Quote:
Originally Posted by rmay635703
Actually I've never seen a statistically significant drop on any of my non-e85 vehicles when running an e85 mix. (compared to e10 anyway)
The vehicles I own that would be affected are so old that they can't run ethanol gas in the summer because of vapor lock issues and I've never tried in the winter but likely I would have to get non-40year old gaskets replaced.
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I have. Everyone I know that's done it has. By engine design and physics it should. Depends on how much ethanol there is/how many tanks and how the fuel management system works (like you mention). All FI cars should see a noticeable drop using full E85. My car that I tried it in ran fine, albeit with a little less oomph and the gas gauge dropped pretty quick. lost 2-3 mpg (starting at 26) and according to my math I only had about 40-50% ethanol in the tank for about a month (alternated tanks of E10 and E85 filling when it was around 1/2)
As far as the O2 sensor reading mixtures, it'll read fine with ethanol. the sensor reads how much O2 is left which is a function of the mixture. stoich for pure ethanol is around 9:1 vs gasolines 14.7:1. you get fuel system rich codes because the O2 is trying to correct the mixture to the 9:1 side and the PCM says that's not cool and turns on the MIL.
It's not a matter of "IF": the Ethanol subsidies are scheduled to end in either 2016 or 2018. Around the same time the car mfrs will stop getting credits toward CAFE for flex fuel vehicles.