[FixMyBenz]

All,

Recently moved to Finland where on 1 January 2011 we will start to use E10.

I was thinking of importing ML 320. It's a 1999 model.

Good idea? Bad idea? Any thoughts and/or insight?

I attached an article on this for your reading enjoyment. It is in English.

Thanks!

 

[Merzatt]

E10 (10% Ethanol) is being used in the US mostly during the summer months. It's been quite some time since this change.

 

[Sveina]

Fill it up and drive! No problem with such low amount of etanol. But I would avoid it in the winter. After the first month or two of E10 use replace the fuel filter.

 

[Noodles]

We have to use it year round in my area and it works fine.
One county over I can get 100% petrol and the only difference I notice is that I
do get better mileage in all my vehicles. 1-2 MPG better in the V8s and just about .5 MPG
in the 4 cylinder VWs.

 

[mickey.1430]

Noodles, I have the opposite effect: about 5% lower mpg with 10% ethanol. MPG seems to track the energy content of the fuel and ethanol has a much lower energy content than gasoline.

 

[Noodles]

I am sorry to not have been more specific. I also get less mileage with RFG ethanol fuel.
I get better mileage with the 100% non RFG.

 

[frantorresh]

hello everybody, here in paraguay gasoline has at least 30% of ethanol.....
the engine works fine, no problem with starting.
but mpg is too low, mine ml 320 is 10 mpg in city....... very poor

 

[Noodles]

The alcohol just does not have the same energy release at combustion as pure petrol.

That mileage for a 30% blend sounds about right for city driving. You will lose at least 35%
of the MPG with that much of a blend.

 

[Merzatt]

"E10 blends are rated as 2 to 3 octane higher than regular gasoline"

Common ethanol fuel mixtures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Ethanol contains approx. 34% less energy per unit volume than gasoline, and therefore in theory, burning pure ethanol in a vehicle will result in a 34% reduction in miles per US gallon , given the same fuel economy, compared to burning pure gasoline. Since ethanol has a higher octane rating, the engine can be made more efficient by raising its compression ratio. In fact using a variable turbocharger, the compression ratio can be optimized for the fuel being used, making fuel economy almost constant for any blend. For E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline), the effect is small (~3%) when compared to conventional gasoline, and even smaller (1-2%) when compared to oxygenated and reformulated blends."

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

 

[Noodles]

Agreed, and the way they are using it the ALMS and Indy Car series the engines are
tuned and built to run it. It works very well and burns very cleanly.
Ideally the ML could have a higher compression ratio if run on ethanol, but adding compression
or forced induction to one is just too darn expensive to get the return on the investment.