2010 FX4, E85, and Maintenance Schedule

[CarbonSteel]

All,

I am beginning to use E85 and provided the price point remains more than $0.40 difference between E10/E15, I will probably run it more often than not. I note a substantial increase in power and not too much of a drop off in MPG (but will do a short study based upon cost per mile to see where I truly stand).

While reading the OM, I see this noted for FFVs that use E85:

Use of E85 50% of the time or greater (flex fuel vehicles only)

• Every 3,000 miles – If ran exclusively on E85, fill the tank full with regular unleaded fuel.

My question is can anyone hazard a guess as to why a tank of E10/E15 is required every 3,000 miles when using E85 more than 50% of the time? Is there some lubrication issues with E85 in the valve train or is it something else I am missing?

 

[spasm3]

A guess but could it involve the attraction of water to alcohol fuel?

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
A guess but could it involve the attraction of water to alcohol fuel?

Perhaps, but as I understand it alcohol and water mix very well (no pun intended) and thus the water would remain suspended in the alcohol. As I usually effectively empty my tank before refueling (~3-4 gallons remaining out of 36) most any water would be already removed.

I would think that by adding a full tank of gasoline any residual water would sink to the bottom of the tank. I believe the pickup is near the bottom of the tank and so the water would be sucked out anyway would it not?
The tank is plastic and the majority of the fuel system appears to be stainless steel so corrosion should not be an issue.

I am puzzled by the need to run a full tank of gasoline every 3K miles. Perhaps, I will pick my service managers brain and see what he says...

 

[JHZR2]

Water would be a good thought, my other idea was that perhaps somehow it allows the controls to re-calibrate somehow. Also perhaps the E85 isnt as additized or doesnt have as much solvency, so the regular is used as a cleaner?

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Water would be a good thought, my other idea was that perhaps somehow it allows the controls to re-calibrate somehow. Also perhaps the E85 isnt as additized or doesnt have as much solvency, so the regular is used as a cleaner?

The calibration may be part of it; it did take a few miles before the engine 'settled down' on the E85. But for the cleaner aspect, I was fairly certain that E85 is a cleaner in and of itself (in many ways acting as a fuel system cleaner) whereas gasoline requires injector cleaners and the like periodically throughout the life of an injected engine.

 

[edhackett]

Quote:
(but will do a short study based upon cost per mile to see where I truly stand)


Don't forget to include the following in your cost per mile analysis:

a. The percentage of your(all of our) income tax that is going to subsidize the ethanol.

b. The increased cost all of us are paying for anything made from petroleum products resulting from the fact that, being generous, as many BTUs of foreign oil and other non renewable resources(coal) were used to produce that gallon of ethanol as you will get out of it.

c. The increased cost all of us are paying for food as a result of farmland being used to grow fuel instead of food.

d. Damage to the environment due to soil damage, depleted aquifers, fertilizer run off, and the fact that you've generated a lot more air pollution. All that diesel burned to farm and transport the corn and transport the ethanol, emissions from fertilizer plants, and emissions from the coal fired plants that produced the electricity to distill the ethanol have to be added to what comes out your tail pipe.

Let us know how that works out for you.

Ed

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
The calibration may be part of it; it did take a few miles before the engine 'settled down' on the E85. But for the cleaner aspect, I was fairly certain that E85 is a cleaner in and of itself (in many ways acting as a fuel system cleaner) whereas gasoline requires injector cleaners and the like periodically throughout the life of an injected engine.


It is absolutely not true that gasoline engines require cleaning additives in the fuel. That is 'sold' at the stealership but is not necessary at all.

 

[skypants]

From what i have gathered, running 1 tank of regular unleaded every 3k is to clean the injectors. E85 causes build-up on the injector nozzles, the reg gas cleans it up.

 

[Steve S]

You are missing the alky in the oil.

 

[tmorris1]

Originally Posted By: skypants
From what i have gathered, running 1 tank of regular unleaded every 3k is to clean the injectors. E85 causes build-up on the injector nozzles, the reg gas cleans it up.

From what I have read alcohol burns almost completely clean leaving no residue? Not saying your wrong, just stating what I have read and was told.

 

[Cujet]

My 09 F150 5.4L gets E85 every once in a while. I like the way it runs.

However, the oil life monitor quickly goes from 7500 miles between changes to 5000. Even with just a few tanks of E85. Not sure why Ford does this.

I use Mobil 1, 5W-20 and I am sending this 5000 mile used oil sample out for analysis. We shall see! Maybe Ford has a point, maybe not.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Let us know how that works out for you.

Working out quite well; I believe in the grand scheme of it all, the things that you noted are intangible to the average person.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
I use Mobil 1, 5W-20 and I am sending this 5000 mile used oil sample out for analysis. We shall see! Maybe Ford has a point, maybe not.

I have not had any issues running E-85 thus far and my UOAs have not budged. Here is a UOA with about 4500 miles running E-85

UOA