Yes, You can use ethanol-free gas for your ATV; it will not harm your engine and provide more mileage than gas containing ethanol.
It is a burning question whether using Ethanol free gas is better for your ATV than ethanol-based fuel. Both of them have their pros and cons related to their usage.
If you are also worried about this, don’t worry; this article will clear all your doubts.
In this article, I will discuss the pros and cons of using ethanol-free gas, the misconceptions about ethanol-based fuels, and a guide to choosing the right fuel for your ATV.
Pros and Cons Of Using Ethanol-Free Gas:
Following are some major pros and cons of using ethanol-free gas.
Pros:
1. Improved Mileage:
Pure gasoline or ethanol-free gas has more fuel efficiency than ethanol-based gas. It is seen that pure gasoline has 3% more mileage than ethanol-based fuel.
Due to its high fuel efficiency, it produces more power when it undergoes the ignition process.
Since more power is produced, the engine produces more energy and uses less fuel to meet the energy requirements.
It is a good option when you are going on a long trip with your ATV vehicle and wants to avoid carrying extra fuel with you.
2. Less Damage To Old Model Engine:
Ethanol-free gas works best for engines, especially if you are using an older model that is incompatible with ethanol-based fuel.
Unlike ethanol-based fuel, gasoline attracts less water and thus protects the engine’s interior parts from rusting.
Moreover, it creates less vapour pressure that decreases the risk of vapour lock in the carburettor and helps the engine work properly.
3. Better Longevity
Pure gasoline having no ethanol, can stay good for about 6 months without undergoing any oxidation process.
Moreover, gasoline doesn’t absorb water and hence does not cause rusting and corrosion problems for the interior parts of the engine during storage. So you can store your fuel without worrying about contamination issues.
If you want pure gasoline, you can visit pure-gas.org; they will provide a list of the gas stations offering pure gasoline in Canada and the UK.
Cons:
1. More Harmful Emissions:
A detailed study was carried out to understand the harmful effects of gasoline on the environment.
In his presentation, Mr VanderGriend said:
“The notion that somehow ethanol-free gasoline is superior product could not be further from the truth”.
It was examined that gasoline exhibits toxic aromatic compounds like benzene and toluene.
These aromatic compounds increase the escape of harmful emissions that have dangerous effects on public health.
2. Expensive Than Ethanol-Based Gas:
Since ethanol-free gas is petroleum-based, it costs more money.
On the other hand, the ethanol used in ethanol-based fuel is derived from plants like corn, so it costs less than the former.
3. More Dependence On Oil From Other Countries:
The country is increasing its dependence on other oil-producing countries by increasing the demand for pure gasoline.
It also costs a lot of money to import foreign oil and pollutes the environment with harmful emissions.
In this case, instead of depending on other countries for the basic need of gasoline, it is important to use ethanol-based gas that costs less and doesn’t pollute the environment much.
Misconceptions About Ethanol-Mixed Gas:
Following are some misconceptions about ethanol-based gas that might be stopping you from using it.
1. Ethanol Made The Gas Bad Quickier:
Most need help understanding that all fuel types undergo the oxidation process, due to which the gas becomes bad, and ethanol is not responsible for it.
Every gas turns bad due to the oxidation of the hydrocarbons present in the gas. As time passes, these hydrocarbons begin to break down into unstable compounds and create a gummy substance that sticks inside the tank and carburettor.
No doubt Ethanol absorbs water, but the gas will only go bad in this case as soon as you expose the fuel tank to water. If you don’t store your ATV carefully, moisture might enter the fuel tank and can contaminate it.
Add fuel stabilizers to your tank to keep the gas fresh for a long time, and store your ATV in a cool and dry place to avoid moisture problems.
2. Corrosion:
Some people still thought that ethanol-based fuel might damage their vehicle engines. But this is not true for the new models.
The recent models of ATV vehicles created in the last 15 years are designed for ethanol-based gasoline, i.e. they have stronger parts like rubber seals etc., so if you use ethanol fuel in them, it will not cause any damage to your vehicle’s engine.
3. Phase Separation:
Now, this is not a misconception. It happens when you use ethanol-based gas in your ATV. But don’t worry; we will give a solution to fix this problem.
Due to the water-absorbing characteristics of the ethanol, it absorbs the moisture and forms a separate ethanol-water layer, which gets separate from the gasoline it is called phase separation.
Due to this, the octane rating of the fuel decreased. The water layer can also cause damage to the interior parts of the engine and result in the corrosion of these parts.
However, it doesn’t happen overnight; the process of phase separation starts after 90 days of filling your tank with fuel.
To avoid this problem, use a fuel stabilizer; Sta-Bil is recommended. The fuel stabilizer absorbs the water and burns safely in the combustion engine by delaying the phase separation process.
The Sta-Bil fuel stabilizers can keep the ethanol gas fresh for 12 months and even 24 months.
Why Is It Important To Use The Best Fuel?
The quality of gasoline is determined by its octane number. The higher the octane number, the better the quality of the engine.
The octane rating also determines the ability of the fuel to withstand the process of knocking during combustion.
The engine works when the spark plug ignites the air/fuel mixture, and the mixture undergoes combustion. The pressure from combustion is used to move the pistons, which supply power to the wheels.
When low-octane fuel is used, the air/fuel mixture ignites spontaneously before the spark plugs fire. This creates pressure waves that cause the engine components to vibrate and wear out faster.
Due to this, it is very crucial to choose the best fuel for your ATV to keep it in good condition.
What Gas Is Best For Your ATV?
Always use the gasoline that your manufacturer recommends. You can use the 87-grade gasoline, also called the E10 or above, for your 4-stroke engine. E10 fuel contains 10 % ethanol.
Most ATVs are designed for E10 fuel, so don’t use gasoline having ethanol concentration higher than E10 as it can cause corrosion problems.
Moreover, using high octane fuel than the recommended one will not improve performance or speed, but it will only cost you more money without giving any benefits.
Conclusion:
Using ethanol-free gas in your ATV will provide extra mileage compared to ethanol gas.
Both of them have their pros and cons. The pros of ethanol-free gas include improved mileage, less engine damage and better longevity.
However, it emits harmful gasses,it is more expensive than ethanol gas, and its usage increases dependence on other oil-providing countries.
There are some misconceptions about ethanol; we have discussed them in detail for your clarification.
Choosing the right fuel is very important for the optimal working of your ATV, so always choose the fuel recommended by the manufacturer, or you can start with E10 fuel.