How to Blend Your Own Fuel, and Why You Should - Page 18 - GreenHybrid

gpsman1 · #**171** (**permalink**) 05-30-2008, 10:44 AM

We need a basket of diverse fuel. Up to now, we have had all our eggs in one basket... oil based gasoline and diesel. So now that prices for oil go up and up, we are at the mercy of others to pay, or quit driving.

Mid-west grain-belt states can be nearly self-sufficient with ethanol.
The mid-west cannot make enough ethanol to fuel the whole nation. So why try?

Why not have a 10:1 ratio of ethanol to gas pumps in mid-west and a 1:10 ratio along the coast lines, and have a 5:5 mix in the fringe areas?

If you take an east coast gasoline car on a vacation to Iowa, you'd be able to find gasoline. If I take my ethanol only car to New York on vacation, I could find ethanol.

Tim K · #**172** (**permalink**) 05-31-2008, 07:19 AM

I have no problem with that....as long as we are sure that we get the ratio right without having a great impact on food/grain prices. Can our farmlands produce enough corn to replace 10% of our fuel needs? If so, I am ok with that. The problem comes when our government "decides" that we need ethanol to account for say 35% of our fuel needs and suddenly we are growing corn for fuel instead of for food (or wheat or any other produce).

Let's be sure we aren't biting off more than we can chew.

giantquesadilla · #**173** (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpsman1

Colby, did you find out why?
Even the makers of the E85 boxes say ethanol is so good at cleaning out "gunk" that after the first tank or two you may get clogged fuel filters. But after all the dirt is removed, you will be fine. This is more likely the more miles your car has. ( more time for the tank to collect dirt )

The U.S. imports a small amount of ethanol. I think it started from the days when the U.S. could not make enough for the air non-attainment areas like L.A. and the contracts still exist today for some reason.
In the news:
"The Energy Information Administration said that U.S. ethanol imports dropped 48% in March to 253,000 barrels, down from 483,000 barrels in February. The figure represents a 64 percent drop from March 2007. Trinidad exported at 143,000 barrels, El Salvador exported 109,000 barrels, and Canada exported 1,000 barrels to Montana."

Today in NW Iowa pure gas was $3.859 and E10 was $3.759 and E85 was $2.699.
Denver was selling E85 for $2.359, the lowest in the nation.

My car was less than a year old when I started running E85, and I did so for a couple of months. My RPM would randomly jump and my ride was a lot jerkier. I was also getting a check engine light often.

giantquesadilla · #**174** (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 06:32 AM

John-
I tried to PM you, but your inbox is full....