Anyone tried E85 fuel?

[dj's 2000 xj]

I am thinking of mixing a 1/4 tank into my 2000 xj pretty soon if the prices stay up. What will I tear up? I have a pump very close.

[Rev Den]

Bad idea.

Rev

[langer1]

I am thinking of mixing a 1/4 tank into my 2000 xj pretty soon if the prices stay up. What will I tear up? I have a pump very close.

Valves and Piston tops

[dj's 2000 xj]

DAMMIT! Thanks.

[sgtmack]

??? Has any one actually blown up an engine on E85? I'm asking because we ran it in all of our junk for about 6 months and everything still runs fine. My 99 ran great on it, but I did lose about 10% on mileage. Same result on the 95 Cheby truck, the 92 Cheby truck, and the 96 Monte Carlo. The 04 and 05 Ford police cars didn't seem to lose much, and they ran fine also. The only reason we stopped running it was the price went up to 10 cents more than unleaded.

[Gnat5680]

what about a quick fill for a galllon or so??

i sometimes run short on cash and need to get somewhere else to get money but don't have enogh gas.

[Rocketman]

In Illinois we are all running "E-90" so to speak. All gas here is at least 10% ethanol. The extra 5% shouldn't make that much of a difference.

NOW... yes E-85 IS less expensive but if you save 10% in fuel cost BUT lose 15% in mileage then you are spending MORE money because you are filling up MORE!

[Yucca-Man]

In Illinois we are all running "E-90" so to speak. All gas here is at least 10% ethanol. The extra 5% shouldn't make that much of a difference.Noooo....in Illinois you're running "E-10" as in "10% Ethanol" - E85 is (drumroll please) 85% Ethanol...

[kubtastic]

I can't remember if I filled up with E85 when I first crossed the country. I remember thinking "what's E85? and why is it more expensive than 87?" as I had never seen that selection before at a gas station. Come to think of it, I chose 87.

[53guy]

i remember reading somewhere that e85 is corrosive and will eat up your injector o-rings and well.....pretty much anything not stainless steel will be effected or something like that. I try not to run it if at all possiable....I don't have the money or time to take the chance until its proven that it can run in a non-flex fuel vehicle. Its not that I don't want to be nicer to the environment, but I'd rather not kill my jeep faster than I do now.

[Rocketman]

Noooo....in Illinois you're running "E-10" as in "10% Ethanol" - E85 is (drumroll please) 85% Ethanol...

My bad... I'm confused, let's blame it on the medication!!:laugh3:

[Yucca-Man]

I can't remember if I filled up with E85 when I first crossed the country. I remember thinking "what's E85? and why is it more expensive than 87?" as I had never seen that selection before at a gas station. Come to think of it, I chose 87.Lemme guess - you're talking about Octane...not Ethanol.

Most gas stations at low altitudes (i.e. Ohio) have Low, Mid, and hi-grade fuels. They come in something like 87, 89 and 92 Octane. In simple terms, the higher the number, the more resistant to pinging the fuel is. Higher numbers do not equal higher performance.

At elevation (i.e. Mile High Denver) we run a lower set of octane numbers, typically 85, 87, and 91 or so. The elevation lets us run 85 without pinging...and that is 85 Octane, not E85.

:lecture:

[langer1]

You will not find E85 fuel at the same station selling regular gas, and for sure not on the same pump as a choice.
E85 is only for use in engines made to use it, and even then there is no standard for it.
I think Yucca man hit the nail on the head, many of the posters on the thread are confusing 85 octain for E85

[langer1]

BTW only the new 2007 jeeps will be E85 FlexFuel.

[Rev Den]

You will not find E85 fuel at the same station selling regular gas, and for sure not on the same pump as a choice.


Not same hose.

but

Same station...yup
Same pump...yup.

Gotta pay attention.

Rev

[kubtastic]

Lemme guess - you're talking about Octane...not Ethanol.

Most gas stations at low altitudes (i.e. Ohio) have Low, Mid, and hi-grade fuels. They come in something like 87, 89 and 92 Octane. In simple terms, the higher the number, the more resistant to pinging the fuel is. Higher numbers do not equal higher performance.

At elevation (i.e. Mile High Denver) we run a lower set of octane numbers, typically 85, 87, and 91 or so. The elevation lets us run 85 without pinging...and that is 85 Octane, not E85.
:lecture:
:lecture: you guessed wrong, but as a former resident of Colorado, I am especially appreciative that you have reminded me that 85 is sold there. However, at very large truck stops on say... I-80 in Iowa or Nebraska, you can find E85 right along with everything else. It's an anecdote that I first encountered E85 at a pump and thankfully the cheaper option was the octane 87 gas. As prices have changed, one might find the ethanol option more attractive.

[jeepinwi]

85 octane is very different from E85. E85 is actually a very high octane fuel.

[langer1]

E85 requires a different air to fuel ratio and different spark timing.
On fuel injected engines it requires a different computer program.
On Flex Fuel vehicles there is a E85 switch.

[carnuck]

I ran E85 by accident (I didn't notice anything but the price) in my '86 Comanche with 2.5L and Renix TBI and it ran fine after I changed the fuel filter for the second time (200,000+ miles of crap in the tank made it's way forward) I had the tank out afterwards and it was clean as a whistle (I had to replace the fuel lines that were leaking due to MTBE and E85 drying them out)
Then, I went to Ouray, CO from Seattle in the same truck and ran 85 octane fuel and it LOVED it! I averaged 25 mpg on the highway with a freshly converted to 4x4 lifted rig with 6,000 lbs GVW (at the truck scale on WA/OR border) When I got to the mountains and had to hill climb, I put in 91 and power dropped with engine ping and heating up. As soon as I went back to 85, it ran fine again.