Re: Methyl Hydrate

[zm@mhcnet.att.com (Zafer Mehmood [209])]

> 
>    I posted a couple weeks ago in regards to my car having trouble 
> starting and having a lack of power.  After a new warm-up valve and new 
> injectors it's running like a dream.  However the reason for writing this 
> is that my mechanic mentioned that I should never put gasline antifreeze 
> in a fuel-injection engine as the methyl hydrate boils the gas and 
> affects the performance of the engine.  Has anybody heard of this also?
> 

Don't know about methyl hydrate, but I have read that the older dry-gas
that contains methyl alcohol is not good for fuel injected cars. Apparently,
it harms (dissolves) rubber components used in FI systems. Gas line
antifreeze containing Isopropanolol or Isopropyl Alcohol or Ethyl Alcohol is
perfectly safe in FI cars. These usually cost more ($1 vs. 30-40 cents for the
methyl alcohol ones) and the container is generally marked "for use in all
fuel injected and turbocharged cars".

I personally use the isopropyl variety in all my cars at least twice a
year. This gets rid of any water or moisture build-up in the gas tank.
Water gets pumped in with gasoline or moisture builds up with high humidity.
The alcohol absorbs water, carries it to the engine and burns it up.
No water left in the tank to rust it up or clog fuel injectors or freeze
up the gas line in winter. Think of it as a water sponge rather than just
anti-freeze.


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Zafer Mehmood				   AT&T Bell Laboratories
zm@mhcnet.att.com			   Murray Hill, NJ