[Chrysler300] Drivability Problems Related To Ethanol?

[Tony Rinaldi <awrdoc@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi to all,

Been reluctant to post this. Please be easy on me!

Recent posts and drivability problems incurred by members with our Brutes at
Carlisle and at Meets seem to have a common thread:

Higher outside temperatures yield stalling problems at low speeds and/or
engine roughness at higher speeds.

I have had both and have been readily corrected them by ADVANCING the spark.

Seems to be related to the amount of ethanol in the new blends rather than
the octane. This would explain why when switching from 94 Sunoco to the new
93 "Super" Sunoco, I have had to advance the spark. Retarding the spark
makes the car much worse. There "ain't" no more 94 Sunoco in the NE, any
longer, but there was some in Ohio at the Spring Meet.

Before I go any further, let me explain that my 300-F has a stock dual point
distributor (with points), MSD 6 Capacitive Discharge Ignition with timing
control. I had this installed from the days driving from 94 Sunoco NE to 93
only Carolina country twice a year to Charlotte Auto Fair where my son lives
with his family.

The further South I went and the more 93 gas I had to use, the car would
start bucking at high speeds and not idle well at low speeds until I got to
the Speedway gas station and put in some 100 octane racing gas.

I asked the question from many people:

Why do I have to advance the spark with this new lower octane fuel?

Did not get a reasonable answer, until I asked Thomas White from Whitehall
Restoration (Hopkinton, MA) when I met him at Carlisle last summer.

He said that the increased alcohol had higher octane and was more volatile.
The new gas burns hotter in hot weather and would do the opposite in cold
weather.

So, there it is. Maybe if your car is running like crap, in hot weather,
when it never happened before:

ADVANCE the timing??

You all play nice now.

Regards,
Tony Rinaldi




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