What happens when you mix 85 fuel with 91?!?!?

(2012-01-21 15:20:06)

1. MimiD Says: Hi all smart people out there! I'm in a bind, I accidentally filled my car with about 2 gallons of 85 fuel within the 91 (about a 20/80 mixture respectively). I was in a hurry and wasn't paying attention and I really had to get going. Is this going to create any serious problems or minor problems for my car? Will it be able to drive up mountainsides or locations with high elevations or long distances? If I refill it with only 91 fuel afterward will the mixture "wane" out to be only 91 fuel? Help please! By the way my car is a 1996 Toyota Camry XL. Thanks!

2. Christian Says: you need to drive it out... But do this. Use a couple of gallons and add more, then do this again. It will help dilute the mixture more and more until it's safely gone...

e85 is 85% ethanol, 15% gas so your ratio is a little better than 20/80

be careful because ethanol is a destructive fuel alternative... i.e. it sux !!!

3. don r Says: Alcohol is corrosive and the Camry is NOT a flex-fuel vehicle. Run all that mess out and always beware of E85. E85 lowers gas mileage, but that's the least damage. E85 made my Corolla run like half the engine was dead. 200 miles down the freeway was good to be almost empty. E85 for Ford and Chevy

4. josh l Says: you'll need 2 mix ur oil too. if ur running 5w30 add in a lil 10w30.na jus playin neither 1 will hurt tho just one fuel is cleaner w/ less trash in it an has a higher octane rating(the stuff that gives it its combustibility). ur car doesnt call for 91 anyway 85 wud b fine, 91 will burn much better an faster leavin u w/ less gas in the end

5. Frank Says: Absolutely nothing will happen.

6. Howard L Says: You end up with 90 octane. It's simply the ratio of the two octanes. That's how gas stations that offer more than two octanes do it. They only have two tanks, one regular and one high octane and mix them at the pump to get the selected octane.

Now for the bad news. You've been wasting money for years because your car will run just fine on 85 and it won't do any damage. The engine has a knock sensor and adjusts the timing to accommodate whatever octane is in the tank. Regular will result in the engine producing a few less horsepower because of the computer retarding the timing but it's nothing you'll notice everyday driving. It won't change your mileage either.