E85...any reason Not to use it?

[Fless]

As I understand it the ethanol mix is done as the local station's tanks are being filled. They do the same thing we do, mix at the tank. I could be wrong.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

I live in Michigan, come winter E85 can drop as low as 61% ethanol. I've read about using E85 test kits (glass vial) is there an easier way to confirm the ethanol percentage?
Is there a website that lists when the E85 has the ethanol percentage lowered?

I don't run it in the winter here (Chicago) anyways simply because it doesn't like to burn cold.

 

[R3cord303]

On 93 Octane Gasoline, the last 14 tanks averaged 14.65 MPG or twenty-four cents a mile.

On E30, the last 20 tanks averaged 15.18 MPG or sixteen cents a mile.

While we're talking ethanol, the last 25 tanks of E85 averaged 12.01 MPG when not towing or twenty cents a mile.

Ohh, does it mix well? I guess so, have not experienced any adverse effects.

Do you spend a lot of time on the highway? I've been mainly in town and see about 13.7 MPG but if im on the highway for a couple weeks I'll be up at 14.1 MPG using 87

 

[swathdiver]

I live in Michigan, come winter E85 can drop as low as 61% ethanol. I've read about using E85 test kits (glass vial) is there an easier way to confirm the ethanol percentage?
Is there a website that lists when the E85 has the ethanol percentage lowered?

See I read that winter blend E85 is not supposed to drop lower than 71%! That's the problem with it, the numbers are not consistent. I don't know, the guy who blends at the Sunoco I go to for E30 obviously could do a better job of it, or maybe cycle the tank more often, if there is such a thing to keep it mixed? I dunno.

 

[swathdiver]

Do you spend a lot of time on the highway? I've been mainly in town and see about 13.7 MPG but if im on the highway for a couple weeks I'll be up at 14.1 MPG using 87

Yes. Soon after the cats were replaced last year we took a day trip down to the keys and the truck averaged 17.01 MPG over 359 miles. There was a bit of stop and go in there too.

These are the MPG numbers from running multiple 2-way averages in each 5 mph increment. Also have numbers for E85 @ 80% and 71%. Not done with E30.



Well, here's one of the E85s:

 

[swathdiver]

As I understand it the ethanol mix is done as the local station's tanks are being filled. They do the same thing we do, mix at the tank. I could be wrong.

Possible. I asked the owner of the Sunoco that sells E30 and he mixes it from his E85 and 87 tanks with a blender pump as he called it.

 

[R3cord303]

Yes. Soon after the cats were replaced last year we took a day trip down to the keys and the truck averaged 17.01 MPG over 359 miles. There was a bit of stop and go in there too.

These are the MPG numbers from running multiple 2-way averages in each 5 mph increment. Also have numbers for E85 @ 80% and 71%. Not done with E30.

View attachment 224043

Well, here's one of the E85s:

View attachment 224044

Wow that's fantastic information. Very cool to see how the MPG drops off as your speed increases. IIRC you fight twice as much air for every 10 mph you go up in speed. Do you have AFM deleted?

 

[swathdiver]

Wow that's fantastic information. Very cool to see how the MPG drops off as your speed increases. IIRC you fight twice as much air for every 10 mph you go up in speed. Do you have AFM deleted?

AFM has all the latest parts but is turned off now in the tune by BlackBear. I was working with Justin last year to see if we could get 1 mpg back between 65 and 70 on gasoline but no joy so far. Last time was too much timing (lots of KR) and then I switched her back to Ethanol and these last three tanks were out of convenience. Not in any hurry.

I'm often tempted to turn it back on and tweak it, but I would have to get EFI Live or HP Tuners and do it myself. No disposable income right now with another kid about to head to college and a new car payment very likely in the near future. So I leave it alone lest I break something!

 

[R3cord303]

AFM has all the latest parts but is turned off now in the tune by BlackBear. I was working with Justin last year to see if we could get 1 mpg back between 65 and 70 on gasoline but no joy so far. Last time was too much timing (lots of KR) and then I switched her back to Ethanol and these last three tanks were out of convenience. Not in any hurry.

I'm often tempted to turn it back on and tweak it, but I would have to get EFI Live or HP Tuners and do it myself. No disposable income right now with another kid about to head to college and a new car payment very likely in the near future. So I leave it alone lest I break something!

Good to know. Glad to see MPG is still very possible on the highway with it turned off. As soon as I can afford it I'm getting an HPTuners kit and turning AFM off on mine. Hate it. Only ever stays on at highway speeds for about 3 seconds. Its on in town more but it shakes the whole vehicle a little bit. Makes it feel like the transmission is shifting.

 

[swathdiver]

Good to know. Glad to see MPG is still very possible on the highway with it turned off. As soon as I can afford it I'm getting an HPTuners kit and turning AFM off on mine. Hate it. Only ever stays on at highway speeds for about 3 seconds. Its on in town more but it shakes the whole vehicle a little bit. Makes it feel like the transmission is shifting.

When it was working it was seamless, never felt it. I figured if we could get each cylinder to make another 5-6 horsepower and torque, then the duty cycle would increase to K2 levels; from about 10% to 50%. Cam, exhaust and heads and tuning the ethanol tables could all contribute to bringing those numbers up, probably just tuning and a cam.

When AFM first came out, there were a bunch of guys with Avalanches using HP Tuners that were tweaking the system on their stock motors to get 21-23 MPG. One of the key parameters was vacuum if memory serves. If you google around you can find those posts.