E-85 Fuel Safety Advice from Gary Knurek GoodYear
July 11, 2017
Today at Gary Knurek GoodYear 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 Troy 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 Gary Knurek GoodYear at 1973 Livernois in Troy, Michigan 48083, to find out, or give us a call to make an appointment by calling 248-362-0350.
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 Troy community.
All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol, and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the Troy, 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 Troy 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.
Gary Knurek GoodYear
1973 Livernois
Troy, Michigan 48083
248-362-0350
Need Service?
More articles from Gary Knurek, Authorized GoodYear Dealer

Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle)
March 22, 2026
Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle) Perhaps this sounds familiar. Your vehicle seems like its been around forever, and youve decided its time to move on. But when you check the price of new vehicles, the sky-high price tags have you considering a nice, pre... More

10 Things That Are Lowering Your Fuel Economy
March 15, 2026
Regardless of whatever current gas prices may be, if you could use less gas, wouldnt you? Well, here are 10 things that are robbing you of better fuel economy that you can change for the better: Not enough air in your tires. Underinflated tires have a smaller rolling diameter and more res... More

Smooth Operator (Shock Absorbers)
March 8, 2026
When you are comfortably headed down the road, you may not realize how many of the imperfections in the driving surface are being smoothed out, so you hardly feel most of them. You can thank your shock absorbers for a lot of that comfort, and its important to make sure you keep your shocks in go... More
