E85 for your gas tank

[Curtis Mayes]

Has anyone seen this and most importantly, has anyone used enthanol in their tank. Very interesting read. Looks like NY is trying to make a change. I was trying to find out if there was anything negative on using an alternative to gasoline.





http://news.com.com/N.Y.+governor+wants+drivers+to+fill+up+with+ethanol+or+biodiesel/2100-11389_3-6022954.html?part=rss&tag=6022954&subj=news



http://www.e85fuel.com/index.php

 

[Richard L]

E85 is capable of generating more HP than regular gasoline but you will likely suffer a 20%-25% drop in your MPG.



Depending upon the cost of E85 in your part

of the country, you may not have any negatives from using E85. Since you have a 2004 Sport Trac, you have the FlexFuel engine that can accept E85 or regular gasoline without any ill effects, so you should be good to go.



So the only real issues with E85 would be that the price be about 20%-25% cheaper than regular gasoline to make up for the loss in MPG.



...Rich

 

[Ryan Y]

search the forum. it's been discussed several times.



and welcome to the site!!

 

[Gene Zenk]

I have been burning E85 for 2 months in my 04 ST (4x4 4.10 rear end). No troubles. My last tankful I got about 15.5 mpg and that tank was all highway. I don't have any long term E85 mpg numbers though. Here it is selling for about 1.80/gallon, unleaded is about $2.25 and 10% ethanol is about $2.19 - and looks like it is going up again the last few days.



I know several people that have been mixing it half E85 and half regular unleaded or E10 in non-FFV vehicles without any trouble as well.



Even if it ends up costing me a little more or the same as regular gasoline due to the small mpg difference - it's worth it in my mind. I'd rather give my money to the local economy than the middle east.



And yep - I know the money I pay for E85 is going into the local economy because I own the gas station and know that the ethhanol portion of the E85 fuel I buy was produced 5 miles away with corn grown in the area too.

 

[Carl Johnson]

I just got my ST this fall (4x4, 4.10) and it was the only vehicle that fit all my wants, one of which was being flex fuel. E-85 burns cooler and that should help reliability. I haven't had the 20-25% reduction in mileage. More like the 5-12% that is listed in the e85fuel web site. I drive mostly in town and have a best of 14.5 mpg with gas and 13.5 with e85. Nowhere near the 17 mpg ford says for in town driving. E85 is selling for $1.75 and gas is $2.37 here today. I have been told by other guys filling up with e85 that it's hard to start in cold weather so I'm going to burn gas in Dec, Jan, Feb, and maybe Mar. As warm as it's been lately I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem but I don't want to get caught in a cold snap with a full tank of e85. It really seems to have more power when I run e85. If there was e85 available everywhere and you did'nt have to burn gas too, they could build an engine that really could take advantage of ethonols advantages. With the octane rating of e85 you could have a 13;1 compression and really make some power.

 

[Gene Zenk]

Red Trac- We had a week or two of highs being 5-10 above and lows being below zero and I didn't have any trouble starting with E85. In Iowa (and most northern states) during the winter the blend is reduced to 70 or 75% ethanol to assist with starting.

 

[Jackie Beene]

Red Trac, I agree with you, if there were more places to buy ethanol/gasoline blends here in Springfield, MO then I would certainly buy more ethanol blends. The only blend I can find down here is the 10% ethanol at the occasional Casey's stores. Unfortunately they are not located near me and have to go out of my usual routes to try to fill up.

Jackie