Interesting fuel....

[14Corolla]

Let me explain first. A little lengthy...

I was fueling up in town. Several stations there have non ethanol fuel. Both regular and premium.
Outside of town. In the little town I live in. Also the little town I work out of. Three stations have regular without ethanol. But they all say they can't get premium no ethanol.

I've been mixing regular with about 20% premium. All no ethanol. Sometimes more. Sometimes less. Experimenting going on.

Yesterday morning I had goofed. Low on fuel. So I filled up in my town. Haven't used this station before. Had to get 100% regular, 85 octane.

Now.... The computer on my car is showing as good, or better, than I've been getting. I'm confident I'll get better mileage on this tank. No different driving.

I'm beginning to think that perhaps those stations in town aren't completely honest. Honesty in business here is about on par with Hillary Clinton. As crooked as they can get away with.

I can only guess what is going on? I know I did better going to adding premium. Now... different station that honestly says they can't get premium no ethanol. ?????

What do you think?
I'll let this thread know how my mileage goes. Will probably continue with 100% regular, 85 octane.
Besides... I like buying either in my town or the town where I work. THE town where these other stations were.... I don't like to shop there either.

[trollbait]

There is pretty straight forward test for ethanol in gasoline if you have a graduated cylinder.
Take a known amount of gasoline to the cylinder. Then add a measured amount of water until there is phase separation. Any ethanol will come out in the water, which leave the gas portion lower volume than at the start of the test.

The downside of this test is in what to do with the contaminated water.

There are test kits for testing for the presence ethanol, that should be easier and less messy.

[Jcp385]

Ehhhh...maybe. Have you tried using mid grade? That should be somewhat close in octane to your mix (though honestly a bit higher), and perhaps it's more honestly ethanol-free?

In a way, the premium with ethanol makes sense, as it's a natural octane booster.

[14Corolla]

There is no such thing as ethanol free mid grade.
All mid grade has ethanol. I think it's about 89 octane.
The regular with ethanol is 87 octane.
The regular without ethanol is 85 octane.

[trollbait]

Midgrade is just a mix of premium and regular. They are blended in the stations tank, or most likely now, at the pump itself.

[14Corolla]

When I stated about fuel grades. I did just mean for here where I live. I know it's different all over. Heck... the east part of this state; They have ethanol free regular that is 87 octane. That's a little lower elevation also.
I don't know if the ethanol or not, is the problem. Might be water in the gas? Anything? Once I went to the very best price station in that town. Mixed the fuel. I wasn't impressed with my mileage. I thought it lacked a touch. Could have been a different pump also.
I know that I feel sorry for those who can't buy ethanol free fuel. My experience in my car. With ethanol; The car will get about 36mpg max on my daily driving. Without ethanol, I got 42mpg max. That's a big difference. I talked with a guy passing through from Ca. who had a Prius. Left him regretting he didn't try the ethanol free fuel.
Here, a week later, my computer is sticking right at the top of any of the last five fill ups. When I filled up this time, the computer just came up to that point at the very end of the tank. A point that only two out of the last five hit. I'm looking forward to my next fuel up in about a week.
I am hoping this verifies as better. I'd rather buy anything in my little town. Or the little town I work out of. It's also much more convenient. It also is consistent with my experience in general. These stations/places are more honest than in 'that' town. Many things are a little more expensive in our little towns. They aren't pulling something. I hate dealing with deception.

[trollbait]

The refineries can make 87 now so that E10 in all that is available in the populous areas of the country will be 89.

[litesong]

With years of data using 87 octane 10% ethanol blend & 87 octane 100% gasoline at different times, show a mpg advantage, 100%/10% ethanol, in our last five 87octane, non-hybrid, non-diesel, non-turbo gasoline cars, of 8%, 8%, 7%-8%, 7% & 5%. Yes, using just 10% ethanol shows a drop of 8%, 8%, 7%-8%, 7% & 5%, which shows ethanol as used in 87 octane gasoline engines is mostly wasted. Ethanol with an octane rating of 114 is missing much of the powerstroke energy release point in an 87 octane engine, which is designed to burn 87 octane 100% gasoline efficiently. Now, 114 octane ethanol, as used in a 114 octane ethanol engine (INDY engines) works well. But ethanol, used in an 87 octane gasoline engine, can't burn efficiently. Furthermore, 10% ethanol of 114 octane must be mixed with 84 octane 100% gasoline molecules to make a 10% ethanol blend of 87 octane. If you have a small amount of knocking while using 10% ethanol blend, it is probably the 84 octane gasoline molecules which are knocking in the engine.

[14Corolla]

Well.... Just got 40.5 calculated on this tank. It was all 85 octane regular without ethanol.
Interesting....
Last tank was 40.8. Had a little lower in the last five.

I think I'm gonna keep running this stuff. I'm sure I can squeeze a little better mileage also. My very best is 41.8. That was also a little different daily driving.
Still don't have a clue to the highway mileage. I've never gone over 20 miles without stopping.

[14Corolla]

Just got 41.4 mpg. My best is 41.8. ???
I did find a station in the town were I work. It has premium, no ethanol. As well as regular, no ethanol.
Might give that one a try one of these days. Make it about 10% premium. ???
I'm pretty happy with this regular I'm getting.