e85

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Austin Carpenter

Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Stations around me have e85 for $1 a gallon less than gasoline. Is it worth it in the long run? I wouldn't mind running it because I no a lot of people that bring there corn to local ethical plant.

 

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IH2444

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

(quoted from post at 20:02:14 01/28/14) Stations around me have e85 for $1 a gallon less than gasoline. Is it worth it in the long run? I wouldn't mind running it because I no a lot of people that bring there corn to local ethical plant.

Click to expand...

Is your vehicle certified for E85?
If not the DO NOT do it.

 

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Russ from MN

Well-known Member

Location

Bemidji MN

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Try it and do the math! Assuming you have a flex fuel vehicle. That is a lot less than E-10, and I have heard that E-85 is not 85% in the winter, it would make for hard starting.

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Some tractors seem to like it as they can be adjusted to a bit richer mix. Cars don't like it unless made for it. then it is gung ho. The 85%Ethanol blend fuel will give about 15% less mileage, but the difference in price should make it a bargain. Do the math. Jim

 

OP

OP

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Austin Carpenter

Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Ya it is a 2012 sierra so its a flex fuel

 

onefarmer

Well-known Member

Location

6735 S Lowell Rd, St Johns, Mi 48879

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

I have a 2011 Silverado and it runs just fine on E85. Been using it for 6 months now. Starts just fine in this below zero weather.

 

Steve A W

Member

Location

Northwest Indiana

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

We have an '02 suburban with a 350ci engine.
E85 gets about 20% less on mileage but the lack of power is very noticeable.

Steve A W

 

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Craig2

Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

I have an 02 Dodge Grand Caravan that will burn the E85. Tried it a couple months back in the summer. Mileage went from 18-19 down to around 15. Seemed to start alright but ran around 1000 rpms at start up until it warmed up then back down to around 700 rpms at idle. I didn't really care for it but that van has almost 200,000 miles on it and older plugs so that could make a difference

 

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MSD

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

You might want to give E-30 or E-15 a try first. I get good mileage out of the E-15 but not as good out of the E-30. I've used E-85 in tractors and it seems to run just fine but a little harder to start. You almost have to run 3 tanks through before you make a judgment on the fuel mileage. Something to do with the computer having to adjust to the different mix.

 

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paul

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

My understanding is the math comes out right if it is 60 cents a gallon or more less than straight gas, or about 50 cents less than E10.

However that is in a vehicle rated for E85.

If yours is not, I would keep it to E35 or less. Your computer can't adjust enough for the E85.

You can just add a 1/3 tank of E85 to your E10 and be close.

Paul

 

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oldtanker

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Unless a vehicle is rated for it I wouldn't use it. In fact even if I owned a flex fuel vehicle I would NOT use it. I hate using 10% just because it's forced on me. And I don't owe the corn growers squat.

Rick

 

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Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Wondering how you get away with letting E85 sit in a carb between uses?

I remember back in the racing days, anything run on alcohol had to be run empty or it would leave gummy residue in the fuel system. It was also bad for neoprene hoses and fuel pump diaphragms.

Having any of these problems?

 

omahagreg

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

I penciled my mileage into the equation, then figured a 25% reduction in MPG, as some had thought. It has to be $1.25 per gallon cheaper for it to work out for me! I get between 11 and 13 on E10 now! At that rate, I will never try it, as it is only about $.50 cheaper here!

 

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Sprint 6

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

You are confusing methanol with ethanol. Methanol, commonly called wood alcohol, is highly corrosive. Ethanol is only mildly corrosive to some metals. I have run E85 in an old Briggs engine for years with no ill effects, in fact the carb stays cleaner on E85.

 

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Frank 41

Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

I can run about E40 in my Sienna that is not a bio van. But E85 is excellent as a parts and paint cleaner.

 

rockyridgefarm

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Can't help you with whether or not to use e85, but -

Local station offered E85 for about 5 years between 2006ish and 2011ish. Then they switched the tank over to off-road diesel. This is a cooperative owned gas station in a strong farming community in the center of the largest agricultural county in Wisconsin. Lots of 10 year old or less vehicles, so one can assume lots of flex fuels. Dunno what the issue was - poor sales? Poor shelf life?

 

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JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

• Jan 28, 2014

• #1

Our "03 van was E85. If E85 was about 40 cents cheaper than E10, we were money ahead. Lately it"s been about 90 cents cheaper. Our "13 van is E85 and we use it as well. Run a few tanks of each and check mileage, do the math.

 

Gambles

Well-known Member

• Jan 29, 2014

• #1

Sorry to hijack your thread, but.....the local gas station is now offering No Alcohol 87 octane. It's only a nickel higher than 10% 87 octane. I feel it's currently the best buy out there. To keep on the same subject as yours, my nearest E85 station is over 25 miles away.

 

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dej(Jed)

Well-known Member

• Jan 29, 2014

• #1

(quoted from post at 17:02:14 01/28/14) Stations around me have e85 for $1 a gallon less than gasoline. Is it worth it in the long run? I wouldn't mind running it because I no a lot of people that bring there corn to local ethical plant.

Click to expand...

Austin--E85 is normally 70% ethanol. It has a very high octane from the ethanol. The production spec allows it to contain 1% water, but that is okay because it is suspended throughout the mixture. I wouldn't be afraid to run it in an older vehicle in warmer weather. A flex fuel vehicle is simply fitted with better fuel lines and gasket materials. The engine isn't much different.
Heck a gasoline engine will burn a lot of different solvent type materials. (fltechnologies.org)