[Old182]

John, I respectfully disagree. My statement regarding "...has nothing to do with octane grade..." was meant to point out that its addition to gasolines is for emissions purposes only, mandated by the U.S. EPA, and should you find yourself in a carbon monoxide (CO) Non Attainment area (most big cities), you will, in fact, have a minimum of 2 weight% oxygen in each and every grade of gasoline at the pump, regardless of its octane value. Ethanol has become the oxygenate of choice to achieve this mandate since MTBE was all but banned a few years ago. If you are away from the bigger cities, ethanol may or may not be included in the gasoline. However, ethanol has a Research octane number of 109 and a Motor octane number of 90. This puts the (R+M)/2 value, or Antiknock Index at 100 - it definitley DOES affect the octane value of the fuel, but that's not why it's in there. If a refiner makes sub-octane gasoline knowing ethanol will be added at the terminal to meet regulations AND to boost octane, it only makes sense that if the lower octane grades have it, the higher octane grades would also have it. I may have been unclear previously. No offense meant, but I believe the hot rodder is still wrong.