any performance changes after using the 10% ethanol gasoline mix?

I'm just trying to figure out why my car is not running the way it used to at the track. Just a few weeks ago I was running consistently in the 13.1 to 13.3 range at 101-103 mph in the quarter. This past weekend I ran consistently in the 13.6 to 13.8 range at 98 mph or so. At first I thought it was my driving, but I have been getting pretty good launches (1.7 to 1.8 60ft times). My shifting is pretty consistent also, but still was in the 98 mph range, so I know I am making less power.

I was thinking that I may have a very tiny boost leak somewhere, but after I was filling gas today at Tesoro I noticed that they are adding up to 10% ethanol to their gas. This got me wondering if that is the reason for my slower times. I don't know what the properties of adding ethanol to gas does but I'm willing to bet it either yields less power or screws the ecu up.

 

I guess I was wrong. Found this: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/farmmgt/05010.html

"The effect of using a blend of alcohol and gasoline in an engine adjusted for gasoline is to "lean out" the fuel mixture. This is illustrated in Figure 1 for an engine burning blends of ethanol and gasoline. A mixture of 10 percent ethanol in gasoline produced more power when the carburetor was adjusted for gasoline. Increasing the ethanol content to 25 percent reduced the power output. The test results in Figure 1 were obtained at an elevation of 5,000 feet where an engine adjusted to operate on gasoline is expected to run rich. The 10 percent blend produced a leaner and better air-fuel ratio; the 25 percent blend was too lean."

Maybe I need to reset my ecu.

 

hummmmm.....

 

Sounds like the trouble I had b4... All I did was run the car until the fuel light came on...Then get the best fuel you can get... Hours later after I felt the power come back to normal...cheap gas and fuel mixtures suxxxx.... Lessons learned and was adviced by Joe, not to do it...

 

Damn Jose, I forgot about that happening to you before. Were your 60 foot times still good (1.7-1.8) when you had those bad fuel nights? And only your mph and 1/4 mile times affected? I'm just trying to figure out if it is the fuel that's giving me problems.


Unfortunately I didn't notice they were adding ethanol to the gas until I was filling up my father-in-laws truck last night at the Tesoro I have been going to before tracks. I am not sure but I think all the gas stations in Hawaii are going to be adding ethanol to the gas to cut costs.


Take care and stay safe man.

 

Well my 60ft. were the same.... it was just at the top end...3rd felt weird, 4th to 5th...felt like I was loosing all the power...

Yeah that **** really pissed me off last time, with good 60ft, but a ****ty E.T.it looked like after the 60ft. mark I started loosing power...

Upgrade fuel pump..255 walhbro....and try 103unleaded fuel from Ron's..they say its pretty good... Hopefully... Thanks...

Update: Should be in Hawaii 1st week of Nov....instead of Dec...30days more to live and be free....



--------- "You, know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest player in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's cup, France is acusing the US of arogance and Germany doesn't want to go to war". &quote; Chris Rock

 

Right on man! Good to hear that you'll be coming home sooner than expected.

Thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure now that it was the gas that I was using.

Stay safe.

 

change gas or reset ECU....

 

you know this makes me think two things, 1) that you need to reset ECU...2) get a BOV. reason for that is that while you may not need it for your turbo, BOVs tend to make you run richer, in this case perhaps more normal. changing the gas wont necessarily help, unless you run an additive that you KNOW works. reason why is that ALL gas stations (i think) are starting the ethanol additive to ease the gasoline needs. just my two cents

 

yeah he's right. all gas stations are going to switch. they had it in an article in the Honolulu Advertiser about a month ago.