Coldest ambient temp acceptable to run e85

[ChiTownStang26]

With temperatures dropping here in the midwest and me being relatively new to e85, I'd like to know if there is a cutoff ambient temp where it is unsafe or unreliable to run corn.

I'm not going to run e85 much longer as the seasons change but wanted to know if there is a recommended temp range for corn. I was planning to go back to 93 when I change to my all season tires (when temp highs are 50*) but mornings are going to start seeing 40s* soon.

So does anyone know the coldest ambient temperature you can run e85 safely and or reliably?

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[bluebeastsrt]

Your good to about -237f. Your motor oil will thicken to the point that it won’t pump before you have to worry about e85.

 

[shogun32]

I don't think the OP was asking when his fuel would congeal. But rather where the vapor pressure drops to the point that it doesn't atomize properly or the volatility decreases to the point cold starting is problematic. Chicago is frequently below 20F.

Plus he probably also meant to ask when do his local gas stations transition to E50. There's a few calculators that can give you an idea as to Octane on a 50/50 mix. But yeah I would go to straight gas for winter. Plus E* likes to accumulate water and lots more "condensin' going on" when it's cold.

 

[helloWorld]

So, I don't have any scientific information to give you, but I can give you my own personal experience.

All three of my previous vehicles have had pump E85 (winter blend isn't even 85%, so this is even more scary) put in them and they all would pretty much not want to start/run well cold when the temperatures started dropping below 40*F. One time, I cold started one of the cars when it was in the 20s and the car would not stay running on its own. I had to lightly tap the throttle to give it some gas for about a minute until it warmed up enough that it would at least idle on its own.

What I did to remedy the situation, and what I highly recommend to anybody, is to just run pump gasoline in the car. If you have flex fuel, you will be fine with two or three gallons of pump E85 and the remainder of the gas tank being filled with pump gasoline. Who are you racing when its 40*F out in a RWD vehicle? Why do you need max ignition timing in the winter?

 

[ChiTownStang26]

@helloWorld

Lmao I'm not racing anyone in the cold but a buddy that I'm trying to convince to go e85 is going to drive my car in a week so I was trying to hold out until then is all.

@shogun32

Yes I was concerned about cold starts in the morning before work, I did word that horribly. I am aware of the winter blend and have STFT showing at all times incase I get less than e70 when I fill up(every 3 days) i can pull over and flash the FF tune quick. Like I said above I need to keep the e85r flashed to show a buddy the low end torque improvements.

I asked if it was unsafe but ment unsafe for the parts i.e. fuel line, etc when the car is sitting there overnight. For all I know e85 has a freeze point of -10* when we can see -25* (makes your joke funnier huh @bluebeastsrt lol) or something else I didnt know about. Now I'd never run e85 when it gets that cold but it was more of a curious question.

Thanks guys for the input.

 

[WildHorse]

block heater.. then you're good to go.

 

[Whiplash473]

Chicago is frequently below 20F.

For all I know e85 has a freeze point of -10* when we can see -25* (makes your joke funnier huh @bluebeastsrt

Heck, most of our winter is between 0 and -25, haha.

 

[WildHorse]

Heck, most of our winter is between 0 and -25, haha.

 

[Zinc03svt]

No problem here running E85 in 40 degree temps last winter. No worries Mate. Wild horse it. ;)

 

[kent0464]

The ECU’s in newer cars make cold starts with E85 pretty much a non-issue. Even on older cars cold starts with E85 meant a slightly longer cranking time.
I ran E85 year round in my flex-fuel E350 16’ box work truck and never noticed any difference in cold start as the weather got colder, even at -12 f .
I think some folks confuse the old stories of alcohol as a fuel, methanol will ice up the throttle body and is a bitch to start in the winter, ethanol on the other hand is functional at all temps provided the cold start strategy in the ECU is up to the task.......there wouldn’t be millions of flex fuel vehicles out there if E- fuels where an issue.

 

[ChiTownStang26]

@Whiplash473

Well add "you can drive on e85 in the winter months" to the positive column for running corn lmao

 

[Zinc03svt]

Lol. People are finally getting over the E85 is bad for your fuel system “fear porn” and now winter bad for e85. Blah blah.

 

[Whiplash473]

@WildHorse - Ah yes, I have a cabin near Kenora, Ontario. I know the winters and its brutal.

@Whiplash473

Well add "you can drive on e85 in the winter months" to the positive column for running corn lmao

Funny thing is I clicked on this thread to see what the deal was in hopes to tell you to add it to my "running gasoline" column since you had just texted me about all of that. I didn't even realize it was your thread.

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