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E85?

philbilly20

By philbilly20
in Engines & Drivetrain

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KARNUT Senior Enthusiast

KARNUT

Posted
Posted

I'm a little concerned, E85 is closed to regular gas in some places higher. I compare to 93 gas for reasons already discussed. My concern is what is the shelf life of E85 in their tanks, not many are going to buy with regular gas so close

 

 

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POS VETT Enthusiast

POS VETT

Posted
Posted

Ryan - how did you get the 20c discount at Meijer?

travalan21 Enthusiast

travalan21

Posted
Posted

Seems to me my 5.3 really likes the corn juice. On my third tank...and I'd buy it even if it was same price as reg gas. The little bit of performance gain is enough for me to pickup the yellow handle! I've also found that it takes longer to start on cold mornings compared to gasoline.

 

 

I found that out too. Its because the fuel burns colder. I asked around and did some research and the e85 just burns cleaner, but does not have the same amount of energy that gasoline has. I started to mix my tanks...not sure if I should but I found that I get the best of both worlds if I put half a tank of e85 mixed with higher octane fuel. Starts right up in the mornings, not having to turn over a few times. I also have better response when in traffic or otherwise. My truck also isnt so loud...the direct injection clicking sounds...maybe its all in my head but I drive cars for a living and I like the fifty fifty mix during the winter time. I will be all e85 when I get back from my deployment though since it loves the heat.

  • 2 weeks later...
310racing Enthusiast

310racing

Posted
Posted

I found that out too. Its because the fuel burns colder. I asked around and did some research and the e85 just burns cleaner, but does not have the same amount of energy that gasoline has. I started to mix my tanks...not sure if I should but I found that I get the best of both worlds if I put half a tank of e85 mixed with higher octane fuel. Starts right up in the mornings, not having to turn over a few times. I also have better response when in traffic or otherwise. My truck also isnt so loud...the direct injection clicking sounds...maybe its all in my head but I drive cars for a living and I like the fifty fifty mix during the winter time. I will be all e85 when I get back from my deployment though since it loves the heat.

Well, I have ran only E85 for the last few tanks, and added the diablo intune while on e85. Was very pleased, and was running well.

Tried the listed above, mixing 50/50 e85+ 93. I can def tell a diff in the throttle response, and mid range. It's not bad, but it's not quite what it was on e85. I will check tomorrow to see if the cranking is better.

Pretty sure I'll be going back to corn juice for good after this test.

Just FYI if interested.

cnrtool Enthusiast

cnrtool

Posted
Posted

Are any of the E85 users here concerned with water contamination, since water and E85 will mix without seperation?

calgator73 Senior Enthusiast

calgator73

Posted
Posted

No...water removers like iso-heat contain alcohol. The alcohol combines with water (small amounts) to allow it to be burned safely. Both isopropyl and ethanol are alcohol in very similar concentrations with the same properties regarding water.

POS VETT Enthusiast

POS VETT

Posted
Posted

Running that much ethanol concentration is actually a surefire way to remove water from the vehicle tank. I doubt that E85 sold in a typical fuel station is saturated with water.

Steve1199 Enthusiast

Steve1199

Posted
Posted

So, reading through this, i'm thinking i'll be changing up some things and see how it goes.

 

I've been running 87 now since new (3800 miles).

 

I looked but down south here, theres no E85 stations for quite a ways (couple hours away).

 

Would it be a safe assumption that i'd be better off running 89 or 91 for better performance given the high compression of the engine?

austingta Enthusiast

austingta

Posted
Posted

I run 87 all the time. It runs great. The ECM compensates for lower octane by reducing performance, but I can't tell it.

Steve1199 Enthusiast

Steve1199

Posted
Posted

 

15% less MPG is about the most I have lost when running E85. I did notice that the engine stays in V4 considerably longer. I think this helps offset the fact that E85 has less BTU's then gas but because of the higher octane, these motors can add more timing thus making more power. When running E85, my ScanGauge shows almost no KR and timing advance in V4 mode is probably 50-75% higher then when running gas.

 

Forgot to add that I filled up with E85 this Tuesday for $1.69 a gallon!

What scangauge are you using? ScanGauge II? looking into one and wasn't sure if it was worth it.

gone_fishing Enthusiast

gone_fishing

Posted
Posted

What scangauge are you using? ScanGauge II? looking into one and wasn't sure if it was worth it.

 

Yes ScanGauge II. I was able to add Knock Retard though the X-commands: http://www.scangauge.com/support/x-gauge/gm-specific/ I also added oil temperature. Can't remember where I found that X-command at since it's not on the ScanGauge website. Have it wrote down somewhere if anyone needs it.

Chris Senior Enthusiast

Chris

Posted
Posted

 

Yes ScanGauge II. I was able to add Knock Retard though the X-commands: http://www.scangauge.com/support/x-gauge/gm-specific/ I also added oil temperature. Can't remember where I found that X-command at since it's not on the ScanGauge website. Have it wrote down somewhere if anyone needs it.

What x x commands. I want to play with different things on the scangauge 2

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