When you fill up your car at the gas station, you may be wondering what's the difference between regular gasoline and the fuel they call ethanol? Should I use one instead of the other? Did I put the wrong gas in the car?

More often than not, selection is based on price, availability, and manufacturer recommendations. Depending on the region of your country, you may not even be able to find regular gasoline that isn't available.

Don't let the wrong choices stop you from improving your vehicle's performance and fuel efficiency.

The difference between ethanol and gasoline

A gallon of gasoline provides one-third more energy than a gallon of ethanol.

Blend ethanol and gasoline in a ratio of 85 to 15 percent (E85), and the blended fuel has nearly 30 percent less power than pure gasoline. Ethanol is similar in terms of acceleration, power, and cruising capability, but ethanol gets fewer miles per gallon than pure gasoline.

Ethanol (ethanol msds) causes damage involving fuel systems and engines not found in pure gasoline. The most critical issues are water pollution and fuel separation. Ethanol attracts and absorbs water, including water in the air. When the gasoline alcohol absorbs enough water, fuel water pollution can occur in the car tank, which affects engine performance. If the car is parked for a while, fuel separation will occur; This is where gas and water form layers in the tank, and if the engine sucks the water layer into the engine, serious and expensive damage can occur.

Ethanol is alcohol, and alcohol can cause corrosion of the fuel system. Metal parts are rusted, plastic parts are deformed or cracked.

Ethanol is not an ideal fuel additive, especially older cars have problems with ethanol fuel.