E85 Q&A

A: The kit includes the controller, fuel sensor, fuel lines and wire harness. The exception to this is the GM Gen 4/5 (PCM) kits, they do not include the controller as it's an add on that the PCM can understand-once the tune is setup! The controller based kits have the advantage of LIVE Ethanol viewing via the PROFLEX APP and the built in Bluetooth module in the controller.

A: Yes, but as with any vehicle that gets an "E85" tune or this kit, it is up to you to make sure the rest of your fuel system can support it.

A: No, vehicles since the late 80's have been produced Ethanol compliant.

A: Yes, if your engine is already tuned correctly, this kit seamlessly allows you to run a higher Ethanol content. If your tune is trash, your engine will run just as bad on E85.

A: For some, this is not a good option as they do not have the capability to change tunes and if you can not find E85, you may be stuck. But let's dive into this a little deeper, besides the fact that there would be a weird transition period if you didn't drain the tank and flush lines 100% before switching tunes and fuel, let's say you have an E85 tune set up at 75% Ethanol (10.4 Stoich). What if you ended up with a 30% blend in your tank, which needs a Stoich of 13.05...or so. Engine would be running about 25% to rich, which can cause all sorts of issues and of course kill power. Well can't the PCM trim that out? Sure, in closed loop, but what about WOT? WOT/PE is set, so floored trying to pass that Prius, you will officially be the "guy" they point out and claim, that's why I bought a Prius, that thing stinks.

A: The kit in no way controls any kind timing, it handles fueling only. There are a couple ways to handle getting max benefits of high Ethanol fuel, you could run a tune that is pushing the premium gasoline in your area to it's limits and use Ethanol as a safety factor for those hot days. If you have the capability to switch tunes, you could set up an E85 tune which has the timing advance for max benefit of your particular setup as proven by dyno testing, providing your blend is high enough.

A: The flex kit is great choice for most guys that are not racing every weekend, going for max effort and not interested or able to change "timing" tunes. A flex tune properly done has many advantages. Like the flex kit it keeps fueling in check, but along with that it blends to run dyno proven timing optimal for the engine at a specific ethanol %. Many customers don't see what really happens when they get a dedicated tune, well the cat is coming out of the bag. Many codes (DTC's) are shut off so you don't bother the tuner with that pesky Check Engine Light including "Rich/Lean" codes. Let's use a modern Dodge as an example to get up to speed on fuel Stoich. A stock 6.4L has a stoich setpoint of .0688 which is 14.53 AFR (1/.0688). True 85% Ethanol would need a stoich setpoint of .1015 or 9.85 AFR. So what happens if you are running pump E85 which has a variance of 51-83%? Well as you can guess, fueling must change on pretty linear scale from 14.53 down to 9.85 and everywhere in between. Aside from the fueling point of view, a properly setup flex tune is going to blend in spark differently depending on how much ethanol the PCM is calculating because you don't want to run the same amount of timing on E52 as you would E78. These tables on a 6.4L Hemi are simple multiplier tables that increase advancement into alcohol spark tables depending on E%, usually with a full spark blend by 70%. So not only is a flex tune going to keep fueling and spark where it needs to be, certain DTC's can be left on so you as the customer will know there is a real issue when that Rich or Lean code pops up!

A:

Usually false. Let's look at some current prices locally which are usually consistent from each other. First of all 30% is a pretty high amount, usually running pump E it's a 20-25% margin, but let's use 30 for fun and a 15gal amount.

93 Premium @ 3.39/gal and E85 @ 1.69/gal

Premium - 15gal = $50.85

E85 +30% more is 19.5gal = $32.96

So based on that above it is still cheaper even buying more. Yes, you will burn more and you are not increasing your tank size which means less MPG's and you will be at the gas station a little more often, but with a boosted car where E85 gives you safety and more power isn't it worth it?