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E85 Gas - Does anyone use it? Is it worth it?

Iceman!

Iceman!

THPer formerly known as "markm778"
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Finally picked up a car that can use E85 gas and I have a station that just opened up near me that sells it.
I see it's a couple of pennies cheaper that 87.
I was always under the understanding that it's not worth it because you lose out on gas mileage.

Does anyone use it and if so, what is your experience with it?
Does your car run "OK" with it?
Gas mileage affected?
 
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I try to not use it. I did for a bit and lost about 3 MPG in my Focus. For the cost difference it's not worth it IMO.
 
My Cadillac can use it, and despite a loss of gas mileage, it is a renewable fuel source. The cost difference usually equates it to be close to a wash.
 
E85 isn't worth the minor savings to me in the long run. You can't get the fuel mileage with it like normal unleaded gasoline. It isn't as "energy dense". You can get a slight increase in horsepower. Always make sure your vehicle is "flex fuel" or E85 compliant. Ethanol is not good with standard fuel systems due to the rubber and metals used.
 
The purpose of ethanol is to reduce the consumption of regular gasoline or fossil fuels especially in the ones that burn the most I.E bigger SUV's ect. They pretty much say if a vehicle is going to burn excessive fuel it might as well be something we can re produce and not something that we cant such as fossil. Corn fuel has its ups and downs. To me, the only up it has is using it for modified high performance vehicles with fuel systems to run it. The reason for it is it tends to run cooler and less prone to detonation especially when using power adders I.E turbo, blower, nitrous, ect

The reason its said that E85 can actually cause lower MPG is because it has a lower energy content than a fossil fuel would which can deliver less power when burned. Since it has less power, it essentially takes more to make up for the lost of energy it doesn't produce.

Now, I know I might have sounded like I contradicted myself here.....but when it comes to a daily driver looking for MPG and a high performance vehicle that doesn't have MPG in mind it has its pros and cons.

If a vehicle is designed to run E85 or flexfuel as they call it you could see benefits from it because its designed for the fuels rating.
 
In the hot rod/tuner car world, e85 is a godsend. The fuel ignites at a lower temperature which keeps internal temps down. It allows us to run more boost with more timing, making more power. But for every day driving in a stock car, it's just an alternative fuel source. And because of the lower flash point, it takes about 1/3 more fuel than gasoline.

Hot Rod magazine did a test drive in a Suburban from San Diego to Las Vegas using 87 octane, the did the same trip using e85. They had about 1/4 tank left of 87 octane, and on the e85 trip they had to add 5 gallons to make it. E is also fairly corrosive. If your car isn't designed to run flex fuel, don't use it.

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J.B. Cobb III said:
Ethanol is not good with standard fuel systems due to the rubber and metals used.
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Anything older than 2002 I believe......one can run it with a newer vehicle as they are designed to handle it
 
2BFAST said:
Anything older than 2002 I believe......one can run it with a newer vehicle as they are designed to handle it
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I cracked up first time I tuned my old turbo 4 banger on E. The car made 433whp and 405wtq using MS109 at 24psi boost. On E, it made 468whp and 490wtq at 25psi. But it took 10* more timing and alot more injector to run E at around the same a/f ratio. I was running 635cc injectors at 75psi fuel pressure on gas and 860cc injectors for E. Picked up almost a half second at the track as well.

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kevin81002 said:
I cracked up first time I tuned my old turbo 4 banger on E. The car made 433whp and 405wtq using MS109 at 24psi boost. On E, it made 468whp and 490wtq at 25psi. But it took 10* more timing and alot more injector to run E at around the same a/f ratio. I was running 635cc injectors at 75psi fuel pressure on gas and 860cc injectors for E. Picked up almost a half second at the track as well.
Click to expand...

Iv never ran it, but I agree is def has its advantages. But you have to commit to using it as you seen it takes a fuel system to handle it.
 
I've a 2009 Flex Fuel Suburban that I bought used in early 2010. Early on, there was a bigger price difference, enough for me to give E85 a shot.

Short lived, combination of the reduction in MPG, price balancing between it and 87 octane, and that I'd read E85 caused issues wrt to rot in various gas tanks.

Haven't used it since 2011, probably.
 
The only way I'd run E85 is if I converted my Cobra to run on it. The "savings" are a wash after you figure the lower mileage and the miniscule "saving the environment" feel good points just don't negate that.

If that's not enough, the federal government uses E85. That, in and of itself, tells me it's a bad choice.
 
I used it some, it was not worth it for me. My truck didn’t seem to like it and I definitely took a mileage hit.
 
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