*****E85 ethanol will it pimp in my ride*****

[Sodbuster]

Ethanol is not a drug that your car is going to Od on!
If you drive a fuel injected car, truck, fuel injected horseless carriage that is lets say 86 and up.. throttle body, sequential or multi port fuel injected you are ready with just a few things on the to do list. Number one..... start of easy put a couple of gallons of e85 in your fule tank, see how yea like it feel the love! Next.... on the next fill up try 4 gallons
Feel the love!
NOW it is time to change your fuel filter, the E85 Ethanol, just pulled all that junk up out of your tank from all that junk pump gas and put it in your fuel filter. Now lets go 50% 50% and see if she will smoke the tires ( JUST KIDDING) lets take her out on the highway and stretch her legs. But all of the sudden the check engine light comes on
What have I done!!!!! Nothing relax chill out the ECM ( Electronic control module/computer) noticed Via its fuel Senior that some how some way there is a large amount of ethanol in my tank! And AND AND the ecm does not have the correct receipt for the correct fuel delivery for ethanol (none flex fuel)and the check engine light is ON.
No worries, the light will go off just as soon as you put junk pump gas back in it, but if it is say 1995 and newer you have the OBD 2 computer system and the ECM will record in its history what has just happened.
Ok lite is on so what!!! it is just a light, we got gauges... WATER TEMP, FUEL, OIL PRESSURE, VOLTAGE we can still monitor are ride with pride, so lets go!
So lets fill it up BIG TIME!!!!
No not yet, CHANGE YOUR OIL .... Yup all that junk pump gas has left carbon deposits in your motor and the ethanol is breaking it loose and it is time to CHANGE YOUR OIL (aNd FiLtEr).
Now you ready, lets feel the love, fill er up all the way e85 .....
Ok so you did and on the way home you noticed the ping in my engine is GONE
Hey !!!! she runs pretty Darn gooD WOW .... 105 octane my friend she is going to run just fine.
Well the next morning lets say it is about 32 deg outside and you fire up the horseless carriage with E85 and it does not start the very first time, Yup E85 Ethanol some times don't like the cold, but you have a garage time to clean her out .
No garage...Ok no worries... block heater, no money for a block heater, ok give it another shot she will start on the second try have faith.
Ok she is all warmed up lets go, what the %`^#~~/'' is going on, she almost stalled when I gave her a little foot feed on acceleration, Yup that was the ECM trying to figure out the fuel delivery and it just compensated for yea and you felt it stumble. Continue these should only happen ONE time when you first accelerate the rest of the trip it Most likely well not happen again.
Do a few things when running on ethanol change your fuel filter often, high mileage cars more so. It really is a good Idea to change your oil lets say every 2000 miles the first year of E85 use.
Carburetor motors..... Give it a shot do all the above see what happens, I have seen carburetor motors run perfect on ethanol and some fall on there face.
If she falls on her face and just will not run like she use to, it is time to rebuild the carburetor. If you have never rebuild a carburetor now is not the time to experiment, just because you need to re-jet the main jet to a larger size. Find yea a good mechanic that will work with you and till him your problem. However there are mechanics out there that still have no clue on ethanol and will try to convenes you that you are going to destroy your motor. Nope never happen if your car/ horseless garage takes a dump it was not the ethanol / E85 fault it was yours for not taking care of it and changing the oil religiously. Will I hope these helps, I have bean running ethanol in my 98 chevy 5.7 vortec motor for over 100,000.00 miles with no issues and the truck has over 200,000.0 miles on her. Even if the price of ethanol goes for more than junk pump gas, If I don't have to, pump gas will never see my tank again!

[CargoPylot]

sodbuster! Did you do install the E85 conversion kit to your Chevy?

[Sodbuster]

Hey CP,
No conversion kit what so ever. What do you drive if you don`t mind me asking!

[CargoPylot]

I've got a 93 Chevy Suburban with a 350 in it and a brand new 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT with a 2.4 liter engine. I'm planning on converting the Vibe and I might see what the Suburban will do with your plan.

[Sodbuster]

Ok, your 93 Suburban has throttle body fuel injection.
Start out with a couple gallons to a full tank, and add a extra gallon each time you fill up. Do oil changes often 2000 miles or less, I like 20/50 valvoline and Lucas oil additives. change your fuel filter often, your truck is 15 years old and your going to bring up allot of sediment from the tank. Good luck and keep us posted!

[Robert Jackman]

One gallon added to the tank at first, then increase one additional gallon with each fill up.

Doing it this way will most likely result in no need to replace the fuel filter, unless your car has been on the road for a long time.

I do not advise starting out with 4 gallons E-85 as too much gunk might wash off the fuel tank and lines all at once, since ethanol is a very good solvent.

[Tom]

I've got a '98 Olds Intrigue and a '99 Merc Sable wagon. You guys think I can do the gradual thing and not have to buy a kit? Is that what you did Sod buster?

[Randy]

I'm having a kit installed on my 2002 Honda Civic. I have heard it put both ways, that the kit will do the conversion but you will lose mileage, and that a full hardware / software conversion will be the best route - but I will have to report results after it is completed.

Dave Blume says some dealerships in California are putting in the kits on new trucks, the only way they can get trucks to move off of the lot anymore!

[Sodbuster]

Tom, You want to add E85 in small doses in most anything that has its entire life on pump gas.The higher the mileage/older the car the less you want to add, work up slowly. 2 and 1/2 years years ago e85 came to the mid west, I was on my way to work and I seen a sign at a gas station e85 104.00 a gallon. I just about broke my neck and hit the car in front of me. I new ethanol was coming but I had no Idea it was going to be this cheap. Will I stopped, and put a couple gallons in my pick up and off i went, drove around the block with no issues and back the station. Next I put around 8 gallons more in and drove it the rest of the day and she ran perfect. The next day I filed her up and drove over 60 miles that day, I was amazed on how will my pick up ran but I new ethanol was going to pick up all that crap in the tank ,and sure enough my filter was plugged solid.
Also check this out! I have put 6 ( SIX) fuel pumps in my pick up,about two pumps a year .....Why .... will that frickin junk pump gas! I have not had to put a fuel pump in my truck sense I made the switch over to e85 " Yuper" at $300.00 dollars a pop changing fuel pumps was getting old.
Tom using ethanol is NOT going to hurt ANYTHING what so ever! all you need to do is change your filter OFTEN and CHANGE YOUR OIL!!!!
I would save my money as far as the kit, ( Choice is yours) I would check were your timing is at on your engine and give it a couple more degrees advance and thats it.
Good luck to yea!! Keep in touch.....
Randy, I have herd the exact same thing out her from dealers, They cant sell there gas hogs so E85 kits are starting to be installed. However E85 even here in the mid west is hard to come by. We are lucky in my little one hoarse town we have one station that sells the gold. I made a trip to Texas last April and I pre bought 60 gallons of E85 and had the back of my pick up full of ethanol. I than
mapped out my Garmin to every E85 station to Texas and back, I was able to drive there and back without using pump gas.
Hope these helps.... Good luck to YeA!

[Tom]

Thanks SB, I'm fillin up tomorrow and I'll give 'er some e85. I think I'll do one gallon increments to be safe. I go thru 2 tanks a week so it wont take long. I drive the Tri-sate (294)to work everyday and that is NOT a road to break down on!! Anyone from the Chicago area can attest to that. I'll keep ya posted. Anyone else doin this? It would be good to hear some other stories to keep the suport going!

[Terra]

I have a question, I just purchased a new 2008 Jeep Patriot a couple of months ago, it has about 6000 miles on it. Will using the E85 gas make the warranty void, I would love to start using e85 but am worried about breaking something and having them say it was my fault. Thanks for all your info, I can't wait to get the book!

Terra

[Robert Jackman]

check You VIN number. Your Jeep might be "flex fuel"

http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php

I notice the Grand Cherokee and Commander with 4.7 liter motor for 2008 is flex fuel.

[Terra]

Unfortunately I don't think my car is flex fuel. I did not see it on the list of cars, Jeep only had the commander and grand cherokee, mine is a patriot, they just started making them last year.