Using laptop to switch Toyota Yaris to E85.

[Phyrefighterjay]

Hello everyone I am the owner of a 2007 Toyota Yaris and would like to run E 85. I'm told that this car can run on E 85 with either the conversion kit which cost $300 or by simply plugging a laptop into the diagnostics panel and switching a setting so that the timing is changed what do you all know about this? I would like to change the settings via computer rather than spend 300 on the kit.

[The Other Andy]

Does the kit include replacement parts? Normally iirc there's more to it than simply changing the timing; the computer could do that itself.

[Frank Lee]

I just dump it in but maybe that's too simple.

[roosterk0031]

All the $300 kit does is add a 2nd injector pulse about 20% of the first one that the ECU doesn't know about so the ECU can continue to operate in Stoich without the long term fuel trims getting to high throwing a CEL. 20% larger injectors will do the same thing. But if/when you use E10 the car might through a CEL due to the fuel trim going the other way. Check out planet E85 for a few people who have done it that way.

My Cobalt injectors at 24 lb per hour, the ones used in a 2.0 SS Cobalts are 32, I just need to find a set cheap, new there about $150.

Either way it will throw off any factory FE instrumentation.

Most cars can run 40-50% without throwing a CEL. I've run higher in all mine.

The CEL come from long term fuel trim getting close to +20 in most cars. If you can some how change that number to something higher you might be able to avoid the CEL, but you should keep a eye on short term fuel trim so make sure its hovering around 0. If it start getting + number your injectors might not be keeping up. I doubt it though my Impala FFV has 25 lb, with larger cylinders than the cobalt.

[Daox]

Got a link to the conversion kit?

[roosterk0031]

Converting to E85 - Planet E85

Jonny Energy quit selling a few months ago, he was out of Chicago, I got 61 hits on Ebay for conversion kits, I'm pretty sure they all do the same thing. Some give a little extra fuel for cold starts. Some have a dial to fine tune, but all you can really tune is trying to get to 0 long term fuel trim, the cars going to maintain stoich.

As long as you don't exceed injector capacity and are OK ignoring a CEL most cars don't need anything IMO(unless running a turbo or a whole lot of full throttle full load). Get a SG2 so you can watch long term and short term trim and just run it.

I haven't done that myself yet, but next fill for Stratus will be a partial with E85.

[spacemanspif]

Ethanol has less energy than gas, I thought that running E85, even E10, required more fuel to be used to compensate for the lack of energy. The benefit is higher octane and thus being able to run more advanced timing but I thought that was for power, not efficiency. As far as tuning with a laptop: I thought Toyota was anti-tuning, keeping their computers locked and tunes encrypted. If they have changed, that's great news for the tuning community but everyone I know with Toyotas is running piggy back computers or full stand alone engine management.

[roosterk0031]

The benefit of E85 IMO is to reduce cost per mile. Last month I took the Impala on a 200 mile round trip on E85 and got 26 mpg. E0 price that day I would have had to get 47 mpg for the same cost per mile.

Reading some of the older post on Planete85, some really didn't understand what the box was doing, they excepted that the factory DIC(or SG2) was telling them the truth and getting the same MPG as regular gas that just won't happen. The car's ECU doesn't see the 2nd partial injection so it thinks it's using the same ammount of fuel as always. The threads about getting the same MPG after installing a Kit just kind of quit I think after they ran a few tanks with the conversion kit, and being a pro-e85 sight didn't want to post the actual MPG.

SG2 numbers aren't viable unless it's been recalibrated to the new fuel as it's air flow calculated. Fairly small changed in Ethanol content throws off it's calibration.

[serialk11r]

spacemanspif that's correct, Toyota ECUs are tough to crack, people typically run standalone or piggybacks.

For a stock Yaris, E85 is mostly going to be wasted because the engine can't take advantage of the high octane and charge cooling, but if it's cheaper cost per mile it makes sense. Grab a piggyback (Greddy emanage Ultimate is probably your best bet) or an Apexi Power FC, add a little timing and make it less rich at the top end to maximize your results and get some more power, but it will probably take a long time to pay for itself.

[spacemanspif]

Ok that makes a lot more sense when you guys bring up the cost per mile. Here on the east coast we don't have E0 or E85 in abundance, or at all, so all I know is the cost of E10.