinfectant.
- Ethanol is formed by fermenting sugars with yeast. It's been widely used as a recreational drug since ancient times and many different parts of the world distill it for a variety of uses.
- It can be manufactured from just about any crop. In North America it's distilled from corn and in Brazil from sugar cane, for example.
- Apart from being used as a part of alcoholic beverages, it's used a viable fuel source and additive, which is where we'll seguey.
Today, ethanol gasoline is used most commonly and abundantly as an additive to gasoline. This is done to preserve the
fossil fuel supply of a nation and reduce emissions. In fact, most of, if not all, of the gasoline you put into your Clermont Toyota car's fuel tank contains 10% of more ethanol. If the label doesn't read "Ethanol Free," it's safe to assume that the gasoline you're pumping contains some percentage of ethanol.
So what does that mean, in layman's terms, for your car? Let's explore!
What Ethanol Gasoline Does for Your Car?
Burning fossil fuels contributes to smog and other air pollution, it's just a fact. But, adding ethanol can actually help reduce the amount of carbon emissions from your tailpipe. This isn't true when it comes to burning pure ethanol or a higher mix of it. In fact,
higher grades of ethanol fuel (say, 85%) can actually lead to more smog accumulation than burning pure gasoline!
Ethanol was introduced to the U.S. gasoline fuel supply in the 90s and early 2000s as a means to reduce emissions and give the fuel supply at the time better longevity. It has largely worked to do that and the automotive industry has been able to adapt technology to better handle the fuel supplement.
But, there are some reported drawbacks to using ethanol fuel. Some drivers report a 2-3 mile loss in fuel efficiency over time. Plus, there are the chemical properties of ethanol to take into account if you're driving a classic car or using it for fuel on simpler engines. Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air around it. Because of this, it can cause water to enter into the fuel tanks of older cars and basic engines which leads to rust and substantial
damage over time. This happens over the course of about 30 days if the fuel is left sitting in a Clermont Toyota fuel tank.
Modern vehicles are better sealed and equipped to handle potential moisture accumulation, but if you drive an older model you might want to consider only using ethanol-free fuel.
Still have questions? Ask one of our auto service techs at Toyota of Clermont today! Visit us at 16851 State Road 50 today.
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