Can you burn E85 in a flex fuel vehicle?
As the owner of Kevin's Autos, I often get questions about fuel options for vehicles, particularly regarding flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) and their compatibility with E85. Understanding the capabilities of your vehicle can help you make informed decisions about fuel usage and maintenance. In this article, we will explore whether you can burn E85 in a flex fuel vehicle and what that means for your car's performance and efficiency.
What is E85?
E85 is a type of ethanol fuel that contains 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. It is designed for use in flex fuel vehicles, which are specifically engineered to run on a variety of fuel blends, including E85, regular gasoline, or any combination of the two. The use of E85 can offer several benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and potentially lower fuel costs.
Flex Fuel Vehicles and E85 Compatibility
Flex fuel vehicles are equipped with special sensors and components that allow them to detect the type of fuel being used and adjust the engine's performance accordingly. This means that if you have a flex fuel vehicle, you can indeed burn E85 without any issues. Here are some key points to consider:
- Engine Design: FFVs have engines designed to handle the higher ethanol content in E85, which can lead to different combustion characteristics compared to regular gasoline.
- Fuel System Compatibility: The fuel systems in FFVs are built with materials that resist corrosion from ethanol, ensuring that the vehicle operates smoothly.
- Performance Considerations: While E85 can provide a higher octane rating, it may also result in slightly lower fuel economy compared to gasoline due to its lower energy content.
Benefits of Using E85
Using E85 in your flex fuel vehicle can offer several advantages:
- Environmental Impact: E85 produces fewer emissions than traditional gasoline, contributing to cleaner air.
- Cost Savings: Depending on local fuel prices, E85 can be cheaper than gasoline, providing potential savings at the pump.
- Support for Renewable Energy: Ethanol is often produced from renewable resources, helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Conclusion
In summary, if you own a flex fuel vehicle, you can confidently use E85 as a fuel option. Not only does it support environmental sustainability, but it also offers potential cost savings. However, it's essential to monitor your vehicle's performance and fuel economy when using E85, as individual results may vary. If you have any further questions about your vehicle's fuel options or need assistance with maintenance, feel free to reach out to us at Kevin's Autos!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is E85 bad for flex-fuel engines?
E85 is in no way bad for a flex-fuel vehicle. They are designed to run on it. E85 can be anywhere from 51%-83% ethanol due to location and temperature. The colder the content, the less ethanol. Over 95% of all gasoline sold in the USA is E10, or 10% ethanol. It will not harm a modern EFI car.
What happens if you mix flex fuel with regular gas?
The benefit of a modern flex-fuel vehicle, though, is that you can use any combination of gasoline and ethanol, whether it's 100 percent unleaded gas or 85 percent ethanol. Your vehicle's sensors will detect the blend and make the necessary changes.
Does E85 gum up your engine?
Back in the old days (pre-1994), E85 could eat away at some engine components. Most vehicles produced in and after 1994 are immune to ethanol. Since 1994, it has been US federal law that vehicles must be compatible with ethanol. So engine damage caused by E85 hasn't really been an issue since then.
Can I just put E85 in my flex-fuel car?
Do NOT run E85 in your Flex. The fuel system and ECU are not designed to take advantage of it. High ethanol content can corrode portions of your fuel system if it was not designed with E85 in mind. Furthermore, ethanol requires a different fuel mix (air-to-fuel ratio) than gasoline.
What is the best fuel for a flex fuel vehicle?
Flex fuel vehicles can use E85 or regular unleaded; traditional gas engines cannot use E85 flex fuel. E85 costs around 60 cents less per gallon than regular gas, but vehicles using it travel fewer miles per gallon. E85 is not available at every filling station.
What happens if you run E85 in a non-E85 vehicle?
Much greater risks occur when E85 is used in a non-flex-fuel vehicle over time. Continually filling a standard gasoline car with this high-ethanol fuel can result in serious fuel system corrosion. Plus, when you accidentally put E85 fuel in a car, it may void your engine warranty.
Can I switch back and forth between E85 and regular gas?
You can but you shouldn't. Your vehicle computer “learns” the fuel you are using and adjusts accordingly. You won't get your best mileage with your first tank of e85 nor with your first tank going back to e10 (which is by far the most likely fuel you are able to buy unless you burn some form of premium fuel.).
What are the disadvantages of flex-fuel?
The cons of flex-fuel vehicles are that they have less mileage, have an effect on crop economy, and have limited availability. In an emergency, you can put standard gasoline in your flex-fuel car.
What gas can I put in my flex-fuel truck?
Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%. E85 (or flex fuel) is a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season.
Why is E85 gas so cheap?
“So, every gallon of ethanol that gets blended comes with an RFS credit that is today worth about $1.50 a gallon,” he says. “Some marketers and blenders are passing along some or much of the value of those RIN credits to consumers in the form of these lower prices. So that's why we're seeing E85. priced well below E10.
