with a minimum octane of 87 may be used. However,
the use of lower octane gasoline will result in re-
duced performance.
FLEXIBLE FUEL AA-BODY VEHICLES
These vehicles will operate on either unleaded gas-
oline with a minimum posted octane of 87 or M85
fuel. M85 fuel is a mixture of 85 percent methanol
and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. The vehicle also
will operate on mixture of M85 and unleaded gaso-
line with a minimum posted octane of 87. Do not
use 100 percent methanol in these vehicles.
THE FOLLOWING IS APPLICABLE TO ALL
VEHICLES
Light spark knock at low engine speeds is not
harmful to your engine. However, continued heavy
spark knock at high speeds can cause damage and
should be reported to your dealer immediately. En-
gine damage resulting from operating with a heavy
spark knock may not be covered by the new vehicle
warranty.
In addition to using unleaded gasoline with the
proper octane rating, gasolines that contain deter-
gents, corrosion and stability additives are recom-
mended. Using gasolines that have these additives
will help improve fuel economy, reduce emissions,
and maintain vehicle performance. Generally, pre-
mium unleaded gasolines contain more additive than
regular unleaded.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as
hard starting, stalling, and stumble. If you experi-
ence these problems, try another brand of gasoline
before considering service for the vehicle.
GASOLINE/OXYGENATE BLENDS
Some fuel suppliers blend gasoline with materials
that contain oxygen such as alcohol, MTBE (Methyl
Tertiary Butyl Ether) and ETBE (Ethyl Tertiary Bu-
tyl Ether). The type and amount of oxygenate used
in the blend is important.
The following are generally used in gasoline
blends:
Ethanol - (Ethyl or Grain Alcohol) properly
blended, is used as a mixture of 10 percent ethanol
and 90 percent gasoline. Gasoline blended with eth-
anol may be used in your vehicle.
Methanol - (Methyl or Wood Alcohol) is used in a
variety of concentrations when blended with un-
leaded gasoline. You may find fuels containing 3 per-
cent or more methanol along with other alcohols
called cosolvents.
Do not use gasolines containing Methanol.
Use of methanol/gasoline blends may result in
starting and driveability problems and damage criti-
cal fuel system components.
Problems that are the result of using methanol/gas-
oline blends are not the responsibility of Chrysler
Motors and may not be covered by the new vehicle
warranty.
MTBE/ETBE - Gasoline and MTBE (Methyl Ter-
tiary Butyl Ether) blends are a mixture of unleaded
gasoline blended and up to 15 percent MTBE. Gaso-
line and ETBE (Ethyl Tertiary Butly Ether) are
blends of gasoline and up to 17 percent ETBE. Gas-
oline blended with MTBE or ETBE may be used in
your vehicle.
Clean Air Gasoline
Many gasolines are now being blended that con-
tribute to cleaner air, especially in those areas of the
country where pollution levels are high. These new
blends provide a cleaner burning fuel and some are
referred to as reformulated gasoline.
In areas of the country where carbon monoxide lev-
els are high, gasolines are being treated with oxy-
genated
materials
such
as
ETBE,
MTBE
and
ethanol. The use of gasoline blended with these ma-
terials also contributes to cleaner air.
Chrysler Corporation supports these efforts toward
cleaner air and recommends that you use these gas-
olines as they become available.
Materials Added to Fuel
Indiscriminate use of fuel system cleaning agents
should be avoided. Many of these materials intended
for gum and varnish removal may contain active sol-
vents of similar ingredients that can be harmful to
fuel system gasket and diaphragm materials.
14 - 2
FUEL SYSTEMS
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