Which Cars Cannot Use Ethanol Gasoline?

[KimberlyDella]

Older cars and poorly maintained vehicles should not use ethanol gasoline. Precautions for using ethanol gasoline include: 1. Clean the vehicle's interior before first use; 2. During cleaning, ensure complete removal of impurities from the fuel tank and fuel system, and drain any accumulated water at the bottom of the tank; 3. Prevent excessive moisture in the engine; 4. In summer, avoid filling the tank too full, leaving some space for fuel expansion and vaporization; 5. Ethanol gasoline can affect rubber components; 6. Choose ethanol gasoline based on the engine's compression ratio. Ethanol gasoline is an alternative fuel made by blending fuel ethanol, processed from grains and various plant fibers, with regular gasoline in a specific ratio.

[LeBenjamin]

I remember when I drove that 2004 Santana 3000, I once filled it with ethanol-blended gasoline and the engine shook like a sieve. The mechanic said older cars' rubber fuel lines and gaskets are prone to corrosion and cracking from ethanol, and the fuel pump can easily get clogged. Nowadays, you gotta be careful with cars over ten years old, especially those carburetor-equipped relics. Before refueling, it's best to check the manual - if it says "recommended to use unleaded gasoline," don't randomly mix in other types. Last time I saw someone driving an old Crown, their fuel system got clogged after using ethanol gasoline, costing over 800 just for cleaning. Actually, unleaded gasoline is quite easy to find at regular gas stations now, so owners of classic cars shouldn't risk damage just to save a few bucks.

[LeKevin]

Last year during a used car inspection, I encountered a flood-damaged vehicle that had been repaired. The owner had filled it with ethanol-blended gasoline, which caused flocculent substances to form in the fuel tank. Ethanol is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture. Flood-damaged cars already have rust on metal components, and when combined with alcohol, it easily forms gum deposits that can clog fuel injectors. If you're buying used, always make sure the dealer provides maintenance records, and be cautious about using ethanol-blended gasoline in flood-damaged cars. Also, for cars that sit idle for long periods, ethanol-blended gasoline has a shelf life of just one month. My garage-kept MX-5 hadn't been driven for six months, and when I opened the fuel tank, I smelled acidity—the fuel had even separated into layers.

[VonAndrew]

A buddy who's into car mods learned the hard way. His heavily modified Civic with high-compression pistons suffered severe engine knocking after using E10 fuel. Ethanol has a high octane rating but lower heat value, and without proper tuning, it can mess up the air-fuel ratio. Pay attention to fuel rail pressure—cars with upgraded larger injectors need an ECU reflash. At a recent track day, a Stage 2 GTI running on ethanol-blended fuel ended up with a seized engine. Also, be cautious with motorcycles. My Kawasaki Z900's manual explicitly prohibits ethanol-blended fuel, as it can corrode the aluminum throttle body.