Stage2Sasquatch
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Walled Lake Michigan
Hey guys, I thought that I would make a thread to talk about gods nectar I.E E85. For some of you that don't know, APR is developing a flex-fuel system for MK7's that will make ethanol use more mainstream and easy. Burger Motorsport with their JB1 PNP unit is also setup to run an ethanol mix.
For those of you who don't know, E85 is a mix of 85% denatured ethanol fuel and 15% regular gasoline. The "E" in front denotes that is has ethanol content, and the number "85" is how much of it. So E30 would be 30% Ethanol, and 70% Gasoline, just like E50 would be 50% Ethanol and 50% Gasoline.
Here are some of the Pro's and Cons:
Pros:
1. Cheaper by volume
2. Has extreme knock resistance (Less denotation)
3. Has near racegas octane rating (100-104 octane)
4. Excellent cooling properties
5. Allows tuners to bump up the timing a lot meaning much more power in some cases.
6. Reduced carbon-monoxide emissions
Cons:
1. Harder to find in some areas
2. Needs 30% more fuel for the same stoic burn.
3. Not as popular in the VW/Audi world
4. Has corrosive properties
What is "Flex-fuel"?
Have you ever seen those flex-fuel badges on the back of some Chevy's and other cars? Basically what it means is that the car has a ECU and fuel system that will calculate the amount of ethanol in the gas tank and will adjust the tune to get the most out of it. So let's say you can't find E85 anywhere and have to use 100% gas? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. Let's say you find a E85 pump and fill up with 100% E85? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. Let's say you have half a tank of gas and fill the rest up with E85? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. That's the beauty of it, the ECU does all the work. This is why APR is going this route because it's fool-proof and easy.
Will it hurt my car?
Generally no. All cars sold in the US past 2004 are setup to run at least 10% of ethanol content that is already in the current pump gas today. This means that the cars fueling systems are up to the task of running low ethanol contents. However, in order to run high contents and to get the most out of ethanol you may need a tune specifically for it or fueling components that can handle the higher 30% of fuel needed.
Here's a video of me asking DAP why E85 use isn't popular yet in the VW/Audi world.
The purpose of this thread is to start talking about E85 and bring it into the mainstream like it is with every other car scene. If you have any questions or something to add post below. Let's get talking about how to make 20+HP with nothing but a change in fuel.
For those of you who don't know, E85 is a mix of 85% denatured ethanol fuel and 15% regular gasoline. The "E" in front denotes that is has ethanol content, and the number "85" is how much of it. So E30 would be 30% Ethanol, and 70% Gasoline, just like E50 would be 50% Ethanol and 50% Gasoline.
Here are some of the Pro's and Cons:
Pros:
1. Cheaper by volume
2. Has extreme knock resistance (Less denotation)
3. Has near racegas octane rating (100-104 octane)
4. Excellent cooling properties
5. Allows tuners to bump up the timing a lot meaning much more power in some cases.
6. Reduced carbon-monoxide emissions
Cons:
1. Harder to find in some areas
2. Needs 30% more fuel for the same stoic burn.
3. Not as popular in the VW/Audi world
4. Has corrosive properties
What is "Flex-fuel"?
Have you ever seen those flex-fuel badges on the back of some Chevy's and other cars? Basically what it means is that the car has a ECU and fuel system that will calculate the amount of ethanol in the gas tank and will adjust the tune to get the most out of it. So let's say you can't find E85 anywhere and have to use 100% gas? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. Let's say you find a E85 pump and fill up with 100% E85? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. Let's say you have half a tank of gas and fill the rest up with E85? No problem, just fill up the tank and go. That's the beauty of it, the ECU does all the work. This is why APR is going this route because it's fool-proof and easy.
Will it hurt my car?
Generally no. All cars sold in the US past 2004 are setup to run at least 10% of ethanol content that is already in the current pump gas today. This means that the cars fueling systems are up to the task of running low ethanol contents. However, in order to run high contents and to get the most out of ethanol you may need a tune specifically for it or fueling components that can handle the higher 30% of fuel needed.
Here's a video of me asking DAP why E85 use isn't popular yet in the VW/Audi world.
The purpose of this thread is to start talking about E85 and bring it into the mainstream like it is with every other car scene. If you have any questions or something to add post below. Let's get talking about how to make 20+HP with nothing but a change in fuel.
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