So I have been running E85 and there is a lot of talk about how the stuff differs from station to stations. So since I top the tank off about once a week, I want to make sure m car is getting the fuel its tuned for. Running the stock fuel system and 80lb injectors to over 400whp can run your system static if the ethanol content is tuned for say winter mix E70 and then in the summer running E85 your injectors will require more fuel and could go static at your top end boost controller setting.

So I have found a way to check your e85 safely and quickly.

First buy a small 1 gallon gas can. Cheap and is sold everywhere. And second buy the well made GLASS (be careful not to drop it) quick fuel E85 tester. I got mine at a reputable seller on eBay for 18 bucks.



Next set up the test.

Buy some gas, top your tank off and put a smidgen in the can (.1 gallons). Your car should be on Empty when you fill to get the most accurate tank of gas. Otherwise you are testing only part of the fuel you are putting in the tank. It will then mix with whatever you have already in the tank and it would be pointless to only test what you are putting in the car.

I have a smidgen of E in this can.



Fill the quick fuel tester to the bottom line with water. I used filtered fridge water just cause, use tap for all it cares.



I used a plastic cap off a new spray paint can and poured fuel from my gas can to the cap and from the cap to the quick lube tube. This is literally the result after about 60 seconds. It was showing up almost instantly! Water mixes with ethanol but water DOES NOT mix with petrol or gasoline since its an oil derivative. At least that is my assessment. But it works.



You can see the results my gas is exactly what I am tuned for E85. In the winter it will show more in the E70 range. SO be careful to move your stoich in HP Tuners accordingly in your tune during the winter season.

Worry free max boost cause I know whats in the tank. Pure liquid enjoyment.

While I was at it I threw this custom sticker I had made on my tank lid.



I LOVE CORN!

 

I'm going to test the e station I go to

 

or add in a ethanol content sensor and stop guessing.

 

400 bucks for a sensor
18 bucks for my way

 

a sticker on a tube is way more accurate.

...

 

trivial amount of error in both methods

...

 

content sensor wired into a small calculation box and displayed into a scan gauge for easy reasons. vs a sticker on a tube.

p.s. to get perfect e85, you have to blend it or buy it in a barrel.

 

So, I take it you're going with this rather than the copy you posted in How-To?

 

Why not both? You know people wont search anyway.

 

Don't need dupes. One is just fine.

 

Nope. Not sure where you are buying your E. I have perfect E85 or perfect E70 every time. Stations have to meet R+M minimums. People that arent getting that are buying it from service stations that mix their own fuel. You can ask your station manager if they do their own then test accordingly.

 

Rodge. Just trying to add good info to the boards.

 

So, I've never considered running E because it just is not common enough for the amount of travel I do. I'm also not a fan of trying to guestimate how many gallons of gas to how many gallons of E I put in the car. Is this test something you have to do with each fill? Is it telling you when you get the balance off between gas and E?

 

There is no mixing of any kind involved. I fill up and drive. Ocassionally I will throw a little in a can like I did here and run the tube test on it. Takes literally a minute to figure out. Just follow the steps above. You dont really even have to do this, its more for making sure if you are running WOT at the tip of your cars abilities that its doing what its suppose to. I dont WOT my car everyday so there is no need to do this. In fact at 20 PSI I dont even have to do this test. Its only when I am at the tip of my fuel system. IF I run my boost controller at 23 psi or race it then I would be sure to test it. But its not absolutely necessary if you get your E from a trusted source and not someone that is mixing their own at a station somewhere.

I have a Shell and a Kum&Go gas station by my house that sells E. They both are trusted. There are stores that the local owners are not a national chain and will cut corners and run more ethanol in the mix to save on gas to make the product cheaper for their overhead. Those places I would definitely test every time.

 

lol smoke n mirrors. well played. the nations best people in the fuel industry will laugh at this as well.

that's fine. you keep living your dream

 

I guess I'm confused about the whole E thing because I never paid much attention to it, but I'm seeing my friends that are on E having to ru the tank down every fill and then putting in 5 gallons of 93 to 5 gallons of E. Looks like a pain in the ass considering there is all of 1(one) gas station anywhere nearby that has E.

 

I continue to contribute to the forums you continue to add your dribble.

 

Yeah they are running their own blends of fuel, you can tune for any configuration of E. I just use 85 since its just pumped into my tank and forget it.

 

in contributed a hell of a lot more than you think junior.

if you want to debate this. be my guest.

 

You forget Area47 is the god king of all cobalts, shortly his posse will be in to tell you you are a moron and he knows 100000x more than you do.

 

Now that I have this. I can run full E85 no problem

 

As of late Senior, you have not. You use your knowledge of tunes like its something we all should behold of precious value. I dont care about your inputs cause they arent all correct no matter who you allegedly worked with at GM. You THINK you have some great respect on this board but you are mistaken, otherwise why would you still be here? Post count? God status (in your head)? This board has move on without you. You dont even have a cobalt. dribble.

Need I say more.

 

why i am on here is none of your concern, but from a business stand point it ranks a lot higher than other forums.

the kids on here trying to reinvent the wheel and some of us older delta chassis veterans have been there and done that. the information given out by myself and others, the older members was given out for a reason. however, i guess your magical and the laws of the ecm hardcode do not apply to you.

however, if you want to direct fire at me with your location because you want to be a bitch about it, more power to you. if you want to trust a tube with a sticker on it. fine. the last bit of information you can not see if the fuel trims in your ****-tastic quest for perfection. if your fuel trims were at zero across the board and you added 3 gallons of "e85" to your tank, and your little tester showed a "perfect blend" then why would the fuel trims start to move in either direction {+/-}???? then again. what do i know.

 

Either way, you guys are splitting ******* hairs.

Ethanol has a much wider acceptable afr than gas. (Note I said acceptable, as in safe, not optimal).

Trims are there for a reason; they do their job if you let them.

And if you are running corn, you had damn well better have a wideband that you keep your eye on, and make adjustments as needed.


I honestly have no idea as to the purpose of this thread or why you guys are bickering.

We know pump e85 isn't perfect. It just happens to be forgiving enough that we get away with it.
Throw your damn little tube in the trash and watch your trims like you should.

 

Gas here in california can very as much as 5-10% ethanol. Not sure about other parts of the country but thats wat ive seen.
And i like the thought of a ethanol sensor but dont like the cost.