Quote:
Originally Posted by CincyJohn
So I've been running e85 pretty much exclusively on OFT standard e85 2+ tune for a little over 5 months (big thanks to the Alternative Fueling Station locator app) with zero issues. Early on I would check the trims after new tanks but stopped doing it since they were always fine and always pretty much the same.
So, my question is is there any reason to rotate to a few tanks of 93 before switching back? And if you say yes, please provide me with a sound, well-reasoned logical reason why - what does it help? What does it do?
BTW - my same response would go to the guy down below who said "don't fuck around and go with flex fuel system" which I disagree with entirely. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with guys running flex fuel and it is a handy set-up particularly if you live somewhere with little e85 availability (not generally the case here in the midwest). I also happen to think you are as likely, if not more likely, to have an issue running flex fuel and constantly changing back and forth than someone like me who doesn't and only and consistently runs e85 (most of it from the same station).
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Not sure why people believe flex-fuel would be more of an issue than straight E85. In any case, to give a general answer to your question, I don't see why you would need to run 93 through your car. E85 runs cleaner through your fuel system than 93 and helps eliminate carbon buildup, etc. I don't believe there is any actual reason out there for why 93 would be used to "clean up" after long E85 use, certainly none that I have ever read or run into.
The only thing you really need to care about when running E85 is proper care of the vehicle. I assume you are aware that E85 wants to absorb moisture - which can lead to corrosion and such for fuel system components. So take better care of these components (check them / change them more often than typical service intervals may require). Clean your injectors every 30-40K miles maybe. Replace the fuel pump at a shorter interval than recommended - and maybe with an aftermarket that is meant to handle E85. Inspect fuel lines and regulator at times.
The easiest care I can think of to have less worry about all these components is just doing the right things to avoid any water buildup in your fuel system. Don't leave the car sitting around for long periods of time being the big one. Keep your fuel topped off as much as possible is another big one - don't drive the car to empty all the time, and in general avoid it.
The benefit of having flex-fuel in my opinion is just simplifying the worry about some of those things. Because gasoline doesn't absorb moisture, so you reduce that risk (that's pretty much the #1 reason in my opinion that flex-fuel has the upper hand). It also adds benefits in dealing with cold starts. Aside from all that, there isn't much more that I can think of off the top of my head. Flex or straight has proved to work completely fine. Ethanol, in general, just requires a little more care and maintenance to help avoid any future issues.