E-85 Ethanol Tunning
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From: Houston, TX.
E-85 Ethanol Tunning Well I was going to fule up the 2007 Silverado Classic today at Kroger after grocery shopping, I got about 1,200 miles on it. So I pull up to a pump and the pump in front of me had a picture of some four foot ears of corn on it. I was woundering WTF is that. When I took a closer look it was E-85 Ethanol so I decided to filler up with it. ( I have the flex fule motor ) I got it for $1.77 a gallon here in Houston and that includes a 10 cent per gallon discount using my Kroger purchase points. Any how it seems to run the same, but I know that my MPG will go down because the Ethanol dosen`t produce as much enegry as the same amount of gas. So will this affect the way I need to tune the truck? The only difference that I can see is that in the "OP & CL" it has "EQ Ratio" and "EQ Ratio (alcohol)" in the "Open Loop" part. Also will I build up less carbon if I continue to use the E-85. What are the ups and downs of using the E-85? By the way the stuff smelled kinda like Tequila???? Yea I sniffed it. 
Ah yes, the savior of the midwests' cornfields....Market economics...if this is the real thing why won't the market support it without government protections/promotions? Ok Al Gore, this is your manbearpig que to come in and tell us that we all need to drive *****, ahem..PreeUs cars
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From: Houston, TX.
Originally Posted by Doc
Ah yes, the savior of the midwests' cornfields....Market economics...if this is the real thing why won't the market support it without government protections/promotions? Ok Al Gore, this is your manbearpig que to come in and tell us that we all need to drive *****, ahem..PreeUs cars
It wouldn`t suprise me though. What do you need to tune it? A wideband Oxygen sensor and one of the tried and true software setups....HPTuners, EFI Live... Catholic or Protestant take your pick. Plent-O-Info in this section's stickies 
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 731
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From: Houston, TX.
Originally Posted by Doc
What do you need to tune it? A wideband Oxygen sensor and one of the tried and true software setups....HPTuners, EFI Live... Catholic or Protestant take your pick. Plent-O-Info in this section's stickies
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On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Denver, CO
Originally Posted by Doc
Ah yes, the savior of the midwests' cornfields....Market economics...if this is the real thing why won't the market support it without government protections/promotions? Ok Al Gore, this is your manbearpig que to come in and tell us that we all need to drive *****, ahem..PreeUs cars
The market won't support farmers growing food for us without price supports either, but that doesn't mean they should stop growing. Sometimes, there is a compelling public interest in subsidizing an industry. In Europe, they have decided that airlines cannot be profitable and have nationalized that industries. You can't just do away with air travel. In this country, we have yet to figure out that it's very difficult to make a consistent profit in the airline industry, with a few exceptions. The airlines are going to continue to need bailouts.
As for E85, it too needs support right now, but many new technologies did before they were profitable. We already subsidize corn production. The going rate is so low that you would have trouble fitting $10 worth of corn in your Camaro. As the industry becomes more efficient, it may not need subsidies in the future. It's not the whole solution, but it's part of it, or at least worth looking into. If you support the status quo, you should just write a check out to Mr. Bin Laden, because that is where some of the profits are going.
BTW, I don't have a flexfuel vehicle, but I've been mixing E85 with gasoline in a 50/50 mixture. Seems to work fairly well. More power, only slightly less gas mileage.
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From: Houston, TX.
Originally Posted by squealingtires
Make sure to adjust your LM-1 wideband controller for the different fuel. You can read about it in the users manual.
E85 is a good high performance fuel. It also carries a lot of oxygen, and would require a full retune, and possibly much larger fuel injectors. As for the economics and politics, the technology has not advanced far enough to make it a viable fossil fuel alternative, and maybe if farmers weren't so heavily subsidized, our nation wouldn't be full of fat-asses.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Tranås, Sweden
Originally Posted by al
Hey Runn That is definatly some great info. I`m going to do some more reasearch and I`ll be in contact soon. Thanks
Al
Al