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Old 09-24-2013, 01:10 PM   #9 (permalink)
Allch Chcar
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: North Coast, California
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Cordelia - '15 Mazda Mazda3 i Sport
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It's well proven that Ethanol makes more torque than pump Gasoline. In a non-VVT, OBDI based engine the effect is negligible, +2% at most from Ethanol's latent heat of evaporation. Adaptive tuning and especially VVT, the difference can be up to +5% more peak torque. It varies with engines, engine tuning, and how much Ethanol is present. The effect is similar to running Premium Gasoline but much more pronounced with Ethanol.
Here's a study on it's effect at low RPM operation.
delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2010-01-0619.pdf

I don't recommend just running anything past E10 without doing some reading, unless you have a FFV. I know OP doesn't, because OP has a foreign car. Most OBDII engines can run E85 but will need time to adapt without getting a CEL. FFV functionality allows the engine to quickly compensate for a much wider range of fuel composition without generating a CEL. Stock ECU in a non-FFV is limited in how much you can increase fueling without getting a CEL. Regardless of whether you run E85, it will still adapt to safe mixtures to protect the catalytic converter up until the fuel system maxes out. Which usually isn't the problem BTW. People have added turbochargers onto a factory naturally aspirated engine with stock fuel systems for years.


I am not an expert and I tend to be cautious.
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