What's the difference between E20 and 91 alcohol?

[jiangaq]

Sometimes the car can be filled up in both E20 and 91 alcohol, what's difference? Pros and cons?

[jollyposty]

don't kill me if I am wrong but as no one has replied yet I was told E20 has less lead then 91 which has less than 95

[amexpat]

Google is your friend.

[Pond Life]

Gasohol 91 is 10% alcohol & 90% gasoline.

E20 is 20% alcohol & 80% gasoline.

[jackr]

91 'alcohol' (gasohol) is basically E10 (%).

It's cheaper than 100% benzene, but you get less power output and mileage the more moonshine they drop in your tank.

[CMKiwi]

Yes to all of the above.....E10 or E20 with the E refering to it being Ethanol which is basically pure alcohol. Also call Ethyl Alcohol.

[Bung]

I tried 95 straight benzine in my new car and I didn't notice any difference in mileage or power compared to E20.

I think E20 has a 95 octane rating as well and at 10 baht a litre cheaper is what I will be using.

[jiangaq]

Thanks all guys

[Saan]

Is there a problem with E20 for older cars. Some years back I inadvertently put ethanol in the tank of a classic Mercedes and it backfired so badly that it blew a hole in the exhaust. There was also other problem, with seals I think. Anyway it put me off ethanol.

[amexpat]

Is there a problem with E20 for older cars. Some years back I inadvertently put ethanol in the tank of a classic Mercedes and it backfired so badly that it blew a hole in the exhaust. There was also other problem, with seals I think. Anyway it put me off ethanol.

It would put me off old cars.

[Rotweiler]

If your car is rated for use of E20 (very few cars are), use it (cost, etc). If your car is NOT rated for use of E20 mixture, please do not use it - it WILL damage your engine.

(E = % alcohol in the mixture).

Edited August 24, 2013 by Rotweiler

[masuk]

Modern cars can handle ethanol / gasoline mixes quite well. I bought a new KIA 3 years ago and the sales guy warned me off ethanol. I checked with the KIA head office and they said that was total rubbish, and to use ethanol.

As a matter of interest, cars in Brazil run on almost pure ethanol.

If I can get E20 here, in Chiang Mai, that's what I'll use.

[Gomyway]

Modern cars can handle ethanol / gasoline mixes quite well. I bought a new KIA 3 years ago and the sales guy warned me off ethanol. I checked with the KIA head office and they said that was total rubbish, and to use ethanol.

As a matter of interest, cars in Brazil run on almost pure ethanol.

If I can get E20 here, in Chiang Mai, that's what I'll use.

The cars from Brazil you cannot compare to NO other car worldwide - they are built with components only for this special market and good luck with using E20.

[Saan]

Is there a problem with E20 for older cars. Some years back I inadvertently put ethanol in the tank of a classic Mercedes and it backfired so badly that it blew a hole in the exhaust. There was also other problem, with seals I think. Anyway it put me off ethanol.

It would put me off old cars.

You have no poetry in your soul.

[scotinsiam]

E 20 tastes better with coke IMO

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Slightly off topic but not too much---when i returned to Cm all the 91 red gasoline seems to be gone---ive got my old dog

of a mbike--and does NOT run well on gasohol-----is the color changed?...is the 91 plain gas still around for my old "chopper"

[CMSteve]

Nope. banned since Jan 1 this year. Only 100% Benzine available is the 95 Benzine (Yellow Color)

BTW

91 gasohol is 91 octane and upto 10% alcohol

E20 is 95 octane and upto 20% alcohol

Slightly off topic but not too much---when i returned to Cm all the 91 red gasoline seems to be gone---ive got my old dog

of a mbike--and does NOT run well on gasohol-----is the color changed?...is the 91 plain gas still around for my old "chopper"

[amexpat]

It would put me off old cars.

You have no poetry in your soul.

I used to have. But the '49 Cadillac, '53 Buick, '61 Volvo, about 10,000 VW bugs, etc. must have drained the poetry along with the bank account.

[ktm jeff]

Masuk. E20 will cause damage to your car in the long term. Maybe not during your ownership , if your lucky, but VERY few cars can run 100% on E20. Your mechanic knows his stuff ,and was looking after your long term interests, and the resale value / condition of your car.The "head office" arent mechanics and are reading the corporation BULL. Its your car - your risk , but the few baht you think your saving is being wasted several times over with poorer fuel economy and more engine wear.

[amexpat]

I'll side with the engineers at Honda, Nissan, etc over the local mechanics and sales guys any day.

P.S. On a recent long, long, trip the car performed the same and the fuel economy was actually a little better on E20 than on 91.

Edited August 24, 2013 by amexpat

[jonwilly]

Ethanol will 'Eat/Dissolve slowly' the old type seals and 'rubber' pipes used in older cars fuel systems, the Float in the Carburettor was particularly affected .

Modern cars and bikes have Ethanol resistent fuel systems and many/most now use Fuel Injection instead of Carburettor.

john

[masuk]

Masuk. E20 will cause damage to your car in the long term. Maybe not during your ownership , if your lucky, but VERY few cars can run 100% on E20. Your mechanic knows his stuff ,and was looking after your long term interests, and the resale value / condition of your car.The "head office" arent mechanics and are reading the corporation BULL. Its your car - your risk , but the few baht you think your saving is being wasted several times over with poorer fuel economy and more engine wear.

I doubled-checked the Suzuki handbook and it clearly says that 10% Ethanol mix is ok as long as the octane rating is not below their recommendations.

I haven't mentioned talking to a mechanic, but only a salesman.

[Gomyway]

I think it makes it very easy to understand what Gasohol is if you keep in mind that this is a POLITICALLY project and NOT one from the engineering (they only had to implement).

So just think about how long a car with an engine designed from politicians would go (it's easy to imagine that the engine would not start at all).

This project was thought for a better environment only and take a look to the new documents from the eu which now say instead of being good for it E10 more is a worst case.

[Saan]

I think it makes it very easy to understand what Gasohol is if you keep in mind that this is a POLITICALLY project and NOT one from the engineering (they only had to implement).

So just think about how long a car with an engine designed from politicians would go (it's easy to imagine that the engine would not start at all).

This project was thought for a better environment only and take a look to the new documents from the eu which now say instead of being good for it E10 more is a worst case.

Apart from the environment crops used for ethanol take over land that was used for food production.

[ktm jeff]

Masuk When you said you spoke to a sales person , i thought you meant a qualified mechanic. Try to have a word with a good mechanic - out of ear shot of the "sales"people. He will almost certainly advise against E20 for long term use , this is one ofthe fuels you enquired about yes .If your manual says E10 is ok then use that-it will be ok for long term use but not as good as benzine in a performance engine , but your engines "state of tune" will be fine on E10. E20 has been introduced (forced through)by massive political pressure.VERY FEW engines run correctly on this fuel. E20 is 80% benzine(petrol) with 20% ethanol blended in.The long term effects of this is not good for both engines and the enviroment due to a number of factors you will have to either take my word for or not.PS ,i am a qualified technician who owned his own company , and has worked on (and owned) both race cars and bikes for 35 years.

[scorecard]

I'll side with the engineers at Honda, Nissan, etc over the local mechanics and sales guys any day.

P.S. On a recent long, long, trip the car performed the same and the fuel economy was actually a little better on E20 than on 91.

Certainly agree with your first line.

We recently looked at numerous brands / models before buying a new car.

Most sales staff either had no clue whatever about fuel questions or said

'not important'.

One sales girl said 'it's OK because you can see from the gauge when the tank is

nearly empty and you need to buy gasoline'.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Masuk When you said you spoke to a sales person , i thought you meant a qualified mechanic. Try to have a word with a good mechanic - out of ear shot of the "sales"people. He will almost certainly advise against E20 for long term use , this is one ofthe fuels you enquired about yes .If your manual says E10 is ok then use that-it will be ok for long term use but not as good as benzine in a performance engine , but your engines "state of tune" will be fine on E10. E20 has been introduced (forced through)by massive political pressure.VERY FEW engines run correctly on this fuel. E20 is 80% benzine(petrol) with 20% ethanol blended in.The long term effects of this is not good for both engines and the enviroment due to a number of factors you will have to either take my word for or not.PS ,i am a qualified technician who owned his own company , and has worked on (and owned) both race cars and bikes for 35 years.

I have a Honda Click 125i, I've always used E20 and it works perfectly.

Garage near me sells E80, have no idea what could use that?

[dickyknee]

If the engine is built to run E85 there are huge power gains to be had, though I'm talking high compression and/or forced induction engines. Slow flame front and high relative ignition temp. Same with Methanol or LPG.

Forget about the concept of fuel economy in that instance though. The energy density and stoic' ratios of those fuels are low in comparison to traditional pump fuel.

<edit>

I'm talking in terms of the otto cycle engines here. Diesel cycle engines take advantage of the low ignition temperature and high energy density of the longer chained or more tightly bonded hydrocarbons to achieve a similar result. There is more than 1 way to skin a cat.

</edit>

Edited August 25, 2013 by dickyknee

[Gomyway]

What makes me wonder a lil bit is that nobody is talking about the oil change when using gasohol, especially here in the high humidity of the LoS

Edited August 26, 2013 by Gomyway

[amexpat]

What makes me wonder a lil bit is that nobody is talking about the oil change when using gasohol, especially here in the high humidity of the LoS

Lead on.