E85

[dz4r1b]

Has anyone tried E85 gas? Always looking to improve finances, this could be a good one. I'm driving 100 miles/day and E85 price break could add up for commuters.

[ToolGuy]

For a Vibe you mean? If so, Vibes cannot take E85. If you are asking for other vehicles then me personally now I have not. But have heard you get a few lower MPG and it does smell like alcohol more. GM vehicles have yellow gas caps and Flex Fuel stickers on them. Here is a list of the E85 GM vehciles.Chevy Avalanche LS, LT1, LT2, LT3, and LTZ models LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines Half-ton models only. Standard on 4X4 models; available on 2WD models Chevy Impala LS, 1LT, and 2LT models 3.5L V6 LZE engine Standard Chevy Silverado 1500 WT, 1LT, 2LT, and LTZ models 5.3L V8 engine with Active Fuel Management Available Chevy Suburban LS, LT1, LT2, LT3, and LTZ half-ton models only LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines with Active Fuel Management Half-ton models only; Standard on 4X4 models; Available on 2WD models Chevy Tahoe LS, LT1, LT2, LT3, and LTZ models LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines with Active Fuel Management Available Chevy Express 1500 Passenger LS, Passenger LT, Conversion, and Work models 5.3L V8 engine Available on 1500 models only. Not available with driver-side 60/40 swing-out doors. Chevy Uplander LS Extended Wheelbase, 1LT Extended Wheelbase, and 2LT Extended Wheelbase 3.9L (LGD) V6 engine Available GMC Savana 1500 LS, LT, and Work Van models 5.3L V8 engine Available on 1500 models only. GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab (Work Truck and SLE1) models, 1500 Extended Cab (Work Truck, SLE1, SLE2, and SLT) models, and Crew Cab (SLE1, SLE2, and SLT) models 5.3L V8 engines with and without Active Fuel Management Available GMC Yukon SLE 3SA, SLE 3SB, SLT 4SA, and SLT 4SB models LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines with Active Fuel Management Standard on 4WD models GMC Yukon XL SLE 3SA, SLE 3SB, SLT 4SA, and SLT 4SB models LC9 or LMG 5.3L V8 engines Requires 1/2-ton models. Available 2WD models. Pontiac Montana SV6 LZ9 model 3.9L V6 engine Offered only in Canada and Mexico by special order

[lowincash]

i've heard e85 gives lower mpg...but what's the advantage of them? are they cheaper to fill up with?

[ToolGuy]

There are several important benefits to using E85 ethanol, including:Ethanol, the major component of E85 ethanol, is a renewable fuel Using E85 ethanol helps reduce dependence on petroleum Using E85 ethanol helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions Using E85 ethanol can help improve your vehicle's performance. How? E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which allows for more horsepower and torque Using E85 ethanol can help reduce smog-forming emissions Using E85 ethanol can help support the domestic agriculture industry in the U.S.

[Kamikaze]

If you use it on a car that is not designed for it.. you can clog your injectors, but more importantly it will break down the rubber components... so seals, and hoses (fuel lines)so basically you'll ruin your car if you use it in a car that wasn't designed for it.One is the elimination of bare magnesium, aluminum, and rubber parts in the fuel system. Another is that fuel pumps must be capable of operating with electrically conductive ethanol instead of non-conducting dielectric gasoline fuel. Fuel injection control systems have a wider range of pulse widths to inject approximately 40% more fuel. Stainless steel fuel lines, sometimes lined with plastic, and stainless steel fuel tanks in place of terne fuel tanks are used. In some cases, FFVs use acid-neutralizing motor oil. For vehicles with fuel-tank mounted fuel pumps, additional differences to prevent arcing, as well as flame arrestors positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are also sometimes used.Here's some more info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85

[ramenboy...]

what they said. the engine and more importantly fuel system has to be designed for e85. i did a search for the thread i started looking into this, but can't find it...http://www.flextek.com/flextek.htm

[AKLGT]

us subie guys are using it as a solution:http://www.legacygt.com/forums...90221however, I haven't seen E85 offered up here and doubtful it ever would be. Instead, I'll be looking at other experimental solutions to see how those work.

[ToolGuy]

My wife just got 34 miles per gallon on her last tank in the Vibe. She does all city driving for work too. Things you can do for your 100 miles trip and you may already know a couple of these are keep your tires inflated properly, keep a clean air filter and if you have the horizontal roof rack pieces like my 03 does, remove them. Removing these center pieces usually gain a 2% MPG increase. I have not removed mine but I pushed the front one as far back as I could. I move remove them one day and this site has posts from members on how to do it.

[ToolGuy]

When fuel becomes $10 a gallon, that will be when I convert my Corvette to run on E85. Basically all Vettes built in the last ten years can take a conversion and pretty much involves new fuel injectors. However, once converted, it will not run on normal gasoline unless it is converted back.

[breezd]

Another large concern of E85 is just the availability of the fuel in your area. Here in southeast WI, it's hardly offered at all. In central WI, it's more available... But like they said above, when you change over to E85, it takes some work to convert back to gasoline. In most cases also, E85 does not offer much of a difference in MPGs, if not making it worse. It can be cheaper for the E85, but the largest selling point for it is the fact that it is "greener".

[breezd]

I just found this website, which offers a listing of stations and their prices (reported by users of the site) for E85.http://e85prices.com

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by breezd »Another large concern of E85 is just the availability of the fuel in your area. Here in southeast WI, it's hardly offered at all. In central WI, it's more available... But like they said above, when you change over to E85, it takes some work to convert back to gasoline. In most cases also, E85 does not offer much of a difference in MPGs, if not making it worse. It can be cheaper for the E85, but the largest selling point for it is the fact that it is "greener". as I said, we don't even have it here. Or i'd give it a shot. upgrade injectors (which doesn't hurt to do anyways) and tune the car for it and I'd be good to go.

[ClunkClunk]

There's also quite a few questions on how "green" E85 really is. Not only do you get less mileage per gallon of it, but the price does involve subsidies making it artificially cheaper. Then there's the whole issue of converting potential food crops to fuel sources, massive lobbying by the corn industry, and environmental side effects like pesticides and fertilizers used to grow the crops. It's a controversial topic.Personally, I don't think I have a solid stance on whether it's a good or bad thing, as there's so many conflicting opinions. Combine that with the almost zero availability in California, and the fact that my cars can't run on it, so there's little incentive for me to form an opinion on it yet.And frankly, anything that burns hydrocarbons, regardless of their source, is just a band aid, not a fix for the problems of hydrocarbon powered vehicles.

[Lancer]

I'm with you. I too think that e-85 is only a band aid to slow the use of arabian gas. Also heard from a few news shows that it's going to put a huge strain on food and all food prices. Sorta like the stimulus rebate check's, Looks good on paper, but it's barely a band-aid.If you want to really play your part to save the planet, buy a pirus or lease the new honda hydrogen fuel cell hybrid (it's for lease only cuz it's new tech and they want to do studies after your done with it.). They're even planing a home fuel generator that can also power your house.