E85 experience

[bgbdwlf2500]

Anybody have any long term e85 use experience? I just filled up the tank with it on Tuesday. Mpg is down but power and smoothness seem to be up. Im running the superchips 91 octane tune. E85 was 1.69, 87 is 2.05 and 93 is around 2.50 or so. Figured the e85 octane is usually around 100 to 105 so since I was already running 93 that even if mpg suffered i may still be ahead. Like I said my main question is has Any body used it long term? Any issues besides lower mpg? My truck is a 2010 sierra 5.3 afm disabled

[bgbdwlf2500]

To go along with my post I should have 100% e85 in the tank by this point. Power and smoothness are better for sure, idle is smoother also. That being said mpg is steadily dropping. Average has gone from 16.5 stop and go to 14.5. Hand calculation looks to be about 9. Fuel range down to 295 on a tank. I'm paying 1.63/gallon vs 2.50 or so for premium because I'm still running the superchips 91 octane tune

[NoProblem]

I don't have a tune, just a regular 5.3 that runs fine on 87 octane, but I ran E85 for most of spring and all summer because of the noticeable increase in power. I probably average about 13-14 mpg with E85 and 16-18 on regular unleaded. After about 5 months of running E85, I have no issues one way or the other to report.

 

E85 does make the starter crank an extra few seconds before starting, so I'll be using regular gas for winter to help avoid that, otherwise I would run E85 100% of the time and enjoy the extra power.

[bgbdwlf2500]

I don't have a tune, just a regular 5.3 that runs fine on 87 octane, but I ran E85 for most of spring and all summer because of the noticeable increase in power. I probably average about 13-14 mpg with E85 and 16-18 on regular unleaded. After about 5 months of running E85, I have no issues one way or the other to report.

 

E85 does make the starter crank an extra few seconds before starting, so I'll be using regular gas for winter to help avoid that, otherwise I would run E85 100% of the time and enjoy the extra power.

 

mine was fine on 87 also but I bought the tuner mainly to disable the afm, and then of course its hard not to try a tune. It was the best 270 ive spent due to the features it has. my truck also has the 3.08 gear ratio that yours does and I hate it. the combination of the tune, disabling afm and disabling some of the tq management makes it feel more like a truck but I really don't like that gear ratio. I'm in south Carolina so I probably wont notice any issue with cold starts. if I do ill mix some gasoline in with it

[Colossus]

The few times I ran E85 it was fun. Much more pep for the engine. Better than running premium. But dang 250 miles a fill up sure sucked.

[RyanbabZ71]

Define long term? In the last six years I have run it pretty much exclusively (minus 2-4 tanks of premium when I couldn't easily obtain E85)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Black02Silverado]

If your vehicle isn't a flex fuel then be careful. If you run 100% E85 and run it hard you will run it lean at 4k and up. The fuel pump and injectors are not designed to handle the correct amount of fuel needed not to mention the computer has no way of telling what fuel you are running, unlike a flex fuel vehicle.

 

When I ran it 100% in my 02 I got codes for bank1 and bank2 running lean. So now I run a mix of 40% E85 and 60% 93. Seems to be my sweet spot because my economy doesn't take a hit like it would at 100% E85.

[bgbdwlf2500]

Black02Silverado - Mine is flex fuel, I wouldnt have tried it if it wasn't. Also I don't run my truck that hard, I don't know that ever ran it up to 3k but its a 3.08 gear truck too which keeps the rpms down.

 

Ryanbabz71 - that's all I was asking. 6 years in is plenty long term