I've been doing a lot of reading about E85 lately due to the crazy gas prices. I'm considering a full conversion, but wanted to try this first. There are many people who have experimented with E85 and regular gas to try different mixtures on their non-flexfuel vehicles. Cars designed for high octane fuel benefit the most. I am going to try out a mixture of E85 and normal 87 Octane gas that will give me a 93 Octane average rating. (E85 has a 105 octane rating) If I fill 4.75 gallons of E85 and 10.25 gallons of 87 Octane gas I will get an octane rating of 92.7. So, basically I'm going to use 31 to 32% E85 per fill up. That will give me a mixture of about 33.75% ethanol and 66.25% gasoline on average figuring E85 at 85% ethanol and gasoline at 10% ethanol. I realise the horror stories floating around about E85 corroding fuel system components of vehicles not "designed" to run on E85. Most of these concerns have been proved to be minimal or non-existent as many people are converting completely over to E85 with computer tuning and no further modifications. I'm not quite ready to completely convert, but I just want to see if this experiment will give me a price break. My above combo will cost me 5.50$ less than a normal 15 gallon 93 octane fill up where I live. I will calculate my MPG over a few fill ups to see what happens. Many others like me who have experimented with gas/E85 combos have seen little or no change in MPG. We'll have to see. I'm also considering making my own ethanol fuel in my garage with a friend who wants to convert his Civic. He is already making his own bio-diesel for his TDI Jetta. Hopefully my experiment will help others decide which direction to go as we continue to fight the battle between high gas prices and high performance.

 

using E85 hurts the environment and economy, period.





But goodluck with the experiment.

 

sad but true.

in for results

 

The fact that the ethnol is 15.50 less than the same amount of gas will be quickly negated by the decrease in economy you get with the ethanol. Ethanol has an energy density of about 33kj/kg where as gasoline is abot 44.1kj/kg. You just cannot get around this fact. It is not worth the time and money.

 

Your comment is the exact reason why I'm going to experiment with various mixtures of E85 and regular gas. Many owners have been able to find the right combination of E85 and regular gas that gives them more mpg's and still save money at the pump. I will find one such article that I read. Maybe the Maxima won't benefit from this, but I'm willing to see if it will.

 

http://drunkenswede.blogspot.com/200...r-mileage.html

Here's a link to one of many articles that talk about using E85 blends to get better mileage. This article explains what I am going to attempt to find out about the Maxima. I'm running the same experiment on my 99 GMC Sonoma.

 

as a friendly reminder. most gas in the midwest is E10 to start with.

the complaints about ethanol and the economy/environment are only partially an issue. Spin (as usual) is put on them by either to side to make their case for or against it.
I'm still in favor of Nuclear power for our electricity, that will be the most beneficial to our environment and economy. once we go nuclear (if we ever do) then electric cars will actually make sense.

(yes I went way OT, or did I )

 

That is not the case for cars that need the high octane. If a high tuned car has to run 100 octane to survive you'd be paying around $6-7gal for 100oct at the race track. E85 gives the same or better octane for way less cost even with the less energy output. So for normal cars it doesn't make sense to use
E85 but if your after more power then it makes since. As of now E85 in houston is 22% cheaper than 93oct. Anyone running a FI car would be able to make 10-30whp more than they could on 93 while spending maybe $1-2 more a tank.

 

yeah ive been tinkering with e-85 lately since i can tune it with the eu.

 

LOL

 

Most gas everywhere is E10... I filled up Sunday and the pump (in VA) clearly read "up to 10% Ethanol." Oh, and as an electrical engineer, I am highly in favor of Nuclear Power; Fossil fuels are dirty and will eventually run out and solar and wind needs to be more efficient and have some reliable form of energy storage.

 

by the end of this experiment someone might need a new motor

good luck

 

so Nuclear power'd cars, HELL NO, with the idiots on the roads these days that will not work, every time there is a fender bender 10 square miles must be evacuated, im in favor of hydrogen and the fuel cell tech., imagine when it advance far enough so U can **** in ur tank and fill up

 

I wasn't talking about cars specifically, just the country's power demands. As for cars, I think hybrids will be the best we have until fuel cells and hydrogen can be made practical.

 

reminds me of this joke:

A man was driving down the road and ran out of gas. Just at that moment, a bee flew in his window. The bee said, “What seems to be the problem?” “I’m out of gas,” the man replied.

The bee told the man to wait right there and flew away. Minutes later, the man watched as an entire swarm of bees flew to his car and into his gas tank. After a few minutes, the bees flew out. “Try it now,” said one bee.

The man turned the ignition key and the car started right up. “Wow!” the man exclaimed, “what did you put in my gas tank”?

The bee answered,

 

though if Mr. Fusion ever makes it to market

 

People who are that concerned about gas prices probably should look for a car that doesn't guzzle gas like a Maxima

 

people using ethanol is why all of your farm-produced food costs twice as much.

....

 

??? My computer is working fine?

But yes, I am stoked that finally after 20 years a new nuclear plant is finally going to get built again. Being in the northeast sucks, I hate having to wedge my gas-cap in the pump handle (state is very tough on Evap standards), and the acid rain is the worst, and it's mostly from coal plants in the mid-west.

 

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_...earth/me1.html

here is some reading on the subject

and as far as the northeast ummmm most of the pollution is from there from the last 200 years or so of industrial waste and so many people crammed together, and I don't think nuclear is the answer due to the fact that if you are exposed to it your kids turn out funny looking.

corn is not the only thing that can be made in to ethanol, if the government would ever stop fighting over oil and get on making the world a better place that issue would be solved.

 

if you are exposed to nuclear waste because they are building a new plant nearby then you have WAAYY bigger problems than you future children turning out funny

 

well hey smoking was called safe for how long and we know how that turned out.

 

youre right. something that you inhale and something that you never come in any sort of contact with should always be compared

 

well smoking you can see, smell and more then likely have the the ability to tell is around now radiation on the other hand you can't see or smell it and it sticks around for a long time and even if it's with in "safe limits" I'll pass, just think that every time the nuclear plant has to "vent" and it's with in "safety limits" that it's adding to the last time it happened, just think that nickel in your pocket has a half life of around 76,000 years.

anyway back to the drinkable gas.

 

disagree with this statement... why's corn consumption making apples and peaches $1 each??? but it's sad that ethanol requires nearly as much oil to produce it from what i've heard. kinda like they forgot to think this thing through....

and i 2nd the motion that there is going to be at least one perfectly nice 3.5 liter engine R.I.P. by the end of this experiment

 

the funny part is that corn is not the best thing to make ethanol, there is so many better plants that could be used. as far as someone needing a new engine just think of the octane ratings and what causes damage when it comes to tunning a engine I would say unless your really messing up there should be no issues I have ran high ethanol content in old untuned engines before (like every time I drive though Iowa) with no issues if you go lean with ethanol its not as big of deal as with gas due to the octane and burning cooler, I wish I had a E85 pump in my area then thats all my car would eat untell I get a still and start making my own E100 from yard wast and maybe some plants that grow like weeds (anywhere any type of soil, and fast), just think next time you eat that $1 apple, the core could be made into ethanol. If the government spent half the money they spend in on the war for one year into setting up ethanol plants with in two years we would be set and small family farmer would be able to make some money again.

 

now add in the octane to that and what do you get more power with less fuel in a internal combustion engine people always leave that out

 

yeah it is depressing to see how much money is spent on this war on a daily basis. but it's nice to see the demands put on the major manufactures to raise MPG on most vehicle by 2012 ( or somewhere around there)

Kinda of just putting a band-aid on the problem, but oil isn't going any where for at least 20 more years, so gotta make some strides.