Back to all

E-85 Fuel Safety Advice from South Side Garage

December 19, 2021


 

Today at South Side Garage we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the OKLAHOMA CITY area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 – the rest are not.

Does your vehicle use E-85 gasoline? Bring it down to South Side Garage at 9117 S WALKER AVE in OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma 73139, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 405-308-1514.

E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower exhaust emissions to our local OKLAHOMA CITY community.

All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol, and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well-meaning residents without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the tank.

At a 15% concentration, the potential for problems arises. Because of the chemical differences between ethanol and gasoline, special seals and gaskets are needed for Flex Fuel vehicles. In a normal engine, the ethanol in E-85 gas will eat away seals and gaskets. This leads to gas and oil leaks.

You OKLAHOMA CITY auto owners can imagine the fire hazard caused by leaking gasoline. Oklahoma fire fighting experts caution drivers to only use E-85 if they know their vehicle is certified to handle it. They expect vehicle fires to increase because of using the wrong fuel in non-Flex Fuel vehicles.

South Side Garage
9117 S WALKER AVE
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma 73139
405-308-1514
http://www.thesouthsidegarage.com

 

More articles from Southside Garage

Objects in the Mirror (Rearview Mirror Safety and Maintenance)

June 9, 2025

You may remember a song that went, "Objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are." While that was a song about life's lessons, there are a few things we should all know about how important rearview mirrors are to safe driving. While new electronic devices are helping drivers be ... More

Straight to the Point (Alignment Signs of Problems)

June 2, 2025

Its just common sense that your vehicle will drive better if all the wheels are lined up with each other and the road the way the engineers intended. When theyre not, that is called being out of alignment. Here are some signs that your alignment has problems. Your steering wheel isnt straight... More

A Clean Connection (Battery Cleaning)

May 26, 2025

A clean connection is a wonderful thing. Think of a good cell phone signal or an airline connection with ample time and short distance to the next gate. Good connections are also important for your vehicles battery, and one secret to that is to make sure its periodically cleaned. If its been a w... More