What is e85 ethanol and how is it made

With gasoline prices rising higher and higher, with no relief in sight, consumers are becoming more aware of and more interested in alternative fuel sources. One of those viable fuel sources is E85 ethanol. These days, there is quite a bit of talk about this fuel, and why shouldn’t there be? After all, it costs close to thirty five percent less than gasoline and is quickly becoming a preferred choice for motorists at the pump stations. E85 ethanol is already widely used in Brazil with about 90 percent of Brazil’s vehicles able to use E85 ethanol. Although a much lower percentage of vehicles in the United State’s are flexible fuel vehicles, and therefore able to burn E85 ethanol, it is quickly gainer favor.

What is E 85 Ethanol?

When 15 percent of leaded gasoline is combined with eighty five percent of ethanol, the result is the low-cost E85 ethanol fuel. It is an alcohol-based fuel that can be produced from employing the use of two methods. The first source of production involves the fermenting and distilling of starch-like feedstock. They include corn, barley, and wheat. The next method, which is referred as bio-ethanol, involves extraction from trees and grasses.

Although the price of the Ethanol E85 may be foremost on consumer’s minds, it also gets the nod from earth activists because it is an environmentally friendly product. It burns clean and its key ingredient source is renewable. Ethanol E85 also lessens the need for imported crude oil because it is locally produced, and is also known for increasing the octane rating in fuel while decreasing the harmful emissions caused by gasoline. If you are consciously trying to use less gasoline because you are aware of toxins it releases into our air think about this: if you convert to a flexible fuel vehicle and you burn E85 in that vehicle you will automatically be using 85 percent less gasoline that you previously had because 85 percent of your fuel is now ethanol and only 15 percent is gasoline.

Ethanol E85 will run well in flexible fuel vehicles like those manufactured by Daimler Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Isuzu and Nissan to name a few. But, if you don’t own a vehicle by one of the above-mentioned manufacturers, you need not fear. Some people are not aware that many other cars manufactured today are Ethanol E85 compatible. It is best to find out from your car dealer if you have a flexible fuel vehicle.

How is E85 Ethanol Made?

The method for producing Ethanol E85 is long and complex. The maker has to first extract sugar from biological feedstock in order to begin the process. Corn is the leading ingredient in Ethanol E85 gas in the United States. In Brazil, sugar cane is the leading ingredient in ethanol. The starch in these crops can easily be converted into sugar. Sugar for this fuel can also be extracted from cellulose, which is a sugar based ingredient found in trees and grasses.

Once the feedstock is collected, it goes through a grinding process to extract the sugar. Sugar fed into microbes quickly produces ethanol and carbon dioxide, which is purified to get the ethanol to the right consistency.

There is another method of manufacturing Ethanol E85 oil or grain alcohol, as it is also known, and this is through a wet-milling process. This is also the method that large-scale manufacturers use when producing high-fructose corn sweetener.

Ethanol E85 is an innovative and renewable resource with many positive characteristics, making it one of the leading topics of discussion for those looking to help the earth and looking to keep a few extra bucks in their wallet. Although E85 is currently only available at approximately 600 pumps in the United States, that number is expected to grow significantly in the next few years.

Have a problem with your power steering

Has your power steering suddenly stop working? Maybe it is because you your power steering pump is broken or died. Maybe there isn’t anymore steering fluid or a bad hose that is causing the problem. Either way it will be difficult to drive.

Before it becomes obvious that something is wrong, you will hear some buzzing or whining noises coming from under your hood. But you may also encounter a gradual loss of power, which is more prominently seen when parallel parking. Or you can even notice the problem when you first start your car. That would indicate that your steering rack it finished.

Steering racks fail slowly at a gradual rate, but you should take action before it’s completely gone. That’s when you loose all control over your car and it can happen at anytime. That will become very dangerous for you and your passengers.

You should check the power steering fluid to see if in fact you steering rack is the problem. Be on the look out for small metallic pieces of metal floating in it. If there are some then your steering rack is wearing out, the metal pieces are prove that the rack is deteriorating piece by piece.

Now the only thing that’s on your mind right now it the hefty bill that awaits you. But not necessarily, you could take your car to your local garage or dealer, which would probably cost you quite a bit. Or you could decide to do the repair yourself; it’s not as hard you might think.

You can purchase to part on the internet, there you will most likely find better deals, then at your dealer or local auto shop. A good place to check out would be Steering Rack Pros. They will have what you’re looking for and save you a great deal of money.

So now there are no excuses to not change your power steering pump or rack. It’s possible to do it yourself and it won’t cost you as much.

Wanna be a car dealer

Cars are one of the most important purchases in a person’s life and therefore it is wise to have the best information going into such an investment. As a car dealer this is especially important to remember when you are looking to sell cars that are used. Used cars are by far the best choice financially for someone that cannot afford to absorb the huge depreciation cost that goes along with the luxury of driving a used car. I’m sure you have heard the mantra that a new car instantly loses thousands of dollars of value as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Anyway the thing about used cars is that your buyers are not protected with things like warranties and the like that protect the owner of a new car from buying a lemon and having to pay for repair after repair. In one way the used car has stood the test of time (if the owner is being honest about its history) but, as a car dealer, you never know sometimes and it is good to have ways of protecting yourself from a poor purchase when you sell cars.

If you are a car dealer it is wise to check out the car’s repair history with a service called carfax. You simply give them the VIN (vehicle identification number) that is usually located on a metal tag on the dash of the car and they can pull up the history of the car as all repair shops enter the repairs in a national database. This includes everything from minor repairs to major overhauls.

Another thing to get in the habit of doing is taking it to a mechanic to get it looked at. Many times there are large repairs or service issues that have not shown up on the carfax report but are going to instantly add significantly more to the bottom line when you sell cars. This type of information can and should be used when negotiating on the price of the car as a car dealer.

The last thing that I would suggest to you as you become a car dealer is a site called edmonds. com which is a vehicle appraisal site. This site is great for coming up with the market price when you look to sell cars. The site is good because it takes into account the extra features that the car may have as well as the area of the sale and the present condition of the car. It is an unbiased resource that the seller can’t argue with and provides another strong basis for price negotiation. Hope this helps, and have fun!

Drive smoothly into summer

With summer rapidly approaching, it's time to get your vehicle in shape for hot weather travel. Take a moment to perform a few quick maintenance activities that will have you cruising the streets all summer long.

"Summer's hot temperatures combined with low antifreeze/ coolant concentration levels in your vehicle may lead to an aggravating episode of engine failure. To prevent this, perform a cooling system inspection and, if necessary, a flush and fill," advises Richard Courtney, director of Prestone Products Research & Development and Technical Services.

To perform a flush and fill, simply wait until the engine is cool, drain out old antifreeze/ coolant fluid and dispose of it properly. Flush out the system with water and fill with a fresh supply of antifreeze/coolant. Try Prestone® Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant-this formula may be added to any make or model automobile or light-duty truck, foreign or domestic.

If you have recently performed a flush and fill, a top-off may be the only maintenance necessary for your cooling system. Top off with a pre-diluted formula that has the correct mix of antifreeze/coolant concentrate and water. Prestone® 50/50 Ready-to-Use Extended Life Antifreeze/ Coolant may be poured directly into the cooling system for premium quality protection.

Once your cooling system is protected, you'll be on the road in no time. But don't forget to keep your windshield clear with a summer-specific windshield washer fluid designed to combat seasonal grime. Help prevent bug buildup and other pesky road debris from collecting with Prestone® Bug Wash® Windshield Washer Fluid. The citrus-fresh formula removes bug residue, road grime, bird droppings and tree sap from windshields and leaves behind a streak-free shine for optimal visibility.

How can an engine produce more horsepower part i the basics

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So you have a lead foot (and the tickets to show for it). You want to put the pedal down and have a little more power to the pavement (don’t we all). Then let’s talk about the basics of how your engine produces power, no matter if it is a 4 cylinder rice burner or a mammoth V-8 brimming out of your hood. Let’s start with the basics. As a Crew Chief in the United States Air Force, jet engine combustion was always taught in the simplest of terms: Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow. Yes it sounds like a sultry movie you would watch at a pay by hour motel, but it will all make sense in a second.

Let’s start with the first part of our friendly Department of Defense taught equation. Literally your engine “sucks”oxygen. Now follow me on this one Homer, the air from the outside travels through an intake tube to a manifold all the way into the cylinder chamber. So why do we need more oxygen? Good Question. We need the maximum amount of ambient air to fill each cylinder chamber (no matter if you have 4 or 10 of them) on the down stroke of a combustion cycle with one of the magical ingredients that produce horsepower: you guessed it, oxygen . Why? Keep reading.

At this point after our “suck” part of the equation is complete, we move on too the “squeeze” part. The valve that allowed the air to enter the cylinder chamber closes and the cylinder moves upwards and squeezes the air that was “sucked” in, at the same time fuel is introduced to the chamber at this point. Now if you where a Boy Scout or had gone through Combat Survival like I did, then you know you need three things to make fire. Air (oxygen), Fuel (gasoline), and Ignition (sparkplugs, more on these later). Now we are condensing the air and the fuel, making a nice packed (and denser) concoction for a nice fire, well really an explosion. How? Keep reading.

I like fireworks, and that is what you have for the third part of our equation, “bang”. Now we are cooking, with that oxygen and fuel all compressed and ready to explode. Remember I told you about the ignition, you know the sparkplugs. These little puppies produce a high intensity spark that are going to ignite that condensed concoction we have been talking about. Bang, ignition, an explosion happens and this is really where the horsepower happens. Why? Well at this point the cylinder is pushed down at X amount of force. That X amount of force is dependant on a lot of factors, which when you get right down to it is where horsepower is made. How? Because that little explosion pushes the cylinder down, in turn will push one of your other cylinders up and then that little explosion happens again. It’s a tough vicious cycle, rotating continuously, producing what is better known as horsepower. Let’s move on.

So we have sucked, squeezed, banged and now we need to blow (you’re a pervert). The exhaust valve opens up and lets out the carbon dioxide that are left over after our little explosion inside the combustion chamber. Now this little cycle, which happens in milliseconds, is reproduced thousands of times a minute. You know your tachometer, RPM (revolutions per minutes), that is about how many times this cycle of combustion happens in one minute.

There you go this is the very basics of how an engine produces power.

If this is still a little confusing to you, well try to envision it as much as possible. Now on the next article we will talk about how we can improve this combustion cycle to produce the best possible combustion which in turn produces more horsepower from your engine.

Check out: How Can an Engine Produce More Horsepower? Part II The Intake

Road rage study may help you drive safer

Road rage has become a way of life, both on and off the track. And more and more, in cities across America, people are acting out their frustrations on our roadways with dangerous results. It's bad for professional and everyday drivers alike.

In a new study sponsored by the Affinion Group and its AutoVantage automobile membership club, drivers from 20 major metropolitan areas in the U. S. were surveyed to learn more about consumer views on road rage.

"This new study focuses on important attitudes and habits of drivers on the open road nationwide," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of AutoVantage. "This groundbreaking research is an important tool to help educate and influence safer driving habits throughout the United States."

The study showed the cities with the worst road rage were Miami, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and Boston. Most courteous cities were Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta.

When asked the major causes of road rage in the survey, the most frequent theme was people being in a hurry, running late, being impatient and/or speeding, with stress, frustration and bad moods also contributing.

Behaviors by other drivers that cause stress for commuters, and that can lead to road rage, include driving too fast (57 percent observe this happening every day), tailgating (50 percent see this every day) and cutting over without notice (44 percent see this every day).

Commuters reported that other drivers frequently talk on their cell phones (98 percent observe this at least once a week), run red lights (59 percent observe this at least once a week) and slam on the brakes (54 percent see this happening at least once a week).

As a reaction to rude or bad driving by others, people surveyed reported that they honked their horn at the offending driver (40 percent), cursed at the other driver (32 percent), waved their fist or arms (9 percent), made an obscene gesture (8 percent) or called the police to report the driver (5 percent).

Overall, 30 percent said they see drivers doing other things like putting on makeup, shaving or reading while driving. Los Angeles (43 percent) emerged as the city where this is most likely to be seen, while Seattle (18 percent) emerged as the place where this behavior is least likely.

Bobby Hamilton, a spokesman for AutoVantage, was the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion after achieving four career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories. He founded Bobby Hamilton Racing, which owns and operates three trucks in the NASCAR Circuit.

The most courteous cities are Minneapolis, Nashville and St. Louis. Least courteous: Miami, Phoenix and New York.

Hamilton