Dealer says E85 will screw up my injectors.

[XM DUDE]

I have a flex fuel vehicle, but the dealer advised the E85 could screw up injectors, any one out there running E85 yet?

[91z4me]

I have  a flex fuel vehicle, but the dealer advised the E85 could screw up injectors, any one out there running E85 yet?

191257[/snapback]

What a F*cking idiot! A flex fuel vehicle is DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, and BUILT to work on E85 with NO problems. They are just being stupid. If your vehicle was not E85 capable or flex fuel then it would hurt the fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel lines. But it would not hurt the injectors, but it would give them a darn good cleaning.

[XM DUDE]

What a F*cking idiot!  A flex fuel vehicle is DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, and BUILT to work on E85 with NO problems.  They are just being stupid.  If your vehicle was not E85 capable or flex fuel then it would hurt the fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel lines.  But it would not hurt the injectors, but it would give them a darn good cleaning.

191261[/snapback]

He claims that he read it in consumer reports researched CS and could find nothing about any engine damage, but financially it's not really worth it though. Edited September 9, 2006 by XM DUDE

[NOS2006]

Yeah, whoever you went to is a dumbass. You can go from 87 octane.. to 89 octane.. to E85.. back to 89.. back to E85. You'll be fine. Just don't use diesel! haha

[NOS2006]

He claims that he read it in consumer reports.

191263[/snapback]

And I once read that the Toyota Camry is the best vehicle ever made. Therefore, it's a fact, right?

[91z4me]

He claims that he read it in consumer reports.

191263[/snapback]

Just run a search for "BIAS Consumer Reports" or "Consumer Reports statistic problems". You will see why NEVER to trust CR. Also don't take advice from anyone at a dealership that you don't personally know or have a good reason to trust.

[XM DUDE]

Well aside from the fact that the mileage you get is worse and it doesnt seem any cheaper than gasoline, I cant see any determent to running E85.

[Croc]

ummm.....uses less fossil fuel?

[thegriffon]

If you can make the switch then I'd recommend you do so, if not for the environment, then just to put the squeeze on big oil.

[ocnblu]

I'm strongly considering plowing my grass under and growing corn in the back yard.

[FAPTurbo]

I'm strongly considering plowing my grass under and growing corn in the back yard.

191315[/snapback]

You'll have to distill it yourself, so watch out for Ted Kennedy.

[Drew Dowdell]

*I* say that you're dealer has been drinking too much E85...

[Mr.Krinkle]

cr's cover story is titled the "ethanol myth"

apparently they discovered that it wont solve the worlds energy problems, but do admit its better for the environment. i guess anything to dissuade people from buying domestic e85 flex fuel capable cars is part of their agenda now too.

for comparison; only a couple of nissans and a benz are capable..

as most here already know the mileage trade off is fairly modest. 2-4 mpg at least. and it seems highway mpg suffer the most.

that and its hard to find for the majority of the country.

[Drew Dowdell]

cr's cover story is titled the "ethanol myth"

apparently they discovered that it wont solve the worlds energy problems, but do admit its better for the environment.  i guess anything to dissuade people from buying domestic e85 flex fuel capable cars is part of their agenda now too.

for comparison; only a couple of nissans and a benz are capable..

as most here already know the mileage trade off is fairly modest. 2-4 mpg at least.  and it seems highway mpg suffer the most.

that and its hard to find for the majority of the country.

191442[/snapback]

Our "energy problem" is the fact that we're using non-renewable fuels in our cars. If we switch to renewable energy <which E85 is mostly>, our problem will go away.

As far as cost? The country has nearly completed adapting to $2.50 a gallon.

[Mr.Krinkle]

i couldnt agree with you more about this. if i had flex fuel close by (or at all) you bet your ass i would use it. some people out there really see gas prices dropping even more. the only time gas priced rebounded last week was when a few scattered "problems" occurred at some refineries.

[XM DUDE]

If you can make the switch then I'd recommend you do so, if not for the environment, then just to put the squeeze on big oil.

191306[/snapback]

That is the main reason I want to do it! I also believe the technology for E85 will improve and the mileage will improve.

[Satty]

That is the main reason I want to do it! I also believe the technology for E85 will improve and the mileage will improve.

Using sugar can instead of corn would likely bring the costs down, if I remember correctly, sugar cane is cheaper to convert into ethanol than corn.

[Drew Dowdell]

Well aside from the fact that the mileage you get is worse and it doesnt seem any cheaper than gasoline, I cant see any determent to running E85.

In the end it costs about the same to run your vehicle, but you're reducing dependence on foreign oil.

[Drew Dowdell]

Using sugar can instead of corn would likely bring the costs down, if I remember correctly, sugar cane is cheaper to convert into ethanol than corn.

it's not that the process is cheaper, it's that the amount of E85 you get from sugar is higher than the amount you get from corn.

Corn is one of the least productive ways to get E85 in terms of volume of output per volume of input.

[Drew Dowdell]

Oh... and the dealer is a moron..... if anything running E-85 cleans your injectors. The whole reason some cars are e85 compatible and some aren't is because of rubberized fuel lines. E85 vehicles have stainless steel lines because the fuel will break down rubber ones.

[biff]

I've lived in the corn belt where E85 is available almost everywhere. I'm not convinced it's a solution to any dependence on oil or that it's going to protect the environment. It may help, but it seems like it's more of a political game. Most E85 stations are ripping consumers off because the price closely follows the regular fuel price, even though only 15% of it is petro fuel. I asked a gas station manager about it once, he just smiled. If you factor in that there are subsidies on corn and building ethanol plants, that money is coming from tax payers. I haven't done any research to support my suspicions and I could be wrong, but the whole thing seems a little suspicious.

[thegriffon]

That is the main reason I want to do it! I also believe the technology for E85 will improve and the mileage will improve.

You'll always get lower mileage running on E85, no matter how much the engines improve, simply because ethanol doesn't have as much energy to be released as gasoline. Now, if GM drops the Brazilian 1.4 L Econoflex engine in he Aveo, then you might not be so concerned about the increased fuel burn.

[thegriffon]

it's not that the process is cheaper, it's that the amount of E85 you get from sugar is higher than the amount you get from corn.

Corn is one of the least productive ways to get E85 in terms of volume of output per volume of input.

The process is cheaper. Ethanol from corn and other grain crops requires more processing to get to the stage sugar cane starts at (a high sugar liquid for fermenting). There are more by-products which can be sold on as well though, such as high-protein "distillers grains" (the corn left after the sugar and simple carbohydrates have been broken down dissolved), and corn oil, which some plants turn into biodiesel.

[Drew Dowdell]

I asked a gas station manager about it once, he just smiled. If you factor in that there are subsidies on corn and building ethanol plants, that money is coming from tax payers. I haven't done any research to support my suspicions and I could be wrong, but the whole thing seems a little suspicious.

There are already multiple lawsuits pending regarding this.

[Newbiewar]

let me explain the differences between a flex fuel and a regualr vortec motor...

ethenal has alchol in it... and the alchol will disolve, eat up, erode the regular plumbing including fuel lines injectors seals on fuel pumps...

so if your using ethonal on a regular vehicle it will chew up all this rubber type things, and these small particles have a chance of clogging your injectors...

but...

Flex Fuel vehicles

have thought about this prior to their design... thus, they use rubber seals and rubber hoses that arent going to be eroded by the alchol in ethonal...

thus its safe for your injectors....

almost all gas stations have 10% ethonal in their fuel as it is...

but the reason they might have said this is because of the lack of fuel ecconomy while using the ethonal, they may not understand that ethonal is not burning at its ideal compression when used in a petrolium engine...

... its your choice... but its not bad for your vehicle...

perhaps e-85 doesnt have the detergants that regualr fuel has who knows...

[Sixty8panther]

He claims that he read it in consumer reports researched CS and could find nothing about any engine damage, but financially it's not really worth it though.

That's your problem right there....

That idiot should be fired ON THE SPOT.

Sounds like some sort of retarded

Toyota-humper Mole that was planted

at the GM dealer to F*** up GM sales!

[Newbiewar]

That's your problem right there....

That idiot should be fired ON THE SPOT.

Sounds like some sort of retarded

Toyota-humper Mole that was planted

at the GM dealer to F*** up GM sales!

if we all listened to consumer reports, we'd probably all have a prius in our drive way, a wirlpool refrigerator, a mr coffee coffee pot, and trojan condoms, ps3's (instead of xbox360), and probably little stuffed toys that are never sewed together with a sharp needle...

but this isnt a world about putting something in the middle of the room with some engeneers and disecting it...

[K.C.]

I've run my Av on E85 and had no issues. I did notice a huge difference in mileage when using E85, so the cost savings isnt there because the mileage on E85 is much poorer than that with gasoline. I think the guy you talked to is mistaken, or maybe a Toyota lover jealous that his Tundra does not run on the corn squeezins.

[Newbiewar]

I've run my Av on E85 and had no issues. I did notice a huge difference in mileage when using E85, so the cost savings isnt there because the mileage on E85 is much poorer than that with gasoline. I think the guy you talked to is mistaken, or maybe a Toyota lover jealous that his Tundra does not run on the corn squeezins.

you wont notice a problem on a one time usage... i think problems will expose them on a normal vehicle after 6 months + of exposure to the ethyl alcohol