Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

General Honda PCX chat, questions about the PCX, or questions about riding.

Moderator: Modsquad

User avatar
easyrider
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1597
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:23 pm
Year: 2013
Color: blk
Location: Long Island , NY, Tampa, Ft laud

Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by easyrider »

USA has announced higher amounts of ethanol will be put in US fuel supplies. Get ready for less energy for the buck not to mention water issues that these HONDA engines may encounter.So if you get some more stumbling and running issues especially in high humid climates you might have a possible cause.
User avatar
you you
What's a wot?
What's a wot?
Posts: 10000
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:37 pm
Location: Between Lulu and Chichi

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by you you »

easyrider wrote:USA has announced higher amounts of ethanol will be put in US fuel supplies. Get ready for less energy for the buck not to mention water issues that these HONDA engines may encounter.So if you get some more stumbling and running issues especially in high humid climates you might have a possible cause.

ETHANOLKAOS.

sic
User avatar
gn2
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 7767
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:54 pm
Year: None
Location: NE Scotland

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by gn2 »

easyrider wrote:USA has announced higher amounts of ethanol will be put in US fuel supplies. Get ready for less energy for the buck not to mention water issues that these HONDA engines may encounter.So if you get some more stumbling and running issues especially in high humid climates you might have a possible cause.
All Honda scooters and motorcycles are designed for use with up to 10% ethanol.
So long as the fuel has 10% or less ethanol you will have absolutely zero issues.
Four decades on two wheels has taught me nothing, all advice given is guaranteed to be wrong
User avatar
Mel46
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 6959
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:13 pm
Year: 2013
Color: red PCX
Location: Dallas, Ga USA

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by Mel46 »

The problem may be that there is talk of raising the amount at the pump to 15%. If they do that then only cars marked FLEXFUEL will work without problems.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150

Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights
Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn
Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires
Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs
NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
User avatar
fish
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 2497
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:18 pm
Location: rural Ohio

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by fish »

easyrider wrote:USA has announced higher amounts of ethanol will be put in US fuel supplies. Get ready for less energy for the buck not to mention water issues that these HONDA engines may encounter.So if you get some more stumbling and running issues especially in high humid climates you might have a possible cause.
Don't understand the remark about water issues - 10% laced fuels now mean that dry gas stuff is no longer needed according to my mechanics. The ethanol deals with any water in the tank....much the way dry gas additives used to.

What am I missing?
Fish
User avatar
easyrider
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1597
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:23 pm
Year: 2013
Color: blk
Location: Long Island , NY, Tampa, Ft laud

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by easyrider »

Dry gas is alcohol..Alcohol absorbs water. The concept of adding dry gas to a tank already contaminated helps put the water into solution so the car can burn it. Ethanol is same thing but it attracts water from the air and when it gets too much it causes phase separation which has deleterious effects on combustion , injectors , and general running issues . Phase separation can be explained by doing an internet search .
User avatar
fish
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 2497
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:18 pm
Location: rural Ohio

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by fish »

easyrider wrote:Dry gas is alcohol..Alcohol absorbs water. The concept of adding dry gas to a tank already contaminated helps put the water into solution so the car can burn it. Ethanol is same thing but it attracts water from the air and when it gets too much it causes phase separation which has deleterious effects on combustion , injectors , and general running issues . Phase separation can be explained by doing an internet search .
Thanks. Still learning.
"Phased separation"....my sister in law and her husband tried that. Not working so well.
Fish
User avatar
gn2
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 7767
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:54 pm
Year: None
Location: NE Scotland

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by gn2 »

Ethanol in fuel attracts no more water into the fuel system than fuel with no ethanol.
There will always be some water in your fuel tank, best way to avoid it is keep the tank full of fuel when not in use for long periods.
Four decades on two wheels has taught me nothing, all advice given is guaranteed to be wrong
Old Grinner
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 2479
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:09 am
Location: USA

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by Old Grinner »

I'm a firm believer in "Startron" fuel additive . . .. Been using it for years. Used it in my outboard motor gas years ago also.

I can be assured that when I try to start my lawn mowers or bikes (if they've been sitting a while . . . like during the Winter) they will start . . .. Keeping the battery charge up to snuff helps too.



The thing that troubles me about the E15 though is engine temperature, engine knock, and effect on fuel system parts like rubber or some metals (especially on older machines).

Let's face it . . . other than environmental concerns the "Agro" industry wants a bigger share in the fuel sales . . ..

That said I think it's fuelish to be planting crops to burn as fuel for transportation when people are going hungry in this world. Maybe not in your backyard but hunger still exists.

Better yet I think the focus should be on continuing to advance electric energy sources sparked by environmentally friendly generating plants (hydro electric, wind, solar, and even nuclear as long as it's carefully controlled and open to new innovations and disposition of spent fuel). Mass transit needs to be restored and renewed where practical and fossil fuels could remain an energy source for smaller vehicles like motorcycles, scooters, and MOPEDS. Although 2-strokes do make sense in farm tools or small engines as used in MOPEDS the emissions will still be an issue to contend with.

Time for more coffee . . .. :lol: :lol: :lol:
springer1
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 787
Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:28 pm
Year: 2018
Color: white
Location: SE PA

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by springer1 »

I don’t want more alcohol in my gas. And I don't want an electric vehicle.
Jge64
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1830
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:30 pm
Year: 18 300 xmax
Color: White
Location: Fort lauderdale
Contact:

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by Jge64 »

I’ll take an electric bike or car all day long when they perfect this technology… Fill up once a week for 5 minutes while ordering a Starbucks coffee.

https://newatlas.com/piech-4-minute-40- ... ing/59597/
Glen
‘15 PCX build thread here:
https://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4640
Current: ‘18 XMAX 300 & ‘22 NAVI
User avatar
GeorgeSK
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 986
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 9:36 pm
Year: 13PCX,15Forza
Color: Both Red
Location: Danvers MA USA

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by GeorgeSK »

Ethanol in fuel attracts no more water into the fuel system than fuel with no ethanol.
Hate to disagree, but, putting on my chemical engineer hat, ethanol is far more hygroscopic than gasoline, and will actively pull water vapor from the air.

In the old days we would add ethanol in the form of "dry-gas" because ethanol is miscible in both water and gasoline. Any water in the tank (within reason) would thus be allowed to mix into the gasoline and flow through that non-fussy carburetor (with the notable exception of the damned dual SU's on my '70 Volvo) and so be removed.

We do not need dry-gas now - Here in Massachusetts, you cannot get anything but e-10 gasoline at a regular filling station. The gas already has "dry-gas" in it.

I'm not wicked worried about the gas in the tank absorbing excessive water while sitting around - the gas cap is, after all, sealed. I'm more worried about winter storage, during which time the gasoline will deteriorate and form deposits (varnishes more than sludges). I'm not worried about the inside of the tank, but the inside of the fuel injector is a different story. I use Stabil for winter storage, and ride the scoot enough during the season to not worry about it otherwise.
On my scoot, getting there is WAY more than half the fun!

Please paste this address into a new tab and add yourself to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1NlP7xk7KMdJReQnm-iDhldFBdpQ&ll=4.995760578398276%2C0&z=2
but please, don't delete anybody, no matter how badly they deserve deleting :)
User avatar
easyrider
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1597
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:23 pm
Year: 2013
Color: blk
Location: Long Island , NY, Tampa, Ft laud

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by easyrider »

User avatar
gn2
Forum Benefactor
Forum Benefactor
Posts: 7767
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:54 pm
Year: None
Location: NE Scotland

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by gn2 »

GeorgeSK wrote:
Ethanol in fuel attracts no more water into the fuel system than fuel with no ethanol.
Hate to disagree, but, putting on my chemical engineer hat, ethanol is far more hygroscopic than gasoline, and will actively pull water vapor from the air
But I wrote "fuel system" not "fuel".
There will always be some water in the fuel system whether there's ethanol in the fuel or not.
It can be a real problem in diesels.
Four decades on two wheels has taught me nothing, all advice given is guaranteed to be wrong
User avatar
xixon
Regular User
Regular User
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 2:31 pm
Year: 2013 PCX 150
Color: Black
Location: Vancouver BC

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by xixon »

Chevron super-premium (94 octane) is the only fuel I can buy here that has zero ethanol.

I use this zero ethanol in the winter as a tank will last me 2 to 3 months, but I use regular 87 octane in the spring/summer/fall

If we get the higher 15% ethanol, I'll likely use a mixture of the two to lower the ethanol closer to 10%
User avatar
easyrider
Frequent Poster
Frequent Poster
Posts: 1597
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:23 pm
Year: 2013
Color: blk
Location: Long Island , NY, Tampa, Ft laud

Re: Ethanol on the rise BEWARE

Post by easyrider »

Once again the consumer gets in the back. Less bang for the buck in fuel economy. Not about saving the environment in the US but to reimburse the agricultural industry for recent impacts on newly importing and exporting policies.
Post Reply