Adding alcohol to gasoline 1

[PLeon]

I add isopropyl alcohol to my gas tank once a year to get rid of the water condensation. Lately I read on the ads of some products that it is not a good idea to emulsify the water in the gas tank - instead these products do some magic (that I do not understand) and disperse the water. Will the water/alcohol mix hurt the gasoline injectors or diesel pumps?

 

[patprimmer]

I have never added alcohol to the fuel n my car to clear water from the tank.

I never had a water in the tank problem unless someone did something stupid like using fuel from a drum stored incorrectly outdoors.

To much alcohol exposure may damage some rubber components and seals. It depends on the materials used. You probably cannot find out if the rubbers and seals in your fuel system are alcohol compatible unless the car is specifically rated for E10 or E 85 fuels.

If you do have water problems, first try to eliminate the source. Second, drain the tank and flush it out. Third use a large bowel type filter or a filter designed take advantage of the difference in SG by throwing the heavier water to the outside and drawing from the centre. Cavs makes such a separator. Water separator filters are often available in marine outlets. The large bowel type depends on gravity and low fuel velocity in the bowel to allow the water time to fall to the bottom.



Regards

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[Lou Scannon]

Water in your gas tank is not an unknown problem in regions with a cold winter climate. It doesn't take much water, in frozen form, to block your fuel system. Fortunately, the fix is easy and readily available, i.e. various alcohol fuel additives that you put in your tank to absorb the water/ice and unblock the system.
If you have a cheap source of methanol or ethanol, that will work just as well as the packaged fuel additives such as "Heet".

 

[izzmus]

Depending on where you live, your fuel might have a sizable amount of alcohol in it already.

Ohio has been this way for quite some time. It always amused me to see one of my friends always reach for the "Dry Gas" whenever he had any kind of cold weather problem. The fuel's already 10% ethanol!

 

[patprimmer]

OK

I live in a sub tropical climate. Frosts are rare and restricted to mid winter.

Here up until a few years ago (and I mean like 2 or 3 years), many manufacturers claimed E10 voided the warranty. The claimed reason was corrosion and compatibility of components to alcohol.

Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[dgallup]

Almost all vehicles are compatible with E10 and most are compatible with E85 these days even if the vehicle is not flex fuel. Methanol is a completely different story and can do a lot of damage. Never put methanol in your tank unless you have a race vehicle built to handle it.