Idle Talk Radio with Ashley and Tom

We talk gasoline octane, ethanol content, and weird car myths

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In this episode we talk about the effects of ethanol in gasoline and what the octane actually means.

Here are some of the bullet points from the show:

  • Ashley talks about like being "that dad" cleaning the windshield of her car along the street while waiting on the kid to get done with practice
  • The topic of discussion was octane levels and ethanol in fuel. 
  • Gasoline's resistance to burn is measured by its octane rating. Higher octane allows for more advanced engine timing and more power. Most vehicles require 87 octane regular gasoline. 
  • Octane rating is derived from the average of the Motor Octane Rating and Research Octane Rating. It indicates the pressure at which fuel will spontaneously ignite. 
  • Unintended spontaneous combustion causes uneven engine pressure, damage, and knocking. Newer direct-injected vehicles had issues with hot oil igniting injected fuel, damaging engines. 
  • Using higher octane gasoline than required provides no benefit. Using lower octane can reduce fuel economy and cause engine knocking. 
  • Ethanol was added to fuel to make the U.S. more energy independent, though its viability is debated. 
  • Fuel contains a maximum of 10% ethanol currently to accommodate older vehicles, though newer vehicles can handle up to 15% ethanol.  
  • "Flex fuel" vehicles can handle up to 85% ethanol. Their engines are specially designed to adjust for ethanol's lower energy density.
  • E85 fuel is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Though its octane rating is around 105, it provides less energy so more fuel is needed to travel the same distance.  
  • Using fuel with higher ethanol levels than a vehicle was designed for can damage components and trigger the check engine light. 
  • Ethanol is added to gasoline in percentages to accommodate older vehicles. Flex-fuel vehicles can use higher ethanol blends.
  • We discussed weird automotive myths like: cars should be disposed of after 100,000 miles, Old cars were better, and old cars lasted longer

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    If you have a comment or car question please email us at [email protected].

    Thank you for listening.

    This show was originally broadcast live 10-18-2023

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    Idle Talk Radio with Ashley and TomBy Tom Dietrich
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