E85 considerations

[ILStang]

about to pull the trigger on an E85 tune, 2020 gt a10, everything else stock. Any downside or other things I need to consider/address? E85 readily available here, and already have an ngauge. Anyone who has done this, is it worth the cost? Thanks in advance for advance for your advice/help.

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[ice445]

Well, your warranty will likely not be honored if you have a severe engine issue pop up, so keep that in mind. If you aren't bothered by that, there's no real downsides other than getting lower fuel economy (you'll typically get 150 miles to a tank of e85 on these cars). Cold starts also tend to take longer.

Is it worth the cost? Yes. The Coyote will run god tier timing on E85, and you'll not only pick up around 50WHP in many cases, but the torque at lower RPM's will be way higher as well. Will feel like a totally different car.

 

[Elvis67]

It so fun with the the e85 ..flex tune is the way to go ..so if you don't have e85 close to you ..its easy for me to fill up with up 91

 

[cahouston]

Like ice445 mentioned, if you have a major powertrain failure (engine, transmission, etc) after the tune, you could be on the hook for the repair bill if Ford finds the damage was caused by the tune or extra power produced. It could even be an underlying issue that would have eventually caused a failure either way that the extra power exacerbated. That is the only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger.

E85 is cheaper than 93 so that somewhat offsets the fuel economy hit. Beyond that, everything else I have heard has been nothing but great. Increased power across the power band and cooler burn = lower CHT are positives.

I'm risk averse so potentially having an engine or trans failure that Ford won't cover while still in my warranty period would be a tough pill to swallow.

 

[ILStang]

Thanks for the replies. I’ve tuned mustangs and f-150’s previously so I am aware/ok with the warranty situation. The prolonged cold start comment concerns me a bit. This is my daily driver, we get snow and occasional sub zero degree days. Will running e85 be problematic during the winter?

 

[ice445]

Thanks for the replies. I’ve tuned mustangs and f-150’s previously so I am aware/ok with the warranty situation. The prolonged cold start comment concerns me a bit. This is my daily driver, we get snow and occasional sub zero degree days. Will running e85 be problematic during the winter?

It's not gonna be a serious problem, no. Just something to expect on occasion. Prolonged just meaning it may need to crank a bit longer or will run a little rough for a few seconds after it fires up. Depends on the tune, the fuel, the car, all sorts of factors. But it's not like it will leave you stranded somewhere.

 

[DougS550]

It so fun with the the e85 ..flex tune is the way to go ..so if you don't have e85 close to you ..its easy for me to fill up with up 91

Can a Flex tune work with 100% E85? If I don't want to test my E85 at each fill up, it might be best to run the flex? Any comments?

 

[Elvis67]

Can a Flex tune work with 100% E85? If I don't want to test my E85 at each fill up, it might be best to run the flex? Any comments?

Yes

 

[pittzy23]

got to keep an eye out for E85 quality in the winter months as well. or just run the flex tune and 91/93 during the winter and not deal with the cold start issues.

 

[DougS550]

got to keep an eye out for E85 quality in the winter months as well. or just run the flex tune and 91/93 during the winter and not deal with the cold start issues.

Thanks. I put my car on jacks November 1st for the winter to do winter mods. I will definitely do E85 with two tunes, E85 and Flex. I will probably do the ESS G3 kit, LTH, exhaust and CAI, if their is a CAI which actually adds HP with FI. Thanks.

 

[pittzy23]

Just ordered myself a G2 kit with G3 intercooler upgrade last week as well. hoping to get it all delivered / installed so I can dick around a little bit before the snowy season.

 

[DougS550]

Just ordered myself a G2 kit with G3 intercooler upgrade last week as well. hoping to get it all delivered / installed so I can dick around a little bit before the snowy season.

I'm glad to see more mustangs buying the ESS. You save over 3-4k for the same quality system. Please give reviews to any modification needed to install, and what injectors BAP ETC. I will do the same.good or bad. Good luck

 

[pittzy23]

I'm glad to see more mustangs buying the ESS. You save over 3-4k for the same quality system. Please give reviews to any modification needed to install, and what injectors BAP ETC. I will do the same.good or bad. Good luck

Will do. I went with FIC1000s and the new JN2uning budget 2.0 system with upgraded billet rails for fueling. I plan to stick with Shaun @ AED for my tuning

 

[331GT]

Can a Flex tune work with 100% E85? If I don't want to test my E85 at each fill up, it might be best to run the flex? Any comments?

i just started using a livernois flex fuel tune on mine-they told me to do a "drive cycle" any time while filling with any E85 or switching from 93 to E85 or E85 to 93. drive cycle being driving the vehicle a good 10 mins at under 50 percent throttle to allow the computer to read the fuel and adjust accordingly for it. this way you dont need to test the percent of ethanol for every fill up.

i have noticed a change in start ups with the e85- it is a little less "potent" of a start up, for lack of a better term. used to have a traditional loud, blaring, intense cold start we all think of. now with E85, there's a little bit of a lag when it first fires up and starts, then it goes to the normal intense idle. this is between 70 and maybe lower 90 degree ambient temps. not sure what itll be like when it's significantly colder here in chicago winters. ill probably go back to 93.

i definitely noticed a power bump. my car is otherwise essentially stock, save for a roush axle back and drop in air filter. neither of which likely added much power, if any.

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