E85 (Ethanol) gasoline

[msjohnson1974]

Running E85 in an engine not designed for it is bad. You should be running Premium Unleaded. Others are running regular or plus contrary to the recommendations in the owners manual...

Basically, running E85 in an engine not prepared for it causes the rubber seals and hoses to deteriorate. Only use it in a vehicle marked for E85 or FlexFuel. Then there are the mentioned ignition issues that the computer would need to be programmed to handle.

[EcoJew]

Originally Posted by jefferios

Well it would make your MPG from:

Average 40mpg

E85 Average: 25-30mpg

Now if you averaged 35mpg with your Smart now, you'd get: ~22-27mpg

Why would you want this?

Its not all about the listed gas milage, its about using American fuel and going into the future. Not giving our $ to Arabs so they can live in luxury on our dime.

[jefferios]

Wow, you resurrected an old thread to make a point.

[JohnnyM]

Here is the REAL point. DO NOT PUT E85 IN THE SMART!!!

[wahi]

Originally Posted by EcoJew

Its not all about the listed gas milage, its about using American fuel and going into the future. Not giving our $ to Arabs so they can live in luxury on our dime.

Interesting and though-provoking comment up there, so I googled and found this. Kinda old data but still, especially since Iraq has changed so much (and they're not Arabs, anyway) since then, proves something different.

-----snip---
USA oil

The USA imports about 55% of its oil needs.
Sources of U.S. Oil Imports (millions of barrels per day, 2001): Canada: 1.79 - Saudi Arabia: 1.66 - Venezuela: 1.54 - Mexico: 1.42 - Nigeria: .86 - Iraq: .78 - Norway: .33 - Angola: .32 - United Kingdom: .31 - Total: 11.62. (Source: Energy Information Administration).

Sources of U.S. Oil Imports (%, 2002): Saudi Arabia: 16.9% - Mexico: 15.1% - Canada: 15.0% - Venezuela: 14.4% - Iraq: 11.4% - Nigeria: 5.9.%.

only about 30% of the USA's oil imports came from Arab countries in 2002. Since USA oil imports are about 55% of USA oil consumption, only about 15% of USA's oil consumption is provided by Arab countries.

About 40% of oil in the USA is used to produce gasoline.

-----snip---

World Oil Production

[jwight]

Where's that dead horse cartoon?

[wahi]

Yeah, get it out, or re-thread..

[Karl Roth]

Any takers for a coal powered machine?
karl

[Mister P]

Originally Posted by EcoJew

Its not all about the listed gas milage, its about using American fuel and going into the future. Not giving our $ to Arabs so they can live in luxury on our dime.

Ah, the forum mentality. Perhaps some better research is needed before posting uninformed positions?

Ethanol is a minor part of US gasoline, but has major impacts on the food chain. U.S. Ethanol Expansion Driving Changes Throughout the Agricultural Sector - Amber Waves September 2007

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by wahi

... Kinda old data but still, especially since Iraq has changed so much (and they're not Arabs, anyway) since then, proves something different. ... [/url]

Iraqis are not Saudi Arabians (yet some are Kurds), but they are majority “Arab” in the Semitic/ethnic sense, as are Saudis, Kuwaitis, Qataris, Bahrainis, the Emirates population, Omanis, Yemenites, Palestinians, Syrians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and most North Africans.

Iranians are not majority Arab; they are mostly Persian.

And OPEC is not all Arab.