Should you use E15?

[user removed]

I think if you go beyond E10 in older carbed vehicles, you will probably need to change the jets in the carb. If E15 becomes the norm here (only E10 for the last 8 years?), I'll try it in the Fiesta, and maybe my Ranger, but the bike will not see that concentration.

Frank has it pegged as far as running engines on alcohol. I think the Model T was originally designed to run on alcohol. I just hate it when you don't save money commensurate with the lower energy content, but then I have not really had the option of E0 in along time, and driving the close to 75 miles it takes to get E0 then paying 40cents more a gallon, is something I find hard to justify.

regards
Mech

[Frank Lee]

When we get it I'll try it in Mowmar, the mower. I'm thinking that extra 5% isn't going to make a lick of difference as far as running and as far as WRECKING everything. But perhaps opening the main jet on the ol' Briggs a skosh will be called for. We shall see.

In the meantime I'll be trying to figure out who the 16 year old girls among us are.

[sarguy01]

I add Sta-Bil when filling my gas cans. It seems to do its job well. I've had gas in one can for about six months with no issues. That gas goes into the lawnmower (with some bad gas the old homeowner's left...), the pressure washer and the weed wacker (with 2 stroke oil). They all start normally and run fine. All of the gas around here is E10.

[ecoTex]

Sta-Bil works well. And my freinds with boats swear by Sea-Foam, IIRC.

[roosterk0031]

The energy difference between E10 & E15 is a about 2%, if that's enough to make a carb go lean it must lean already.

[steveo539]

My civic HX does not like the E85. On two different trips to Nebraska I had issues with it. State of Nebraska subsidizes the ethanol so it's quite a bit cheaper than anything else at the pump. Go figure since they grow so much corn there. First time I put it in on purpose (cause it's cheaper). Second time I didn't pay attention to which pump handle I used and put the higher percentage ethanol in. Both times (a year apart from each other) the mileage dropped from 40 to about 35 and check engine light came on. Switched back to "regular unleaded" and mileage went back to normal. Purged by burning through a couple of tanks of "regular unleaded" and engine light went off. I run the 10% stuff all the time at home with no problems. My Ranger doesn't mind the E85 at all. Eats it right up with no ill effects.

As for small engines, I generally run them dry if they're going to be left in storage for any length of time (ethanol or no). They just have a better track record for starting up in the spring that way. Don't know about cold start 'cause it just don't get that cold where I live.

PS, only us old farts can appreciate the irony of "regular unleaded"

[roosterk0031]

Welcome Steve,

The only tax advantages E gets now is in some states the road tax is a little lower.

I agree for best small engine starting run them empty, just seems wastefull during summer, end of season heck yes run them dry.


Most cars FI systems when they see they are adding 20% more fuel that what is programed they throw a CEL cause it thinks something wrong. With only a 12% drop going from regular to E85 is great. The 2 FFV cars I've owned both lost 18%. With E85 almost $1.00 cheaper in my area it's a OK bargin for me.

I've been playing with blending off and on for a few years. My Cobalt seems to like E40, 35.3 current 3 tank with average temps near 0f.

[Cobb]

I rotate refills with half tank 85 and then next fill up e10. Seems the insight works best up to an e40 mix before you get an dtc or ruin your mpg. Once you exceed e20 your mpg starts to pick up in warmer room temp like weather. You also get better throttle response.

Yeah, Ive seen the photos of supposed ruined or damaged fuel systems from ethanol, but those are from older vehicles.

[elhigh]

When I get it running again I think I'm going to fill up the Farmall with E85, just for gits and shiggles. See how she do.

Then, because the Farmall's power could most charitably be described as merely modest and at least on straight gas I will be able to keep the horsepower in the middle teens, I will siphon out whatever's left into Josie the Toyota. See how she do. I bet she'll do just fine.

I won't run it into the other vehicles. They're EFI and not tuned for flex fuel, so I don't reckon they'll like it much, maybe throw a code. I'd rather not have to screw around with that if I don't have to. But the older rides, being unsophisticated and therefore a lot more flexible in certain aspects, I bet they'll run like champs.

You will never convince me - and any of you had a hell of a lot more chance at convincing me than Fox News ever did - that E-xx will damage my engine, either by running it as fuel or by leaving it sit in the lines for a week or two. As for an entire season, well, anything bad that happens to an owner who leaves fuel sitting in his lines for months on end, deserves what happens to him. That's poor practice. Run some Sta-Bil in there and fear not.

[Frank Lee]

That's exactly backwards of what I would expect; EFI can compensate for the mixture requirement discrepency automatically while carbs need re-adjustment if not re-jetting. Also ethanol loves high compression and I'd wager that Farmall is very, very low.