Is it a good idea to buy a flex fuel?
In short, whether buying a flex fuel vehicle is a good idea depends on several factors, including the availability and cost of flex fuel in your area, your driving habits, and your overall vehicle needs. Flex fuel vehicles can provide more fuel flexibility, but they may also come with some trade-offs that should be carefully considered.
What is a Flex Fuel Vehicle?
A flex fuel vehicle (FFV) is a vehicle that can run on a blend of gasoline and ethanol, typically up to 85% ethanol (E85). These vehicles have been designed to accommodate the different properties of ethanol-blended fuels, such as their lower energy content and higher octane rating. Flex fuel vehicles are often marketed as a way for consumers to reduce their reliance on traditional gasoline and potentially save money on fuel costs.
Potential Benefits of Owning a Flex Fuel Vehicle
- Fuel Flexibility: Flex fuel vehicles can run on a range of fuel blends, from regular gasoline to E85, allowing you to choose the fuel that best fits your needs and budget at the time.
- Reduced Emissions: Ethanol-blended fuels can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional gasoline, depending on the specific blend and your driving conditions.
- Potential Fuel Cost Savings: In some regions, E85 may be priced lower than regular gasoline, potentially resulting in fuel cost savings, although this can vary significantly based on local market conditions.
However, it's important to note that the actual benefits of owning a flex fuel vehicle can vary greatly depending on your location and driving habits.
Potential Drawbacks of Owning a Flex Fuel Vehicle
- Limited Availability of E85: While flex fuel vehicles can run on E85, the availability of E85 fueling stations can be limited, especially in certain regions. This may make it challenging to consistently find and use E85 fuel.
- Lower Fuel Efficiency: Ethanol-blended fuels, including E85, generally have a lower energy content than regular gasoline, which can result in reduced fuel efficiency and potentially higher overall fuel costs, depending on the price difference between the two fuels.
- Higher Maintenance Costs: The use of ethanol-blended fuels may require more frequent maintenance or replacement of certain vehicle components, such as fuel system parts, which can increase the overall cost of ownership.
Before deciding to purchase a flex fuel vehicle, it's important to research the availability and pricing of E85 in your local area, as well as your specific driving needs and habits. This will help you determine whether the potential benefits of a flex fuel vehicle outweigh the potential drawbacks for your situation.
Do you get better gas mileage with flex fuel?
With E85 in a flex fuel vehicle, you can expect to see a ~20-25% decrease in MPG. The main benefit to the end user for E85 is cheaper fuel costs when oil prices are high relative to the main source of ethanol in a country (corn in the US).
Is it safe to use flex fuel all the time?
E85 is such an effective cleaner that some people run about 1 or 2 tanks worth of E85 through their engines instead of using a fuel injector cleaner. A surefire way to ensure that your engine remains clean is to use E85 often (or all the time).
What happens if you put regular gas in a flex fuel car?
Using any octane level of gasoline in a flex-fuel vehicle is acceptable. The sensors in an FFV detect whether the fuel is pure gasoline or 85% ethanol and make necessary changes for optimal fuel injection and timing of combustion. Putting E85 in a car not designed for flexible fuel can be harmful.
Will flex fuel hurt a regular engine?
Conclusion. While E85 offers several benefits, it's crucial to use it only in vehicles designed or retrofitted for its use. Running E85 in a normal gasoline car can lead to engine damage from improper fuel management. Always check your vehicle's compatibility before filling up with E85.
Will flex-fuel damage my engine?
The short answer is no. E85 has been tested and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in FFVs, which means that it is approved for safe use in these vehicles. In fact, many experts believe that using E85 can actually provide better performance than regular gasoline in certain models of FFVs.
How long will a flex fuel engine last?
Plenty of people run flex fuel vehicles or properly converted vehicles on E85 for hundreds of thousands of miles with no ethanol related failures. It can severely shorten the life of the fuel system if it wasn't designed for E85 though, so an upgraded fuel system may be required when converting vehicles to run on E85.
What is the downside 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 are the downsides of E85?
Of course, using E85 gasoline also has disadvantages, like vehicle incompatibility, potential engine damage, reduced fuel economy, and limited availability.
Can you switch between flex-fuel and regular?
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.).
Why does flex fuel burn so fast?
The loss in MPG is dependent on the actual ethanol content of the fuel that you're running. The drop in fuel economy is because ethanol has lower energy content per gallon than gasoline. E85 also burns faster than regular gasoline because it vaporizes faster.
