General vehicle thread

[ChickNorris]

Does anyone use E-85? I've been driving a flex-fuel vehicle for over 90,000 miles and never even tried it. I'm going to try a tank now.

I made that choice not too long ago. I was disappointed.

[fitterjohn]

Does anyone use E-85? I've been driving a flex-fuel vehicle for over 90,000 miles and never even tried it. I'm going to try a tank now.

I new a few wrx's running it. Also new a guy back in the 2007 range that was running it in his 69 mustang, pretty awesome, but not your standard factory stuff. I was going to run it back when I had plans of building a 395 small block chevy.

[Gman]

My Tahoe was Flex Fuel. When Gas was going for $4/gal, I tried it. Torque was pretty impressive. MPG, not so much. Ethanol contains less energy per volume than gasoline. It has to be significantly cheaper than gas to make it worth it.

There's an attraction for folks that take their cars to the track or drag race.

[DenverGP]

My son runs it in his grand prix, but it's only real value is performance in a car that is custom tuned for E85. Stock flex fuel vehicles won't see much if any improved performance, only lower MPG.

In my son's modded supercharged car, the E85 tune lets him run a bunch more ignition timing, and the high alcohol content helps keep the intake charge cooler, preventing pre-ignition / detonation. It acts like a much higher octane fuel.

It's usually at least a 25% MPG decrease, and it's not 25% cheaper anywhere I've seen.

I know at least one guy who had fuel problems after his first tank of E85, because the E85 cleaned the tank really well, but all the crud it cleaned out of the tank clogged up the fuel filter.

[00tec]

Yeah, unless its 25%ish cheaper, not worth it. UNLESS you are tuned for performance with it.

[Irving]

I've definitely heard all that stuff before. I guess just wondering if anyone did it in a regular vehicle. Come to think of it, I don't think I've even ever seen anyone else pumping it. I track my mileage tank to tank so I'm interested to see how much worse it is. Thanks everyone.

[ChickNorris]

I've definitely heard all that stuff before. I guess just wondering if anyone did it in a regular vehicle. Come to think of it, I don't think I've even ever seen anyone else pumping it. I track my mileage tank to tank so I'm interested to see how much worse it is. Thanks everyone.

Simply put, Plan to need fuel sooner.

[Jer]

I don't run E85.

[BushMasterBoy]

I use a 1/4 tank of E85 to bump up the octane and clean the fuel system. The user manual calls for 87 octane and I use 85 octane regularly. I also use Techroline fuel injection cleaner every other tank. Engine is modded with a aluminum intake manifold. Old intake was plastic. The injectors were spotless when I installed the manifold. Engine is a Ford 4.6L V8.
I do lose some MPG, but I seem to gain some performance.
The computer seems to handle the air/fuel ratio very well and all the O2 sensors this were replaced this year.
'03 and later versions are all E85 Flex Fuel vehicles from the factory. 2012 was the last year of MGM's and Crown Vic's.
I have never tried more than a quarter tank of E85. I have never gotten a CEL from this and a live reading of the 02 sensors is nominal. Car has 66K miles.

[wyome]

Wife used to run e85 in her flex fuel dodge ram....never noticed a difference in how it ran, or towed stuff. Now the place she used to get if from quit carrying it....