E15 fuel debate

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Bdersch

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I have been looking on information whether anyone is running E15 in their rams? I have a 2016 V6 3.6L engine in mine. Ive ran it a few times and not really noticed a mpg difference either way nor have i noticed any engine troubles. I actually noticed today after filling up with it that my truck seemed to sit in the ECO mode longer and running at lower RPMs...

Any thoughts?
 

BlkZrx

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E85 is nearly pure ethanol, 85%. E15 is 15%..

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Markcuda

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I thought modern day fuel lines and such can't handle more than 10%?
Or, do I have that wrong?
 

BlkZrx

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Flexfuel vehicles can use E85. Lots of older vehicles would have long term problems with E15, especially anything with a carb.

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69GWC

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E-15 will not hurt anything, shoot E- 85 would be fine if you could re-tune for it as e-85 requires more fuel.
 

avantiguy

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Personally, I'm waiting for E100. Hard to buy good corn squeezin's under $2/gal anywhere else these days.:favorites13:
 

monteholic

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when I can find it...I'll buy 100% gas every time, it takes approx 30% more ethanol by volume than gasoline, ethanol has no lubricating properties like gasoline, ethanol is harder on the fuel system parts, current ECM's are programmed to work with E10 unless it's a flex fuel vehicle the E15 air/fuel ratios required for best performance will be different

so if you want less MPG/performance use the E15
 

-B-

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the major issue with alcohol fuels is the seals and hoses , once they started cheapening those components that is when the issue with the fuels started showing up we have had the 10% in Ma for over 30 years old stuff from pre mid 90's still works well, modern stuff after that hoses and seals just degrade.
 

Burla

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Use as little ethanol as possible. Furthermore, we are being lied to, the obama admin fkin ordered too much ethanol expecting a number but the economy didn't support it, so the USA has a glut of the stuff on hand. I will be getting an ethanol test kit soon, and I suggest ya'll do the same. I posted a link on that somewhere, whatever. Ethanol is ****.
 

jasonw

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I use E10, despite it hurting my MPG by one or two, simply because it is what Costco carries here. Some have an ethanol free option, but ours does not. Whenever travelling somewhere where there isn't a Costco, I always use ethanol free gas if it is an option.
 
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Bdersch

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So besides hurting MPG we are saying E15 is good?
 

huntergreen

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We only have corn gas in the tristate area.
 

Casper

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E-15 will not hurt anything, shoot E- 85 would be fine if you could re-tune for it as e-85 requires more fuel.
That's not correct. E-85 is corrosive as hell and breaks down your rubber components. It does not provide the same cooling internal to the combustion chamber either.
If a vehicle is designed for it, fine, only a few negative issues like less MPG.

If the engine is not flex fuel, E-85 is awful AND E-15 would also be a long term problem.

Just 'cause the red necks doing left turns run ethanol doesn't make it right for a stock vehicle--the manufacturer will tell you what they know will let your vehicle last beyond their warranty period.

So if the manufacturer recommends against E-15 or E-85, STAY THE HELL AWAY!

If the engine is not designed for ethanol the following issues may arise:
1) Ethanol will entrain water whether from humidity, condensation in your tank, or contamination in the gas station's storage tanks. If there are ferrous (Steel/iron)metals in your fuel system they will rust. Ethanol dissolves many rubber fuel hose materials too and may not play well with things like the O-rings in your injectors. It doesn't provide the same cooling as gas in the chamber and can lead to metallurgic issues with pistons and rings or early valve seat wear.
2) Ethanol will flash to vapor under certain heat and pressure conditions. Basic thermo dynamics say vapors condense, liquids do not--you can go air bound (vapor lock) in your fuel injection system with too much ethanol in certain hot/loaded conditions--happens mostly in older cars, but not unheard of in new vehicles.

So make sure you know what your vehicle is built to accept before you go swallowing the corn farmers bull!
 
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69GWC

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That's not correct. E-85 is corrosive as hell and breaks down your rubber components. It does not provide the same cooling internal to the combustion chamber either.
If a vehicle is designed for it, fine, only a few negative issues like less MPG.

If the engine is not flex fuel, E-85 is awful AND E-15 would also be a long term problem.

Just 'cause the red necks doing left turns run ethanol doesn't make it right for a stock vehicle--the manufacturer will tell you what they know will let your vehicle last beyond their warranty period.

So if the manufacturer recommends against E-15 or E-85, STAY THE HELL AWAY!

If the engine is not designed for ethanol the following issues may arise:
1) Ethanol will entrain water whether from humidity, condensation in your tank, or contamination in the gas station's storage tanks. If there are ferrous (Steel/iron)metals in your fuel system they will rust. Ethanol dissolves many rubber fuel hose materials too and may not play well with things like the O-rings in your injectors. It doesn't provide the same cooling as gas in the chamber and can lead to metallurgic issues with pistons and rings or early valve seat wear.
2) Ethanol will flash to vapor under certain heat and pressure conditions. Basic thermo dynamics say vapors condense, liquids do not--you can go air bound (vapor lock) in your fuel injection system with too much ethanol in certain hot/loaded conditions--happens mostly in older cars, but not unheard of in new vehicles.

So make sure you know what your vehicle is built to accept before you go swallowing the corn farmers bull!


I will be sure to tell my buddy thats been running E-85 in his chevy truck and his wifes Suburban for the last 10 yrs that his truck wont last and will soon fall apart, well crap that might happen amyway since he had around 350k on the truck amd its always been on E-85.
Hell he runs his atvs lawn mowers everything he has on e-85 with zero problems from it.

Oh yeah neither his truck or his wifes was built to be on e-85.


I know a number of people that run it as race fuel as well that do not have problems from it.

Do I think its the best thing No, I would rather run straight gas but its far from the devils brew that some people make it out to be. It does suck it does not last as long and goes bad quicker then gas but that is the only bad side affect I have ever had myself from using it.
 

68PowerWagon

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I will be sure to tell my buddy thats been running E-85 in his chevy truck and his wifes Suburban for the last 10 yrs that his truck wont last and will soon fall apart, well crap that might happen amyway since he had around 350k on the truck amd its always been on E-85.
Hell he runs his atvs lawn mowers everything he has on e-85 with zero problems from it.

Oh yeah neither his truck or his wifes was built to be on e-85.


I know a number of people that run it as race fuel as well that do not have problems from it.

Do I think its the best thing No, I would rather run straight gas but its far from the devils brew that some people make it out to be. It does suck it does not last as long and goes bad quicker then gas but that is the only bad side affect I have ever had myself from using it.

I agree! In fact from the research I have seen, this is now what they use to raise the octane.
I have heard of several using it for race fuel as well cause it is cheap with an octane rating of 105.
Now whether it is environmentally friendly as they say... well that is a whole other debate. I have a funny feeling it's not. Especially when you figure in how much fossil fuel is used to make & transport it.
 

-B-

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That's not correct. e85 It does not provide the same cooling internal to the combustion chamber either.

this is incorrect in fact it cools better , alcohol is a proven intake and combustion chamber cooler it has been used to do so in fuel mixes for 100 years . The original reason for 10% in fuel for winter bends was to help cool the engine to produce better complete burn reducing emissions.
 

tonybrown32

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No. If the owners manual doesn't say good, its very, very BAD!

My 2017 Ram 1500 manual says 89 octane preferred, 87 octane is acceptable, and can use ethanol blends up to 15% Ethanol (E15) in my 5.7 Hemi.

Around here E15 gas is 88 octane. Sounds very acceptable according to the owners manual.
 
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