Converted 95 Geo tracker update

[Jeffre W Lindow]

I Have put about 1720 miles on my 95 geo Tracker since I installed a White Lightning flex converter.
Before installation I had been getting about 30 mpg with straight gasoline and about 27 mpg on E-10.
After installation I worked up to E-85 slowly. It ran great on E-85 but was kind of rough at startup. I was getting about 24 mpg. That was OK. Miles per dollar were about the same as with E-0.
3 days ago on an almost empty tank I had the fuel filter changed, then filled up with straight gas to make about an E-05 mixture. Initially it ran pretty good. A little more rough at startup. I had to play with the gas peddal for about a minute before I could go down the road. I thought this was maybe caused by the computer needing to sample the exhaust before it could adjust for the proper mixture. At speed it runs OK but not as well as before the filter change. I have put about 435 miles with E-10 since then and seem to be getting about 25 mpg or 2 mpg less than before the installation. I had been hoping that it would improve mpg with E-10.
The check engine light has not come on except before startup as normal.
I plan to run this tank of E-10 down and switch back to E-85 unless I am advised to do different. Hope to hear from you soon.

[Aaron Glatzer]

I don't have personal experience with this, but I understand that convertors like this often require you to switch to gasoline mode (so that signal goes through to injectors unmodified) when you are running on gasoline. Checking their installation manual online shows me this is true for White Lightning as well. So forgive me if this is a dumb/insulting question: did you switch the convertor back to gasoline mode when running on gasoline?

[Jeffre W Lindow]

Aaron,
The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. ..... Or the one I am about to after I go out and try to find a switch.
JWL

[Jeffre W Lindow]

Aaron,
No switch, only some lights on the left and a black potentiometer that I think leans up the mixture.

[Aaron Glatzer]

They say the potentiometer is what adjusts how much extra fuel is injected, and that a setting of zero (fully counter-clockwise) sets it to zero extra fuel. That means the convertor would be calling for the same amount of fuel injection that the Geo would normally call for, so setting to zero should be equivalent to switching to gasoline mode. Try that and see if it runs better on the E10.

Your original post said E85 ran fine, except startup was rough. It could be their recommended setting of 5 is not the optimum setting for your car. Once the oxygen sensor warms up the car would then be able to adjust to compensate for an non-optimum setting, so then it would run fine at that point. Until then it would be rough. I suggest going back to E85 when you're done with the E10, then experiment with different settings and see which allows best startup.

[Jeffre W Lindow]

Does this setting also adjust the timing? I spose I should hunt down my old timing light and find out for myself. If no one out there knows I wil do that and tellya

[Aaron Glatzer]

That's a good question. White Lightning's documentation does not mention any such thing, and the connections only go to injectors cables, so I suspect it does not adjust timing.

Blume's chapter on timing says that many recent model cars automatically adjust timing - apparently they have ping sensors, and the ECU constantly optimizes timing by adjusting to the point of pinging and then backing off. So if you detect timing adjustment it may be unclear whether the convertor or the ECU is making the adjustment. Either way I'm interested in your results if you test it.

I haven't been able to confirm your Tracker has a ping sensor. I have confirmed my Toyota T100 pickup has a ping sensor. When I do a conversion on it (expected to be a few weeks or months away yet) timing is one of the things I'll check and report on; same goes for converting my Honda Insight. Thanks for bringing up this issue.

[Jeffre W Lindow]

I hooked up the timing light to my tracker. Didn't ya yoost have ta plug the vaccuum advance line? Does not seem to exist. Oh well.....
Adjusting the pot full range did not have significant effect on the timing. It did advance slightly but only 2 or3 degrees
I gotta run this E-10 out and switch to E-85

[Aaron Glatzer]

Hello Jeffre,

I'm wondering if you have kept your convertor potentiometer at zero while running on E10. If so, has the car's behavior been more normal? I've been guessing about how these convertors work, so I'm interested in any data you have that might give us some insight.

Thanks,
Aaron G.

[Jeffre W Lindow]

I did adjust the pot to zero on my last tank and my gas milage went up to about where it was before flex conversion. Timing light showed maybe 5 degrees before TDC which is where it should be. At half tank I filled with E85 and adjusted the pot to close to the half way point.. After driving 15 miles I checked timing and it was still the same. I don't understand why it has not advanced since from what I understand the injectors open significantly sooner. The vehicle runs better than on E-10.

[Jeffre W Lindow]

I discovered that the flex converters that I have researched depend on the cars own ping sensor to adjust the timing. I also found that the 95 tracker does not have one. Tomorrow I will try adjusting the timing by ear.

[daniel]

wow dude, thats really cool, its stuff like this why i got into alternative energy. one of my favorite sites is this blog that i always go to. It talks about nothing else except alternative fuels.
http://yovia.com/blogs/fuel/2009/09/23/another-plus-for-bio-deisel/