what is it about flex fuel vehicles Copperhead that make them tolerant of/invulnerable to the higher concentrations? Is it just hoses and seals?
What about performance? I always wondered following a flex fuel vehicle whether they ran differently on regular unleaded.
You seem to be on top of this, good info.
cost per mile is the smart way as long as maintenance does not increase
If one travels a lot, might be ingesting different kinds of fuel due to availability;
then what? Are the emissions computers smart enough to really maximize efficiency
from each type of gasoline? Never used to be this complicated...remember when Sunoco was the big deal
when they had that dial and you could get six blends, not two or three.
Smart marketing for the time, and even now. Pumps are changing, was at a Shell station yesterday with a brand new pump
and off to one side was E-0. Sorry, didn't pay attention to octane.
Can't speak to every brand or engine, but look at several of the official GM HP/Torque charts on many of their flex fuel engines. E85 bumps up HP and Torque on many of them. They all have an ethanol sensor that determines ethanol content of the fuel and adjusts ECM parameters accordingly. After having hauled many production auto parts to the assembly plants for many years, I can attest that fuel systems are virtually identical between flex fuel and non flex fuel vehicles. Simplicity is cost saving to auto plants. Only difference is the ethanol sensor and ECM programming on a flex fuel rated engine, less than $100 cost. E85 has roughly a 100 octane level so timing and other factors can be adjusted by ECM to take advantage of that. The sensor reads and adjusts the ECM based on fuel blend in the tank. So one can get varying levels of ethanol and things adjust. Per the manual, when changing blends, drive for a minimum 7 miles to let the system adjust.
I monitor my oil sample testing. I have yet to see any appreciable difference in oil samples for wear or contamination even using the higher blends of ethanol. Fuel dilution and other factors just aren't there.
No doubt, ethanol blends will cause mpg to suffer. That is where looking at cost per mile really comes into play. If the blend is substantially cheaper, then even with the lower mpg, it still might be a lower cost per mile to use. Right now, E0 regular is going for about $2.35 in my area. E85 is going for about $1.39. If I get 11-12 mpg average for all miles (town, rural gravel roads, highway, hauling) in my 3/4 ton pickup with E85 (which I do), that comes out to about 12.5 cents a mile to use it. With E0 regular at $2.35, I would have to get 19 mpg all the time just to break even. Not going to happen with the 6.0L in my 2015 Silverado 2500 Z71. Maybe a good day, empty, with a strong tail wind, and slower highway driving only.
I have been using various blends since the late 70's, as have many of my neighbors. If there was going to be any appreciable problem in doing so, we would have come across it. My 1974 Pontiac did just fine on E10 for over 250,000 miles. My '79 Bronco (another carbureted vehicle) did just fine on it for most of it's life. And every vehicle I have had between then and now has gotten E10 all the time, with the flex fuel versions jumping around on various blends. Still waiting for the major pitfall in doing so. Sure, you will find some occasional anecdotal stories of ethanol causing a major problem, but usually, when all things are considered, it had more to do with the negative condition of the engine and fuel system already, or a serious goof in fuel management and storage. Leaving E10 in a vented container or vented fuel tank for quite a while in humid weather is pretty stupid. And a fuel system that has a lot of varnish and other buildup in it will get a major cleaning out with E10 and can have a detrimental effect on filters and carbs. But it wasn't the fuel's fault, it was other things.
But it all comes down to one's comfort level. If one just cannot stand the idea of ethanol in their fuel, then don't buy it. If your state doesn't allow E0, then either live with it or move. Better yet, put leverage on your hired help at the state capitol. There is no mandate by the Feds that all fuel must have ethanol, nor is there any ban on ethanol free. That is a state directed or city directed issue. I can get ethanol free regular and premium all around me in almost every town at the majority of filling stations. If there was a ban of E0 by the feds, I should be seeing it. But even with all the ethanol free around me, ethanol blends outsell it by several margins according to state data. We just don't suffer from enlarged paranoia glands.
