E85 (85% Alcohol Fuel) use in GN
- Thread starter tomjon
- Start date
GNVYUS 1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2002
I was going to go to E85 myself but there are a few things you need to do first, which changed my mind.
E 85 will eat away a fuel system. You need an alky ready pump and this would mean it probably goes externally. $$$
Then, E 85 needs 40% more fuel to get the same btu level of regular gas. E 95 needs even more to get the same btu level. You not only need injectors that much larger $$$
But an ecu upgrade for the low impedence injectors. $$$
E 85 does not start well in the winter due to the low btu levels. I have read a bunch on this because I thought I was for sure going to do ths as its $1.80 by me and at 12 other locations here in IL. The tests had a hard time getting the test car to start in 20 to 0 temps. If I remember right, its stopped starting when it got to single digits above 0 and below. Forget winter driving or even late fall driving here in IL with this stuff.
I have had two different conversations with Marathon Technicians and I got E 85 is 111 octane, and the other said its 105 octane. Lets be safe and take the low end, 105 octane, at $1.80. You need 40% more so a 10 gallon tank of 93 oct at $1.80 is $18. You need 14 gallons of E 85 ($1.80) to get the same gas mileage. This means you are at $25.20 or really the equivalant of $2.52 a gallon. This is almost what I get 100 oct for here, so I am not sure if its worth it with the other added expenses involved.
E 85 will eat away a fuel system. You need an alky ready pump and this would mean it probably goes externally. $$$
Then, E 85 needs 40% more fuel to get the same btu level of regular gas. E 95 needs even more to get the same btu level. You not only need injectors that much larger $$$
But an ecu upgrade for the low impedence injectors. $$$
E 85 does not start well in the winter due to the low btu levels. I have read a bunch on this because I thought I was for sure going to do ths as its $1.80 by me and at 12 other locations here in IL. The tests had a hard time getting the test car to start in 20 to 0 temps. If I remember right, its stopped starting when it got to single digits above 0 and below. Forget winter driving or even late fall driving here in IL with this stuff.
I have had two different conversations with Marathon Technicians and I got E 85 is 111 octane, and the other said its 105 octane. Lets be safe and take the low end, 105 octane, at $1.80. You need 40% more so a 10 gallon tank of 93 oct at $1.80 is $18. You need 14 gallons of E 85 ($1.80) to get the same gas mileage. This means you are at $25.20 or really the equivalant of $2.52 a gallon. This is almost what I get 100 oct for here, so I am not sure if its worth it with the other added expenses involved.
