Back to all

E-85 Fuel Safety Advice from Tuffy Holland

August 21, 2022


 

Today at Tuffy Holland 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 Holland 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 Tuffy Holland at 90 Waverly Rd. in Holland, Michigan 49423, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 616.394.0880.

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 Holland community.

All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol, and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Holland, Michigan, 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 Holland auto owners can imagine the fire hazard caused by leaking gasoline. Michigan 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.

Tuffy Holland
90 Waverly Rd.
Holland, Michigan 49423
616.394.0880
https://www.tuffyholland.com/

 

More articles from Tuffy Holland

See the Light (Automatic High Beam Dimmers)

April 27, 2025

It's happened to all of us. We're driving down a highway at night and over a crest appears a car with its high beams blazing. You are momentarily blinded, hoping the other driver will switch them to their low beam setting and restore your vision. Not only do we not appreciate being blinded, fac... More

Free Money (Almost) (Fuel Saving Tips)

April 20, 2025

You spend a lot of money on a vehicle, probably the most money you'll spend on anything except a house. But the spending doesn't stop after you've bought it. It goes into things like insurance, repairs and fuel. One good piece of news is that you can cut down the amount you spend on fuel if yo... More

Tire or Re-Tire? (Getting Tires Ready for Hot Weather)

April 13, 2025

Heat isn't easy on vehicle tires, and as the seasons change, make sure yours are ready to take the heat. Let's talk first about inflation. Heat causes air to expand, so heat alone can raise the pressure in your tires. If you are driving on overinflated tires, they won't have as much contact wi... More