Is it possible to use a 10 to 15% mix of methanol in 1997 Volvos without any problems?

Australia is moving towards the use of up to 10% _Ethanol_, *not* _Methanol_.

Completely different stuff. Ethanol is the alcohol in drinks - it's not as
poisonous or carcinogenic as methanol, or as corrosive.

 

E75

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/982531.pdf



Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things) http://www.viatrack.ca

void _-void-_ in the obvious place

 

In <>,

No - E75 would be 75% ethanol, 25% gasoline. The gasoline in Brazil
has 25% ethanol, 75% gasoline. That would be E25.

My understanding is that Brazil also leads the world in the sale of
flex-fuel vehicles, as a percentage of total vehicle sales.

AC

 

And while I also would trust something I read on the internet,
especially from someone who has a history of knowing what they're
talking about, over some dealer service advisor whose function is to
sell, sell, sell, a source better than either is the owners manual. The
one for my '98 V70 (which is almost identical to the OP's '97 850 from a
fuel system standpoint) states:

"Do not use gasolines containing methanol (methyl alcohol, wood
alcohol). The practice can result in vehicle performance deterioration
and can damage critical parts in the fuel system. Such damage may not
be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty."

That seems pretty conclusive.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

In <>,

In general, Mike F, I agree with you. However, the owner's manual (esp.
well-pass warranty) may not be the best source of information either.
For example, I use regular (87 octane) in my Volvo 850 - which is normally
aspirated.

Neither the manual, nor the dealer recommend using 87 octane fuel. However,
others on this group - such as Dr. Stephen Henning have used it with no
ill effects on several Volvos including one similar to that which I drive.

So, I guess, whatever the source of information, one has to be able to
whet it.

AC

 

I generally agree with you. However, you have to understand that the car
company also has a vested interest in saying what they do--it's a form of
CYA. Tell the owner that they can't do anything but a very narrowly defined
set of "correct use", and you've got a basis to void the warranty if
something goes wrong with the car. I'm not saying that's true in this case,
just pointing out that the owner's manual is not exactly an objective source
of information. For example, I frequent the Miata newsgroup, and that
owner's manual says to never, ever, ever, ever tow anything with the Miata.
There are a several people on that newsgroup that have thousands of miles of
towing trailers, without a mishap or damage to their car, and nobody there
is saying "hey, guys, I have had problems towing a trailer with the Miata."
Seems pretty clear that that part of the owner's manual is nothing but CYA.

Conclusive specifically about methanol. Methanol and ethanol are very
different--methanol is much more hydroscopic and corrosive, and much more
polar (i.e., likely to extract rubber additives), and thus much more likely
to cause damage to an engine. Since they specifically mentioned methanol, I
would read that to mean ethanol-containing fuels are fine.

Eric Lucas

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel

 

Well what you are saying is true to an extent - and I know lots of
people who tow with cars where the owners manual warns against it. But
owners manuals are written also with a worst case scenario too, like if
you're towing a trailer with your Miata up a mountain road at high speed
on the hottest day of the year in the deserts of Arizona with the A/C on
full blast while tailgating another car so closely that airflow to the
rad is blocked. Or perhaps it's brake related, same scenario, this time
going down the mountain, automatic transmission in Drive, riding the
brakes all the way.

However in cases like using fuel, there's really only one scenario -
using it is using it. And in this particular owners manual, I didn't
post everything written about the fuel requirements, that was more than
a whole page. It did allow a composition of up to 10% ethanol, as well
as allowing other additives.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

That is one thing that always comes to the top...that the cost of energy
is increasing. Petroleum has been the king for a long time. There is no
obvious and immediate successor to the throne.

However, in electric plants where coal is burned, the same heavy metals
are left behind in the ash. The sulfur is still freed by the process.

Maybe your gas process is expensive, and the waste is nasty, but it is
unlikely to be any worse than the waste generated by burning the coal.

There just is no free lunch, is there?