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View Full Version : E85 Pump Sightings - What's it gonna take to use it?



SnakeyesTx
09-02-2006, 11:11 PM
Some of you older folks might remember something similar when unleaded gas started to phase out its leaded counterpart. People with cars from the 60's and older may have had to do some head work or start buying additives.

We have a major central office for BP close to my house, and I always thought it was kinda strange that they make these huge claims about having E85 available in so many states and yet, there wasn't a single pump in the same city as their office. That changed today though as I passed by a new station that proudly advertised "We sell E85!" and it was even 40 cents cheaper to the gallon as well.

I'm sure its been debated about the milage differences and such, but I'm curious what would it take to run E85 in the E34 (lets hope BMW never uses that number designation :p ). You can be as technical as you need to be to explain what would it take, or what could potentially go wrong if you tried to use it outright.

rob101
09-02-2006, 11:34 PM
the z4 is the e85 chassis

Jon K
09-03-2006, 02:10 AM
lol

Michael999
09-03-2006, 02:37 AM
whats e85? (the fuel not the bimmer:P)

Jon K
09-03-2006, 02:47 AM
Gasoline with ethanol added

BillionPa
09-03-2006, 03:32 AM
more like ethanol with gasoline added.

it will take a plastic tank, and replacement of almost the entire fuel system.
all new metal lines under the car, new rubber fittings, new pump that wont fry, new injectors and rail, and no Nikasil blocks.

BillionPa
09-03-2006, 03:33 AM
i am so happy there are 2 pumps left in my state that sell E0 fuel, and they are both within an acceptable range to get to.

ricola
09-03-2006, 10:11 PM
We tried it in our Titan. Fuel milage suxed, didn't save anything.

BillionPa
09-03-2006, 10:31 PM
10% ethanol drops mileage about 20%. although E85 would be a pretty sweet fuel for turbo cars, if the fuel system can handle it

632 Regal
09-04-2006, 01:11 AM
Eeek! Trying to quit...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85

Airborne001
09-04-2006, 06:25 AM
E85 is usually used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. Such flexible-fuel engines are designed to run on any mixture of gasoline or ethanol with up to 85% ethanol by volume. The primary differences from non-FFVs is the elimination of bare magnesium, aluminum, and rubber parts in the fuel system, the use of fuel pumps capable of operating with electrically-conductive (ethanol) instead of non-conducting dielectric (gasoline) fuel, specially-coated wear-resistant engine parts, fuel injection control systems having a wider range of pulse widths (for injecting approximately 30% more fuel), the selection of stainless steel fuel lines (sometimes lined with plastic), the selection of stainless steel fuel tanks in place of terne fuel tanks, and, in some cases, the use of acid-neutralizing motor oil. For vehicles with fuel-tank mounted fuel pumps, additional differences to prevent arcing, as well as flame arrestors positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are also sometimes used.

HOLY CRAP, I'd rather run my car on liquid TNT.