Is Walmart Gas Ethanol Free?

There are so many gas stations that advertise their sale of non-ethanol, ethanol-free, or pure oil. 

Most gas stations sell gas that has 10 percent ethanol, and they have done that since the 2000s. 

Some others sell both ethanol gas and non-ethanol gas. 

Does Walmart offer non-ethanol gas and what are the advantages of this type of gas? 

Is Walmart Gas Ethanol Free?

Walmart offers both ethanol-free and gas with ethanol. Murphy USA gas, which is under Walmart, sells ethanol-free gas. The ethanol-free pumps at their stations are colored blue so that they are easy to identify.

When you visit Walmart gas station, you choose which blend of gas you need to have in your vehicle. 

There are stickers or colors that show which tank offers ethanol-free gas, allowing you to fuel what you need. 

But, does this ethanol-free gas offer any advantages to your vehicle?

Is Ethanol-Free Gas Better for Your Engine?

The ethanol used in gasoline is the same used in alcoholic beverages. 

However, the ethanol in gasoline is free of water, which allows it to blend well with gasoline. 

The ethanol increases the octane level of the fuel and allows it to burn more efficiently and in a clean manner. 

The addition of ethanol in gasoline started in the 2000s. Refiners add ethanol to gas to make it burn cleaner than pure gasoline. 

Due to the reduced emissions witnessed with ethanol-gas blends, the government offers concessions and tax credits to people using fuel with ethanol. 

Again, the addition of ethanol means that cars will be using less gasoline, and it reduces the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

Most gas stations today offer fuel that is 10 percent ethanol, also known as E10. 

Newer vehicle models can burn fuel that is up to 15 percent ethanol, E15. 

Flex fuel vehicles are engineered to burn fuel that is up to 85 percent ethanol. 

Unless the automaker recommends that you can use flex fuel in your vehicle, you should stick to regular gas that is 10 percent ethanol. 

Here are the advantages of using ethanol-free gas:

Improve Mileage

If you go for pure gas, you get better mileage. You could lose up to three percent mileage when you use E10 or E15 gas. 

This might seem like a small percentage, the percentage adds up over a long time to create significant changes. 

No Dependence on Corn and Other Ethanol Crops

The price of ethanol crops, such as corn goes up with the increase in the use of ethanol fuel blends.

As the number of drivers that rely on non-ethanol fuel reduces, so does the production of corn.

This will reduce the price of corn and make it available for other uses. 

No Damage to the Engine

If you have an older vehicle, it might not be equipped to run on ethanol and gas mixtures. 

Ethanol is corrosive in nature and as such, the engine components need to be strong enough to handle the corrosion that may result from ethanol. 

Drivers with older vehicle models might notice rubber seals breaking down or an increase in vapor pressure. 

In some cases, the ethanol might attract water, which can cause the engine parts to rust. 

Longer Shelf Life

Ethanol-free gas will last longer than the E10 and E15 gas blends. If you store the gas as it should, the gas will last up to six months. The ethanol blends are affected by oxidation and evaporation and can only last for about three months. 

Versatility

People with lawnmowers, trimmers, and chainsaws consider ethanol-based fuel as it is less corrosive. 

Users of this equipment ensure that the fuel is ethanol-free or does not contain more than 10 percent ethanol. This ensures that the equipment does not overheat, which can affect their performance. 

Why is Ethanol-Free Gas Not Recommended?

Governments around the world offer incentives to drivers who choose to buy ethanol-based gas, especially flex fuel. 

The main reason governments love ethanol-based fuels is that the fuel is considered environmentally cleaner than pure gas. 

Pure oil results in more emissions that pollute the air and contribute to climate change.

This is one of the main reasons that ethanol is added to gasoline.

The use of ethanol-free gas makes countries more dependent on imported oil. 

If you use gasoline mixed with ethanol, the country is less reliant on imported gas, which ultimately lowers its price. 

If you decide to use ethanol-free gas, it may be challenging for you to find it in some areas.

Most gas stations use ethanol-based gasoline, and you may have to drive for miles before coming across a gas station that sells non-ethanol gas. 

This can be an inconvenience that causes many drivers to use the available E10 or E15. 

You will pay more for pure gas compared to ethanol-free gas. It can be between 10 and 15 cents more per gallon.

Because the fuel offers you better mileage, you will likely not see the difference. 

Is Walmart Gas Any Good?

Walmart offers all blends of gasoline. You can drive out to Walmart for flex fuel, high-octane, and regular gas.

You can also go there for ethanol-free and ethanol-based fuels. 

The Murphy USA fuel stations are part of the Walmart stations, and you can also drive through for different blends of gas. 

Walmart occasionally has offers for their different blends of gas.

People using the Walmart credit card or Walmart gift card will get discounts at different times of the year. 

The cards also offer you other discounts when you shop at Walmart stores. 

Can Too Much Ethanol Damage Your Engine?

People with flex fuel vehicles can use fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol without any effects on the vehicle. 

However, there is only a small percentage of vehicles that require flex fuel. 

Flex fuel vehicles have a special engine that is able to adjust to the ethanol percentage in the fuel. 

For cars that need regular gas, the computer system of the vehicle expects that the vehicle will use fuel with between 10 and 15 percent ethanol. 

However, there are cases where you can mistakenly put E85 on your E10 or E15 engine. 

If you mistakenly use high ethanol fuel in a car that needs E15, it might affect the performance of your vehicle.

In some instances, the people who mix the gas at the station might mistakenly add more ethanol to the gas. 

Instead of having E10, they end up making up to E20. 

In most cases, the people who mix the gas and ethanol may not be aware that they are adding too much ethanol. 

The high ethanol content might cause the engine to inject too much fuel in a vehicle that is not engineered to use flex fuel. 

This affects your gas mileage, making you go back to the gas station more.

But how do you remove ethanol from gas? If you want to separate the mixture, you need to add a gallon of water for every gallon of fuel. 

The water will mix with ethanol, but not with gas-forming two layers that you can easily separate. 

Although theoretically, this sounds simple, the process is not easy and most people choose to empty their tanks if they have bad gas. 

Closing Thoughts: Does ethanol-free gas make a difference?

You can use ethanol-based fuel or ethanol-free fuel in your car; whichever you need. 

The ethanol-free gas offers more gas mileage than ethanol-based fuel, but besides that, there is not much difference that you will see from the gas. 

Check with your vehicle manufacturer to understand what kind of gas you need for your vehicle.

The vehicle manual will show exactly the recommended octane level and the ethanol percentage that will work well for your vehicle.

This way, you will not use fuel that can damage your engine in any way. 

You can make ethanol-based fuels better by using fuel additives or ethanol treatment.

The treatment helps offset the moisture problem in ethanol-based fuels.