Running E85 in my 5.0
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2007
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Running E85 in my 5.0
My girlfriend and I moved to the city last week. I'm a country boy but we work for the same company and we got promotions and a sweet deal up here, and I'm certainly not giving up my truck. Issues related to my big truck in the city aside, I now live in an area where E85 is available.
Has anyone run it in their F150? In any vehicle? Does the lower price pay off? My mileage is phenomenal on gas, and I would only consider switching if it's cost effective.
Has anyone run it in their F150? In any vehicle? Does the lower price pay off? My mileage is phenomenal on gas, and I would only consider switching if it's cost effective.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 307
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From: central texas
do you have the green/yellow gas cap on your truck?
if not you may need a broadband exhaust o2 sensor installed and maybe a software upgrade. before you start using e85, change your fuel filter. if it's been on very long. i would carry a spare fuel filter... after you start using e-85 you may need to change the fuel filter again as the higher concentrations of ethanol will clean your fuel system.
(i know this sounds like the spiel, the diesel guys get about using bio-diesel).
after three or four tanks, check your average mileage. compare it with what you were getting with gasoline. take the difference % in mpg and compare the fuel cost between the two fuels. comparing these values should show if your saving any money..
if your engine advances the timing and adjustes the fuel mixture, you may end up with more power..
if not you may need a broadband exhaust o2 sensor installed and maybe a software upgrade. before you start using e85, change your fuel filter. if it's been on very long. i would carry a spare fuel filter... after you start using e-85 you may need to change the fuel filter again as the higher concentrations of ethanol will clean your fuel system.
(i know this sounds like the spiel, the diesel guys get about using bio-diesel).
after three or four tanks, check your average mileage. compare it with what you were getting with gasoline. take the difference % in mpg and compare the fuel cost between the two fuels. comparing these values should show if your saving any money..
if your engine advances the timing and adjustes the fuel mixture, you may end up with more power..
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,513
Likes: 668
From: Sioux Falls Area
for what it's worth, i use e85 and e30 in my 2010 quite a bit.
mileage is hard to tell cauz we get a lot of idle time, but the best i can gather is:
e10 = 17-18 mpg
e30 = 14-16 mpg
e85 = 10-13 mpg
usually if you pull up to the pump and the e85 is 20% cheaper or more, you can figgure it is at least a wash. if the spread gets to 30% you can usually see *some* savings, however they will be pretty modest.
Most guys i know using it are doing so simply because they can fill thier tank for 50 bucks instead of 75 or more. maybe not really saving anything, but spending less at the pump each time gives them warm and fuzzies.
personally, i woudnt get worked up about the solvent effect of ethanol fuel unless you had more than 50k or 60k on the clock. Ive know people who tried it for the first time after 100k miles, and that ended very badly for them, but anywhere less than 50k miles, i dont think i'd worry too much about it.
for piece of mind i would run a bottle of seafoam, STP complete fuel (the $8 stuff in the silver bottle, not the cheap $2 junk), chevron techron, or some other high quality fuel cleaner thru it first. Do that and i doubt you'll have any problems.
enjoy!
mileage is hard to tell cauz we get a lot of idle time, but the best i can gather is:
e10 = 17-18 mpg
e30 = 14-16 mpg
e85 = 10-13 mpg
usually if you pull up to the pump and the e85 is 20% cheaper or more, you can figgure it is at least a wash. if the spread gets to 30% you can usually see *some* savings, however they will be pretty modest.
Most guys i know using it are doing so simply because they can fill thier tank for 50 bucks instead of 75 or more. maybe not really saving anything, but spending less at the pump each time gives them warm and fuzzies.
personally, i woudnt get worked up about the solvent effect of ethanol fuel unless you had more than 50k or 60k on the clock. Ive know people who tried it for the first time after 100k miles, and that ended very badly for them, but anywhere less than 50k miles, i dont think i'd worry too much about it.
for piece of mind i would run a bottle of seafoam, STP complete fuel (the $8 stuff in the silver bottle, not the cheap $2 junk), chevron techron, or some other high quality fuel cleaner thru it first. Do that and i doubt you'll have any problems.
enjoy!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,344
Likes: 12
From: Sioux Falls SD
for what it's worth, i use e85 and e30 in my 2010 quite a bit.
mileage is hard to tell cauz we get a lot of idle time, but the best i can gather is:
e10 = 17-18 mpg
e30 = 14-16 mpg
e85 = 10-13 mpg
usually if you pull up to the pump and the e85 is 20% cheaper or more, you can figgure it is at least a wash. if the spread gets to 30% you can usually see *some* savings, however they will be pretty modest.
Most guys i know using it are doing so simply because they can fill thier tank for 50 bucks instead of 75 or more. maybe not really saving anything, but spending less at the pump each time gives them warm and fuzzies.
personally, i woudnt get worked up about the solvent effect of ethanol fuel unless you had more than 50k or 60k on the clock. Ive know people who tried it for the first time after 100k miles, and that ended very badly for them, but anywhere less than 50k miles, i dont think i'd worry too much about it.
for piece of mind i would run a bottle of seafoam, STP complete fuel (the $8 stuff in the silver bottle, not the cheap $2 junk), chevron techron, or some other high quality fuel cleaner thru it first. Do that and i doubt you'll have any problems.
enjoy!
mileage is hard to tell cauz we get a lot of idle time, but the best i can gather is:
e10 = 17-18 mpg
e30 = 14-16 mpg
e85 = 10-13 mpg
usually if you pull up to the pump and the e85 is 20% cheaper or more, you can figgure it is at least a wash. if the spread gets to 30% you can usually see *some* savings, however they will be pretty modest.
Most guys i know using it are doing so simply because they can fill thier tank for 50 bucks instead of 75 or more. maybe not really saving anything, but spending less at the pump each time gives them warm and fuzzies.
personally, i woudnt get worked up about the solvent effect of ethanol fuel unless you had more than 50k or 60k on the clock. Ive know people who tried it for the first time after 100k miles, and that ended very badly for them, but anywhere less than 50k miles, i dont think i'd worry too much about it.
for piece of mind i would run a bottle of seafoam, STP complete fuel (the $8 stuff in the silver bottle, not the cheap $2 junk), chevron techron, or some other high quality fuel cleaner thru it first. Do that and i doubt you'll have any problems.
enjoy!
My experience is the E30 works better for keeping total cost in line with gas. In my Ranger if I can get E85 at $.58 a gallon less than E10 I break even.
E30 I need $.10 less cost to brek even. My engine has 155K on it and I started doing this at 80K miles and I have had no adverse effects or problems..
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 1
From: Dayton, TX
I did a calculation of reg fuel vs e85 in my truck last year sometime. E85 is cheaper at the pump but not once you start losing mpg. I did it over 3 tanks on each fuel and figured in miles (mixed city and highway) and everything, same distance and direction everytime. It was my daily commute to work and home. In the end I ended up paying about $50 more to go the same distance as I could on reg fuel.
So it all sounds and looks good at the pump, but when you see you have to fill more often and it actually cost more then its not worth it.
So it all sounds and looks good at the pump, but when you see you have to fill more often and it actually cost more then its not worth it.
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QwkTrip
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Sep 22, 2013 05:28 PM
