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Flex Fuel Vehicles #6579781
07/23/19 05:41 PM
07/23/19 05:41 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
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charles Offline OP
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charles  Offline OP
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My Ford Explorer is a flex fuel vehicle. I have never used high ethanol fuel in it. Other than being equipped to handle E 85, is there any advantage or disadvantage to this option? Is it prone to any problems?

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6579813
07/23/19 06:45 PM
07/23/19 06:45 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,540
Champaign County, Ohio.
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KeithC Offline
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Ethanol has around 30% less energy per gallon than gasoline. E 85 is 51% to 83% ethanol, so if it priced even close to the same price as gas, you're throwing your money away on it, because you will get much less mileage. You will get 15% to 25% less mileage than regular gas, depending on how much ethanol is in it.

Keith

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6579817
07/23/19 07:07 PM
07/23/19 07:07 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
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South metro, MN
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Calvin Offline
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Oddly enough my Ford Focus's mileage barely drops when I run E85. That said, I don't buy it. I worry about the long term engine effects with the junk. And it's more the principle of the constant lies being jammed down our in regards to the "benefits" of ethanol. I haven't seen any....and I own a corn field.

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6579819
07/23/19 07:19 PM
07/23/19 07:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2019
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North central Iowa
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Bob_Iowa Offline
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As far as you vehicle having probelms because its a flex fuel I haven’t heard of any, but as far as burning the fuel you want to pick one and stay with it, any probelms have heard of is when people switch back and forth.

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6579841
07/23/19 08:08 PM
07/23/19 08:08 PM
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Beatrice, NE
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loosegoose Offline
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Beatrice, NE
E85 has less energy (BTUs) per gallon than gasoline, but it also costs less. You'd have to drive with a couple tanks each and do some calculations to figure out which one is truly cheaper per mile driven. As far as differences between a flex fuel vehicle and regular vehicle, it's be fuel pump, maybe fuel lines maybe oxygen sensors, larger fuel injectors that's probably about it. You shouldn't have any problems switching between fuels as long as you run the tank down past at least half or so, and fill it all the way back up. The PCM calculates ethanol content of the fuel after it sees a "refuel event"; when fuel level increases by a certain percentage. After it sees that it uses the oxygen sensors to calculate the ethanol percentage, and uses that value until it sees another refuel event. Problems arise when you only add a little fuel, say you have a tank of E85 and add a quarter tank of straight gas for example. The PCM may not see that as a refuel event, even though you've just changed the percentage of ethanol content in the fuel, and it'll run like a turd.

Also ethanol absorbs water, so if the vehicle sits for extended periods, that can cause issues if it has a tank full of E85.

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6580531
07/24/19 09:27 PM
07/24/19 09:27 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 68
North Carolina
JoeRJr Offline
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North Carolina
Originally Posted by charles
My Ford Explorer is a flex fuel vehicle. I have never used high ethanol fuel in it. Other than being equipped to handle E 85, is there any advantage or disadvantage to this option? Is it prone to any problems?


No advantage unless you were adding a turbo to it! They came with larger injectors.
Not much of a downside on that truck. I don't believe they have a flex fuel sensor on that truck. If it did, they failed on occasion, and were an unnecessary complication.
So, in short, it's not much different than owning a regular one.

Joe

Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6580556
07/24/19 09:56 PM
07/24/19 09:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,781
Mi, Mecosta
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ambush32 Offline
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Mi, Mecosta
Have a 2013 f150 flex
Honestly my truck runs better on e85
Less rough idle
Runs better down the highway at higher speeds
Pick up speed is better
Drive 135 miles a day to work I notice the difference
But I loose about 2 miles per gallon


Thought I was a good trapper until I started trapping coyotes......
Thought I was a good bowhunter until I targeted mature bucks....
Re: Flex Fuel Vehicles [Re: charles] #6580588
07/24/19 10:45 PM
07/24/19 10:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
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charles Offline OP
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My Explorer iis the 3.5L twin turbo. Would this matter?

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