Alcohol percentage for e85

[WildHorse]

Not necessarily. If you know what % of ethanol you have in the tank then you should know where your afr should sit at idle. Once it stops hunting and fluctuating and settles to a steady .3 margin the Lund flex tune has finished learning. I used this method for years before switching back to pump gas. I'm not saying getting your laptop out is a bad idea but it's not always convenient. Biggest thing is you have to test your fuel and know exactly how much e you mixed in the tank. If not you won't know where your afr should be settling.

Again, it's just a flex tune. Drive it for a couple miles then have at her. Lund even says that sometimes the E content is inaccurate, or it won't lock in the alcohol %. They also make it perfectly clear that it's a 'convenience' tune.

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[andrewtac]

I do my own tuning with an HPTuners MPVI2 and use a laptop with VCM Scanner software to monitor Alcohol Percent, Inferred AFR Status and Inferred AFR Source while datalogging. I have not worked with an RTD device but it appears it uses the same VCM Scanner software available free from the HPTuners website. At this Lund link, there's some info on using the software with the RTD. Might need to "repoll for supported parameters" while connected to the vehicle after loading the flex tune. Then you should have Alcohol Percent as a channel option to select for logging.

For day-to-day easy monitoring without the need for a laptop, I use one of these with an app on my phone: https://www.obdlink.com/products/obdlink-mxp/

This device allows me to monitor Alcohol Percent, STFTs, LTFTs, Knock Retard, etc. I usually watch the app for 10-15 minutes after a fill-up to have an idea of the learned alcohol percentage for that tank. There are similar (many cheaper) devices like this available, but this one works well for me.

What app? I am using torque for day to day.

 

[markmurfie]

Have you tried connecting your RTD to the HPT track addicts app? You might be able to find the OBD channel for alcohol % in that.

 

[Radar Doc]

What app? I am using torque for day to day.

Just the OBDLink app. I haven’t tried any others. Haven’t had much spare time lately to play with this stuff.

 

[DougS550]

I do my own tuning with an HPTuners MPVI2 and use a laptop with VCM Scanner software to monitor Alcohol Percent, Inferred AFR Status and Inferred AFR Source while datalogging. I have not worked with an RTD device but it appears it uses the same VCM Scanner software available free from the HPTuners website. At this Lund link, there's some info on using the software with the RTD. Might need to "repoll for supported parameters" while connected to the vehicle after loading the flex tune. Then you should have Alcohol Percent as a channel option to select for logging.

For day-to-day easy monitoring without the need for a laptop, I use one of these with an app on my phone: https://www.obdlink.com/products/obdlink-mxp/

This device allows me to monitor Alcohol Percent, STFTs, LTFTs, Knock Retard, etc. I usually watch the app for 10-15 minutes after a fill-up to have an idea of the learned alcohol percentage for that tank. There are similar (many cheaper) devices like this available, but this one works well for me.

So you use this OBDII plug in device to check your E85 percentage after fill up using your phone blue tooth?

 

[Radar Doc]

So you use this OBDII plug in device to check your E85 percentage after fill up using your phone blue tooth?

Yes, exactly...to look at the inferred alcohol percentage derived by the car's computer. I also monitor short and long term fuel trims, knock retard, etc. My usual routine is to bring up the app when I fuel up about 8 miles from my house. When I get home, I look at the phone to see what the alcohol percent has locked to. The fuel trims are an indication the inferred alcohol is close (the app also records min/max values so I can see what those have been throughout the drive). The knock retard parameter gives me a warm fuzzy that timing isn't being pulled.

Clearly this isn't like testing E85 at the pump or using an ethanol sensor in the fuel line, but it gives me a good idea about the computer's guess for the ethanol percent.

 

[HannyBoySolo]

I do my own tuning with an HPTuners MPVI2 and use a laptop with VCM Scanner software to monitor Alcohol Percent, Inferred AFR Status and Inferred AFR Source while datalogging. I have not worked with an RTD device but it appears it uses the same VCM Scanner software available free from the HPTuners website. At this Lund link, there's some info on using the software with the RTD. Might need to "repoll for supported parameters" while connected to the vehicle after loading the flex tune. Then you should have Alcohol Percent as a channel option to select for logging.

For day-to-day easy monitoring without the need for a laptop, I use one of these with an app on my phone: https://www.obdlink.com/products/obdlink-mxp/

This device allows me to monitor Alcohol Percent, STFTs, LTFTs, Knock Retard, etc. I usually watch the app for 10-15 minutes after a fill-up to have an idea of the learned alcohol percentage for that tank. There are similar (many cheaper) devices like this available, but this one works well for me.

Could you explain or walk me through how you would set that up on the OBDlink mx+? That’s really cool that an OBD scanner would tell you the alcohol percentage. I’m interested in the item!

 

[Radar Doc]

Could you explain or walk me through how you would set that up on the OBDlink mx+? That’s really cool that an OBD scanner would tell you the alcohol percentage. I’m interested in the item!

Here is a screenshot of the display configuration screen. All you need to do is click on the "PID' area and select "Alcohol fuel percentage" as shown.

If your tuner is using Ford factory values for the Low AFR endpoint and lock parameters in the flex tune, your ethanol reading on this gauge will lock to about 78% for ethanol content above 58% (after flashing or refueling, and a 10-15 minute drive). The tuner can use different values to allow the computer to infer anywhere from 0-100% ethanol, so your ethanol percentage may actually read all the way to 100%.

 

[HannyBoySolo]

Here is a screenshot of the display configuration screen. All you need to do is click on the "PID' area and select "Alcohol fuel percentage" as shown.

If your tuner is using Ford factory values for the Low AFR endpoint and lock parameters in the flex tune, your ethanol reading on this gauge will lock to about 78% for ethanol content above 58% (after flashing or refueling, and a 10-15 minute drive). The tuner can use different values to allow the computer to infer anywhere from 0-100% ethanol, so your ethanol percentage may actually read all the way to 100%.

Who are you tuned by? I’m tuned by Lund and I’m not sure what values they utilize to read the alcohol %.

 

[Radar Doc]

Who are you tuned by? I’m tuned by Lund and I’m not sure what values they utilize to read the alcohol %.

I do my own tuning.

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