Subaru BRZ With e85 Flex Fuel Kit Not Starting In Cold
 

Today after some snow and it being 32 degrees outside, my Subaru BRZ is refusing to start. It's an automatic. It has the moto-east flex fuel kit installed and tune. I tried starting the ignition over 10 times, but it's just not starting.

Is this typical for cars with e85 and this flex fuel kit?

I e-mailed Moto East and I'm waiting for a response.

Will they send me an updated tune, or what do I have to do to get my car to start? Should I put some regular gasoline in it or something?

The ethanol content is above 80. Any ideas?

Here is a video of it,
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pfJuKF_t7s"]Subaru BRZ E85 Cold Start Problem With Ignition Not Starting After Snow - YouTube[/ame]

Lots of info on this forum about it such as;

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84644

People add regular gasoline to fix the problem, should be OK for you as you have flex fuel

Winter blend E85 is typically ~E60 tops from what I've seen. Curious how you have >E80 when it's 32 degrees out!

thats what i figured, thx. ill try adding regular gasoline tomorrow.

well yesterday i went and filled my tank completely with e85 and that's what it went to after i did so. Omega Fuels, in Southampton PA. Maybe they had more ethanol in it.

omega fuels has the best blend of e85 around our area. I'm from philly too, but I usually fill up at the scam shell station near Chinatown just for the convenience.

I messaged Omega Fuels on Facebook and they apologized to me. They said their winter blend is not suppose to be above 80, and mine went to 88. My tank was on empty when I filled it all up, so 99% of the fuel came from their pump. Seems like I got too much ethanol.

Very strange.

In Indiana we have high blends as well. I filled up yesterday with E77.

update
 

Today i went and filled my tank with 6 gallons of regular gasoline (87 octane). The rest of my tank has e85, so it's 50% regular gas and 50% e85. Omega Fuels recommended me to dillute the e85 with regular gasoline and that's exactly what I did.

It still doesn't start.

I messaged Moto-East because it's their flex fuel kit and tune, and I'm waiting for a response. At this point I have no idea what to do. My car still doesn't start.

I opened the engine bay and saw the Zeitronix box flashing yellow. Does anyone know if this is normal , or is something wrong with the moto east flex fuel it, or possibly the tune? I have no clue what the problem is now. This is really weird.

Also the ethanol content anylyzer only went down from e88 to 83. So i'm not sure how accurate that is since half of my engine is regular gas. That seems to be way off. Shouldnt it be way below 80 by now? Strange.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6UjiWkvzvM"]March 11, 2017 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-QgdKYLysw"]March 11, 2017 - YouTube[/ame]

Best way is to drain all ethanol via priming fuel pump and fill the tank with gasoline and give it a try

You did fill the tank with 93, but the fuel that is in the lines is probably still pure ethanol. You could carefully disconnect the fuel lines and prime the pump a bunch to drain the lines. Hmm.

Betting it's flooded now and the plugs are soaked.

OR, @morswestford , do it the old fashioned way ....... spray diethyl ether into the intake, which should allow the engine to start and run, to pull the ethanol through the lines to get to the gas mix.

CAUTION: Don't be looking at the intake real close if the engine backfires ...... :eyebulge:


Bubba in for humfrz

interesting idea, how do i easily open the air intake to spray that?