Been purchasing E85 for the last 5 tankfuls of fuel. Alcohol content went up and then down! That didn't seem right, so was the station not dispensing the right fuel or did the truck's computer not making calculations correctly? To find out we needed an independent way of measuring the alcohol content of the fuel on board the truck.
So from Amazon I purchased a Dynapex 2-piece brass fuel rail fitting with a barbed end for 5/16 hose, 7B-0124. Then from Ebay, I bought a ethanol fuel tester with laser etched lettering, no stickers, with a large cap from fuel-it. Finally, picked up some 3/16 ID clear vinyl pvc tubing from Home Depot. After driving the truck, popped the engine cover off, screwed down the adapter with the hose already attached and let most of the hose fill up with fuel. There was enough fuel under pressure from the truck being recently driven (about an hour earlier) that we took on the whole sample without starting the engine. Pinched the line and then unscrewed the fitting and put the engine cover back on. Meanwhile, the little beaker was filled to the line with water, my daughter held the beaker while I blew into one end of the hose and controlled the amount of fuel going in until the fill line, we actually had more fuel than needed in the clear line.
Then capped it, gave it a good shake and set it down on the kitchen table while we ate lunch. After a spell the alcohol content read 75%. Took the Tech-2 out to the truck and the computer has it calculated at 60%. I think both happened, the station is not dispensing full E85 (71%+) and the computer's calculations are off for some reason. Must be my wife!
Had planned to run this earlier but was forced to refuel when my wife's car didn't take kindly to the tropical weather so we took the truck to pick up our youngest from volleyball practice and had to refuel before running the test on Sunoco's fuel, went across the street to Racetrac. So the test was done with Racetrac fuel, might do a partial refuel to get it to calculate again or just wait until next time. I've got some wood working planned and don't want to be messing with the truck right now. Did I just write that??? LOL