Tell me the ugly about using e85 (or lower ethanol blends) on a street/strip Mild FI
 

Curious what everyone thinks of it....

yes i know you need bigger fuel system and get worse mpg

i get worried e85 doesnt move much at the gas pump and could have water in it or such.

If the fuel system wasn't made for it, it can be very corrosive. It's also bad to keep it in the tank for extended periods of time as it absorbs water. I hear that you're supposed to run a tank of 93 through occasionally as that has the lubricants that the e85 does not

Im planning to go e85 soon. Can you please send me to a reputable site that tells this story. Everything Ive read is that after 1999 our cars have been equipped with fuel systems to handle it. Ive also read extensively that it is Methanol that is corrosive to parts and not Ethanol.

I would greatly appreciate it before I make this big mistake 1000's of Vette owners have made already.

My 2013 Mercedes is flex fuel so after 4 years of ownership I decided to give it a try and my experience is mixed.

• I couldn't believe how much more power the car had... I mean it was a very notable difference
• I did not see a noted difference in MPG (I drive a lot and honestly didn't notice much difference in my fill up frequency, not to mention the car tracks MPG and didn't show but 1-2 MPG difference for the same trips I repeatedly make) Totally worth it for the difference in Premium fuel cost vs. E85
• Car ran cooler (I thought this was odd)
• Smell of burning ethanol is sweet goodness
• after 6 months my fuel system took a total sh!t
• $7800 for new injectors, fuel pump, sending unit, and a bunch of other stuff that I quit caring about
• All repairs covered under warranty (THANK YOU CPO Mercedes Warranty)

They said the cause was most likely the fact that the car had nothing but normal gas its whole life and the ethanol basically cleaned the deposits off. Causing it all to get caught in the expensive bits. Now that it's all new parts I've been running E85 and enjoying the benefits.

My 2007 has a stock fuel pump with an ECS add on. Its developed an issue when run on e85. The fuel system loses pressure(gauge on the fuel rail) almost immediately after turning off the car. Makes it harder to start next time as it takes time to pressure the system(maybe could be fixed in tune with priming time??). The issue goes away after I run a couple tanks of 93 through it. I assume an in tank regulator is getting gummed up and hanging open. Fuel pressure is steady at WOT so I havent fixed it.

Id swap in a walbro 450 or something but its supposed to be a bear to drop tanks on the A6 cars. I know the stock fuel pump is from 07 and wont last forever.

When it comes to FI I am a e85 only person. Been running for years in various cars without a single fuel pump failure, injector issue, or fuel issue(water). That being said not everyone will have the same experience. It is hard to beat the benefits of e85 when your trying to make power. This platform also has the ability for flex so you can run both with a small investment I personally dont find it worth it but i have done it before on my last grandsport.


If you want to avoid some of the issues buy injectors with stainless internals such as the ID 1050X/1300/1800 ect ect and go with a good aftermarket pump/pumps. That will go a long way to avoid issues.

I don't have any articles, just personal experience. With that said I run e85 as often as I can.

E85 "compatible" fuel system or not I would make sure that any rubber fuel line is replaced with stainless. Don't ask how I know! Properly preparing you're fuel system will go a long way to saving $ in the future.

If you want the negative view of E85 call Fore fuel systems tech and ask their opinion! 😆

E85 is the best option for a fuel from a pump. Runs cooler, keeps parts clean, cheap, can run more timing, and makes great torque. As long as your fuel system is built for it, no issues.

There are a lot of rumors about e85. Only things you need to know is:

-every once and a while run a tank of 93. Gasoline helps to remove deposits that ethanol build up and helps just flush the fuel system.
-change oil more often, E85 will start to break down oil quicker and thin it out.
- get a good catch can

Fore triple system here and I run e85 year round. Stainless lines, injectors have stainless internals, e85 compatible pumps, and e85 compatible filter. Fires up every time and zero issues with the fuel system.