Does anyone know if I can burn e-85 in my 03 ranger with the 4.0.

 

While I'm not sure, I don't think so. Your vehicle has to be specifically prepared to burn e-85. The 3.0ffv can, the standard 3.0 cannot. I don't think the 4.0 has ever been configured to burn e-85.

I have been known to be wrong before, but just check your owner's manual, if there is nothing about it in there, then you can't.

 

No, you cannot run E85 in the 4.0L

 

Right on.

With the proper modifcations, yes it can be done. But it's not worth it, honestly. Especially with some of the issues popping up lately with E-85 (visit the general discussion forum).

RP
Zach

 

If you wanted to use the E85 ethanol mix, you'd have to put new cylinder walls, new pistons, new heads, everything would have to be new and made from a different material to withstand the extreme corrosion that would be a by-product. So, it's possible, but not feasible.

 

Not true, here are some of the differences between the 3.0L, and 3.0L FFV:

1) Stainless steel fuel lines
2) Higher flow injectors
3) Alcohol sensor in fuel line (along with different PCM)
- modified timing and fuel mixture tables when E-85 is detected

 

Hmm, I thought I saw something to that extent in a post about a week ago. My mistake!

 

A good chance that your 2003 4.0L V6 can run E85. You need to check the vin code 8th digit in Ranger is code "V" although I think that is for the 1998-2002 3.0V6 in an Explorer with the 4.0V6 it is code "K"

Check the owners manual, and the fuel door may have a sticker.

 

There is NO chance that your 4.0L Ranger will run on E85.

 

That'd be nice. I'd like to have a FFV 4.0

 

Thanks, Mine is a fwd, and can pass anything on the road except a gas station. Was just looking for a way to save a little money.

 

George Walker said on tv awhile back, that in the future it won't cost much to have a vehicle converted to E85, I don't know if he meant that the gov will help with cost, or it just won't cost much, either way, I'm interested. I'm tired of sending half of my paycheck to Iran, or where ever, we need to get away from foreign oil !!!!

 

You mean Canada. Largest single country supplier to the US in the six months from Sep-05 to Feb-06. (Granted we get about double Canada's from all of OPEC combined). If the Iraq war was for oil, we should have just invaded our neighbor to the North. Just kidding, guys.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pe...im0_mbbl_m.htm

The more I read about ethanol, the more I realize that it won't be a real competitor until we in the US learn to make it efficiently by fermenting leftover biomass, or a cheaper crop to grow like sugar cane (as in Brazil) than corn. It'll be interesting to see if any politicians come to that conclusion instead of following the farm lobbies and pushing corn as the ultimate solution.

I don't think you'll see an aftermarket EPA approved conversion kit until gasoline goes $5/gallon or more with no sign of relief. It'd be interesting if Ford/GM put together a kit that is the differences between an FFV model and a non-FFV model. Fuel lines and injectors aren't that hard to replace, and if you could just reflash the computer and add a sensor, I think a lot of people would make the switch.

Does anyone know how are cars are handling the switchover to 10% ethanol as an additive instead of MTBE? Is it just a low enough concentration that things don't corrode whereas E85 would eat away at natural rubber, alumninum, and magnesium?

-Jim

 

That may be , but canada doesn't set market price, opec does who is controled by the arabs !!

 

e85 is crap, is doesn't save you any money cause you gas milege goes down about 5 mpg running it. You might as well stick with the th better ecomny of the gas thats $1 a gallon more.