[Chevelle_Nut]

I was fueling my DD yesterday at a new Exxon station and I saw a pump with E85 at $2.99 a gallon. On the pump there were warnings that it was not gasoline and only should be used in flex fuel cars. After dumping $50.00 of unleaded regular gas into my small car it got me thinking.

I have searched TC and many guys are using E85 for drag racing but has anyone here converted a DD non flexfuel car to use E85? I hear you get great power but lose 2 MPG and the car is harder to start in the winter. What damage will it do to the fuel system and engines or will a car run fine on straight E85 without modifications?

 

[BillsCamino]

I tried one tank of E85 in my '10 F150 which is Flex Fuel.
Got 3 miles LESS per gallon in fuel mileage from that tank. I get just over 18mpg with regular unleaded. So thats a 17% reduction in MPG.
I paid $3.34 per gallon this morning for 87 unleaded. Subtract 17% from that and E85 should be priced @ $2.77 to break even.
To me...not worth the slightly cheaper price.

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

Were at almost $3.60 a gal for 87 here.

Did your truck have anymore horsepower being you were running alcohol?

 

[garys141]

87 is $ 4.11 in northern california

 

[1BLACKHARLEY]

I've heard the same complaints about M.P.G. If your D.D. has a plastic fuel tank, expect more issues. I've been told to keep that crap away from my motorcycles, it causes isses with the tank, pumps and mapping. I don't think I've read anything positive that wasn't a marketing tool....

 

[93Polo]

I've heard the same complaints about M.P.G. If your D.D. has a plastic fuel tank, expect more issues. I've been told to keep that crap away from my motorcycles, it causes isses with the tank, pumps and mapping. I don't think I've read anything positive that wasn't a marketing tool....

The positive is that especially the forced induction guys can make alot of power if setup for E85.

I'll be sticking with regular 87 on my daily and truck.

 

[BillsCamino]

Did your truck have anymore horsepower being you were running alcohol?

:noway: Didn't noticed any difference in performance Jon.

 

[novaderrik]

i've done some testing with E85..

my 84 Regal T Type (turbo 3.8 V6 with distributorless ignition and sequential efi) loves the stuff. there is usually a slight loss in mileage compared to regular, but it winds up costign the same per mile. but it feels like a 50hp increase.. cold starting is affected, and it runs kind of rough like a carb car with a choke out of adjustment for about 30 seconds, then it's fine. when i ditched the stock ecm and upgraded to an 87 GN ecm with a TurboTweak chip, most of the poblems went away but it's still sluggish below about 40 degrees for a minute or two. if i run 50% E85, i get the power benefits with no loss in mileage or driveability.
my 97 Cavalier (2.2, 5 speed) ran like crap on straight E85, but like the Regal runs just fine on 50% ethanol with no loss in mileage or power compared to 87octane.

i have the luxury of being able to buy it from a blender pump at a Cenex station that lets you select different blends- 10, 20%, 30%, 50%, and 85% ethanol- so it's easy for me to play with the stuff.

 

[Chris R]

I dont know much about this stuff but it seems people are after the octane from the E85 which is why it appeals to the forced induction guys. I didnt realize the negative milage from it so its not best for use in your daily driven car from the sounds of it.

 

[novaderrik]

I dont know much about this stuff but it seems people are after the octane from the E85 which is why it appeals to the forced induction guys. I didnt realize the negative milage from it so its not best for use in your daily driven car from the sounds of it.

tune for it and you don't really lose any mileage. but even if the mileage does go down a little bit, you could very well still come out ahead in the cost per mile. you will just have to stop at the gas station more often, like you were running a smaller gas tank or something.
but if you do tune for it and then run regular gas, the car will be rich. this isn't a big deal for a car with efi that can automatically adjust for it, but might be a pain with a carb that needs a bunch of stuff changed..

one of the things i want to do to my Regal is to order a bigger set of 60 pound injectors and an E85 chip from Turbo Tweak. this will allow me to really go crazy with the boost and still get good mileage. i will also have him redo my current chip for use with regular gas and the bigger injectors. that way, if i need to fill up and there isn't E85 available, i'll just swap in the gas chip and be on my way.

 

[BillsCamino]

Ford even states in my F150 Owner's Manual that fuel mileage will be reduced when using E85.

 

[Malibusteve70]

E85 = more alcohol = more power....I can expect at least a 100 HP gain in my '07 Subaru STi with bigger injectors and a tune, so it is the same for old muscle too

 

[Euell Florett]

E85 is federally-subsidized fuel, like federally-subsidized housing or federally-subsidized welfare cheese. (Subsidy = tax monies)

E85 subsidies are winding down, so prices will rachet up to its
actual unsubsidized costs, & it will then stand or fail in the marketplace.

Thanks to CONOCO, its "unpoisoned w/ethanol" pump gas is still available here.

The 10%-ethanol polluted fuel kills lawnmowers, tractors, chainsaws,
weedeaters, tillers, generators, etc. Lots of repairs due to ethanol in
systems not specifically designed for it. Ethanol is a corrosive.

Right now, ethanol fuel is killing fuel sensors in new GM vehicles. GM will
replace one sensor under warranty, & tell you, from then on, you must use
only their new GM fuel additive (specifically formulated for this problem) every 3000 miles, forever.

$18.00 a bottle @ a local dealership, $22.00 GM MSRP.

 

[johnretired]

E85 is federally-subsidized fuel, like federally-subsidized housing or federally-subsidized welfare cheese. (Subsidy = tax monies)

E85 subsidies are winding down, so prices will rachet up to its
actual unsubsidized costs, & it will then stand or fail in the marketplace.

Thanks to CONOCO, its "unpoisoned w/ethanol" pump gas is still available here.

The 10%-ethanol polluted fuel kills lawnmowers, tractors, chainsaws,
weedeaters, tillers, generators, etc. Lots of repairs due to ethanol in
systems not specifically designed for it. Ethanol is a corrosive.

Right now, ethanol fuel is killing fuel sensors in new GM vehicles. GM will
replace one sensor under warranty, & tell you, from then on, you must use
only their new GM fuel additive (specifically formulated for this problem) every 3000 miles, forever.

$18.00 a bottle @ a local dealership, $22.00 GM MSRP.

I hear this on other sites too, but I've never had an issue with E-10.
i know of someone who did and he checked the fuel ratio and found the fuel was at least E-50.
now this is believable because the carb was too lean for E-50 and after it warmed up it had enough heat to do some damage.
The real advantage is the octane is higher that pump gas.
I feel the benefit of ethanol is from the octane and mixing these two fuel is not the right way to do it.
Build dedicated ethanol motors and run it straight or high ratio's.

Kind of like running diesel mixed with gasoline if you understand my point.
The mix is creating a fuel with a lower substance than a better fuel.

Kind of like breakfast. You like salt and pepper on you eggs but have you ever tried salt and pepper on your cereal?