How many miles can you go on a tank of E85?

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Old Jun 16, 2011 | 12:20 AM
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How many miles can you go on a tank of E85?

I know there are a lotta guys running E85 and I was wondering how many miles you can typically drive before filling up again?
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 12:32 AM
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About 200-225 in an STI. A bit more if you really stay out of boost... But that's no fun

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Old Jun 16, 2011 | 12:35 AM
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What if you romp on it a lot? 140ish?
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 12:37 AM
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So I was wondering something.

Flexfuel cars, if I'm understanding them correctly, automatically switch back and forth between engine mapping depending on the gas in the tank.

Is there any reason you can't do a 91octane map for an E85 built car? This thought came to me in regards to long road trips where E85 might not be available every 225 miles.
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 12:52 AM
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The flexfuel cars have a sensor that reads that fuel!
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 01:04 AM
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Originally Posted by SeaOfGreen
The flexfuel cars have a sensor that reads that fuel!
Yeah, so they do automatically what we could do with the AP. I mean I have 91oct and 100oct maps, I'm just wondering if there's a difference between 91oct to E85, or if it us fundamentally the same as 91/100.
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 06:34 AM
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Originally Posted by VRT MBasile
So I was wondering something.

Flexfuel cars, if I'm understanding them correctly, automatically switch back and forth between engine mapping depending on the gas in the tank.

Is there any reason you can't do a 91octane map for an E85 built car? This thought came to me in regards to long road trips where E85 might not be available every 225 miles.
Ive kinda wondered the same thing.

From talking with ppl, we've guessed that if you have an AP, you can have both a 91 and E85 tune.

Run down your tank as much as you can, then fill with the next fuel.

Not sure if that would work great, but it seems like that E85 would just be a slight octain booster when you fill with 91?
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 06:52 AM
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So can you run both? Only reason I haven't gone e85 is for that reason, that here in Santa cruz we dnt have it. If I'd be able to switch back and toward would be nice...
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by CaliSuby
So can you run both? Only reason I haven't gone e85 is for that reason, that here in Santa cruz we dnt have it. If I'd be able to switch back and toward would be nice...
I dont think switching back and forth is a good idea. When you use you 91 map and have 91 w/ some E85 in the tank it's fine. But when you want to use the e85 map and fill it up with e85 for racing you'll have a crap mixture with 91 in it.

I think shops like FF tell there evo costumers to run around a week or 2 with a limp e85 map to get some pure, clean e85 in the system with little trace of 91. Then come in for a full tune w/ better results.
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 07:39 AM
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I drive Grizzly Peak everyday so I get pretty crapy milage
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 08:25 AM
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My last trip from Fremont to Roseville with some city driving and lots of pulls to test my new ewg mufflers I got 16.3 mpg. LOL. This is with 285 width tires too though so it's a lot of drag
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by LOL VTEC
I dont think switching back and forth is a good idea. When you use you 91 map and have 91 w/ some E85 in the tank it's fine. But when you want to use the e85 map and fill it up with e85 for racing you'll have a crap mixture with 91 in it.

I think shops like FF tell there evo costumers to run around a week or 2 with a limp e85 map to get some pure, clean e85 in the system with little trace of 91. Then come in for a full tune w/ better results.


Thats exactly what FF had my friend do when he made the switch in his evo. I would think switching back in forth is bad because your e85 wouldnt be pure. I heard that different stations have different mixtures of e85 and even using a different station can make your car run a little different so I would assume that if there was still a small amount 91 oct in the tank it would be bad
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 08:54 AM
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I get about 175-180 mile out of a tank and thats mostly highway too!
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 09:06 AM
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most only avg about 10mpg (if you do mainly freeway miles and try to get good mileage). If you're using the car (track purposes), you can count on 6-8mpg avg. Sure some get more and some get less...just depends on the person

our race car gets 2.5mpg

*E85 is not economical in the mileage dept for our vehicles, albeit general use or racing. Some use the excuse that its cheap, its really not when you do the mpg math. it will always use 2x the amount of fuel and up to 3x. At $3+ per gallon its the cost of some racing fuels....doesnt make a whole lot of sense, other than to make power and get the fuel at a nearby gas station (if applicable)

-Noah

Last edited by LICmotorsports; Jun 16, 2011 at 02:10 PM.
Old Jun 16, 2011 | 09:10 AM
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I'll average about 180-200 miles per tank.
Roughly 14mpg's. Mostly bc I can't stay out of boost
I'd say more than half the miles are city driving which also equals to poor milage.

Last edited by XxSti05xX; Jun 16, 2011 at 10:03 AM.



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