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Originally Posted by jmanley
So, E85 as a fuel, if you understand what it offers, is a wonderful thing. There are benefits and tradeoffs:
Benefits:
1. More hp/torque
2. Cooler running
3. Better for the environment ("green")
4. Typically cheaper than most fuels
Tradeoffs:
1. You burn more of it - close to the same amt at idle, up to 33% more at WOT than gas
2. You need specific changes to your computer to get the most out of it - specifically you'll need to change your fuel curves and most people don't have the know-how to do it
3. You can't get E85 everywhere. In my Mustang, I have to plan trip segments *VERY* carefully, and forget cross-country driving, unless I pull a tanker w/my own fuel.
4. E85 becomes E70 in the winter, which means yet another tune
Overall, I'm REALLY happy running it in my Mustang - street/strip that doesn't get driven more than 100 miles from my house. I'd have a tough time considering it in a H2 and the concerns if I could find E85 fuel when driving cross country.
If you think some "kit" will magically cure all the above, it'd likely be more than just replacing the engine with a flex-fuel one that also includes the gas/E85 sensor (finds the % of each fuel) and then adjusts the fuel map as a result.
YMMV.
Jay
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Thanks for the great info. From my understanding on these kits are that the ECM is provided to adjust what is needed to run E85, which does not mean that vehicle converted needs to run 100% E85. I believe it is a Bi-Fuel mod that you can run reg gas when needed.
My concern is longevity of other components since the E85 contains more alcohol, hoses and any other rubber parts detereate faster than reg gas. Is this also true for other E85 vehicles?
I guess I need to do some calculation before buying this kit since it burns more, more frequent fill up is expected..