88 gas cheaper than 87

Was on the way back from Taylor’s falls and the station had 88 10cents cheaper than 87. I put 87 in thinking it may cause issues switching from what it’s used to. Was in almelund. What are the thoughts?

88 octane is otherwise known as E15, which is 15% ethanol. 87 octane has up to 10% ethanol. May not sound like much but some vehicles do not like it. I put it in my truck once (because like you, I saw it was cheaper) and it may as well have been poured on the ground, my mileage seemed to be cut in half. Didn’t get a chance to calculate it out but I know it went down for sure.

I think 88 isn’t worth the money saved. the number is better but the end result sucks…..but you are helping the farmers.

I have to agree 88 isnt worth it. i tried it in my truck twice. my truck only gets 11.5 to 12 on it’s best days but i didnt even get 8 with the 88

Thanks. Sounds like I made the right all sticking with the 87. Usually it’s pretty tough getting any opinions on here.

I would check your vehicle manufacturers warranty/ fuel recommendation a many won’t warranty issues related to fuel not recommended for use. If you have an E85 vehicle, you should be fine. I almost put that crap in my Ram by mistake when it first showed up and the station I was at had put it in the place of mid grade fuel. I am all for supporting farmers as I come from a farming family, but that ethanol is doo-doo.

88 = ethonal = the devil

Vehicles manufactured after 2001 and labeled E15 (they say) it’s ok to use it. It’s been well documented that the mileage will take a hit.
There was a formula that showed when E85 was a better deal then 88 octane. If I recall (and I’m not sure if I do) it was when gas prices were around the $4.00 per gallon mark. This was when the amount saved would even out the lost mileage.

Sorry, I don’t have time to google it.

You guys crack me up. There is no way that going from E10 (i.e. regular gas) to E15 makes a signficant difference in your mileage. Other factors (weather, driving habits, A/C use) come into play here. I’ll run E85 when the price is right (I can often get it for $1.30/gallon in my wife’s hometown), and I’ll usually see around a 25% decrease in mileage (17.5 mpg to 13 mpg), so thinking that going from E10 to E15 cuts your mileage in half is ridiculous.

Using my experience and assuming a fairly linear relationship between % ethanol and mpg: If I run E10 at 17.5 mpg and E85 at 13.0 mpg, I would get 17.2 mpg with E15.

If you have a modern vehicle, run it if you want. I would avoid it for “off road” uses, but it’s fine for modern vehicles.

Now, let the conjecture, hearsay, and fear-mongering commence.

Also, let me add that higher octane does not equate to better gas. Higher octane prevents detonation in the combustion chamber. Higher compression engines require higher octance gas in order to combat pre-detonation (aka engine knocking). If you don’t have a high compression engine, there is no benefit to higher octance (aka premium) gas, unless you are buying ethanol-free premium gas. And why we can’t buy ethanol-free 87 octane in MN is beyond my comprehension.

My Tundra did not like 88. I filled up out west on the stuff and my truck sensors I guess couldn’t figure out what I was running. I have the Flex Fuel model and if I remember right, the service tech said the computer thought I was running E85 so my engine runs different…but since I wasn’t, the truck was running very rough (or something along those lines). What ever it was, I had to go re-calibrate the computer at the dealership which was a pain.

Who let the Chemist in?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

You guys crack me up. There is no way that going from E10 (i.e. regular gas) to E15 makes a signficant difference in your mileage.

My thoughts also…

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

why we can’t buy ethanol-free 87 octane in MN is beyond my comprehension.

Hush! My sport quad needs 91…let’s not ruin a good thing.

I have to wonder if the 88 doesn’t have the additives in it that the more expensive 87 has. Those additives supposedly result in less carbon buildup which is critical for the newer direct injection engines.

I always put in 87 over any cheaper option for that reason.

mplspug wrote:

Who let the Chemist in?

88 is more corn

Just make sure to check your owner’s manual. On my truck it says not to run anything that is E15 or E85. After that is up to you.

88 is not cheaper than 87.
It is less expensive

Here is all you need to know about ethanol. http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2005/07/ethanol-biodiesel-corn-and-other-crops-not-worth-energy

I agree with the article, but that was not the question posed.

Bass-n-Eyes wrote:

Here is all you need to know about ethanol. http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2005/07/ethanol-biodiesel-corn-and-other-crops-not-worth-energy

All you needed to know in 2005.

You guys won’t have to worry about any “E-xx’s” once we all are made to switch over to electrics.

A MN based firm just came out with an electric pontoon for $80k.

Incandescent lights, gas cars/truck and doo doo birds.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

You guys won’t have to worry about any “E-xx’s” once we all are made to switch over to electrics.

A MN based firm just came out with an electric pontoon for $80k.

Incandescent lights, gas cars/truck and doo doo birds.

my question is how tall is the strobe light?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

June 12, 2019 at 8:00 am#1861753
You guys crack me up. There is no way that going from E10 (i.e. regular gas) to E15 makes a signficant difference in your mileage. Other factors (weather, driving habits, A/C use) come into play here. I’ll run E85 when the price is right (I can often get it for $1.30/gallon in my wife’s hometown), and I’ll usually see around a 25% decrease in mileage (17.5 mpg to 13 mpg), so thinking that going from E10 to E15 cuts your mileage in half is ridiculous.
Using my experience and assuming a fairly linear relationship between % ethanol and mpg: If I run E10 at 17.5 mpg and E85 at 13.0 mpg, I would get 17.2 mpg with E15.

If you have a modern vehicle, run it if you want. I would avoid it for “off road” uses, but it’s fine for modern vehicles.

Now, let the conjecture, hearsay, and fear-mongering commence.

Well, all this may be all chemically correct and whatnot, but answer me this there Dr. Feelgood.

My great uncle’s third cousin had a son by his second wife and he said that a guy he worked with had wrecked his prop and as everybody knows, ethanol is to blame.

So can you prove ethanol didn’t wreck his prop?

Ha! I thought not! So much for your Ivory Cooling Tower theories, there, Dr. Strangeglove. Back in the old days, when engines got screwed up, we really had to work to come up with cockeyed theories of what happened to them. Now it’s easy, it’s all caused by ethanol.

Grouse