A couple weeks ago, I noticed one of the local Meijers had put E85 on their sign... But no price at the time.I was out there again yesterday, and it looks like they've now got it. It was $2.19 a gallon, whereas regular petrol was $2.29. This is good news for folks wanting to run E85 around here, there was only one station within 70 miles that had the stuff prior to this. Always good to see more options. I would go fill up the tank with the stuff now if I could, but my car won't like it that much. Bummer.
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey.
No. It's not so much the octane of the fuel that requires certification to run E85. There are physical changes to engine components as well. Seals and the like are different to deal with the corrosive properties of the ethanol.
Here in MN, it seems as though we have E-85 available at every corner gas station. (E-85 is HUGE in MN)The E-85 discussion comes up just about everywhere.....and since the company I work for is an ag related business...I hear it that much more.More or less, unless your vehicle has been designated to run E-85, I would not run it. The design difference between E-85 compatible engines and conventional engines are the materials used in the fuel system. Ethanol has solvent properties on some organic materials, like rubber hoses, seals, ect. So E-85 engines simply use different materials in the fuel system. Also, (from what I understand) E-85 burns at a lower BTU per gallon so the engine needs to burn more of it. (Thus the drop in mpg) A non E-85 vehicle's computer and fuel system is likely not designed to compensate for this fuel mixture, thus it will also cause it to run poor. Just my two cents.