Gasoline question for DON {or anyone else}

[Illinois Trooper]

Been lurking around this great website for a few years and finally feel the need to ask a question. Motor is a 07' 250 PRO X/S with 60 hrs on it. Have only used 91 octane non ethanol since new. [which now I hear I should not have been using 91 octane].Every spring I siphon old gas and start with new. My non ethanol station went out of business. Question is do I start using ethanol gas or drive 30 miles out of my way [and 30 miles back to the lake] to get non ethanol 87 octane? Thank you all for any help.

[Craig S]

Can't tell for sure from your post, but it sounds like you may live at or near the lake? If so, is there a marina there? Most marina gas around here is non-ethanol. Is it practical to fill up at the marina after your day on the lake? It's usually more expensive, but give the 30 mi round trip drive, it still may the best option.

[EuropeanAM]

This is a decision that ultimately, you will have to make.

My recommendation would be to make your fuel purchases based on the following criteria, IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

-Appropriate (recommended) Octane Rating
-High Traffic Station with known good fuel reputation
-Lowest Ethanol Content Available (MUST be less than 10%- best case is 0%).


Your engine will also run very well on mid-grade (89) octane... however, anything higher than 89 is simply wasting your money (in more ways than just the purchase price of the fuel). Higher octane fuels burn SLOWER and COOLER... and in your case, will actually cost you in performance (additionally, over time- excessive octane can contribute to carbon buildup).

[Illinois Trooper]

Thanks for the replies guys. I wish I did live 30 miles from the lake. It's more like 200, so another 60 to buy good gas is not out of the question. There are 3 marinas on the lake but none of them have non ethanol. Non ethanol gas up here in this God forbidden state of Illinois is almost unheard of!

[Ranger519VS]

the Midwest is not known as the "grain belt" for nothing. Especially Illinois and Iowa in the summer the highways are like tunnels through the corn fields. Ethanol production is heavily State and Federally subsidized (our taxes). It serves a dual function by propping up corn prices to put more money in farmers pockets and reducing our dependence on foreign interests who hate our guts for the most part. Don't know if there even are non-ethanol gas stations around here any more. Like it or not, it's not going away. It is up to the marine engineers to develop ways to deal with it. When is the last time your auto had a collapsed fuel line from ethanol?

In Brazil they do not have a lot of oil reserves. Everything there runs on E20--E25 because the do not want to give their blood to Venezuela or the Arabs. They have converted their economy over the ethanol production on a large scale from sugar cane production to distilleries. Here is an excellent article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...razil

[rich19x3]

Try looking on here to find a closer gas station

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=IL

[Strokerdean]

I guess I will ask a similar question. 07 300xs, I run at 4350 ft elev and this time of year the ethonol free is 87 and 89 octane, in the summer there is 91 octane avail with no ethonal. I have allways used 91 octane with quicklkeen and stabill with and without ethonal depending on time of year and availability. Based on what Don has said octane comes first so I should stick with the 91 octane/7-10 percent ethonal for this time of year. I HATE ethonal but have to deal with it like most others.

[EuropeanAM]

Your 300XS MUST run 91 or higher octane fuel- so yes, your assessment of the situation would be correct.

[Strokerdean]

Thanks Don.