2005 Ford Escape Hybrid on intermediate ethanol blends

Slow price drop into October

2011-10-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

Stopped at the local Getgo in Wexford for E85 with it being priced at $3.07 while E10 was $3.45. Both fuels have been dropping in price in the past two months but E85 was slower than E10. Current spread of just over 10% and last month there was a 50 cent difference-14% spread-. Interesting mentioning that as last month I stopped in and while putting E85 into my vehicle and red cans, another Ford Escape stopped in and used the other E85 dispensor at the same time I used mine. He stated the price difference was enough for him to use E85. When I told him I do not have a flex fuel vehicle and ususally run blends of 20-25% as often as possible, his jaw almost fell off his face. He had no idea that vehicles could run on those blends if they were not flex fuel.

Anyways, my mileage home as 36.5 mpg! an all time record running an E20+ blend.

Hey, I can't let you do that!

2011-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Gas prices have been dropping and are now $3.65 a gallon. E85 is $3.39 at the Wexford Getgo station. It didn't stop me from getting 11.0 gallons of E85 in car and two red portable tanks or 4 each. I added 5 gallons of E10 to give my vehicle a mixture of E35 or so based upon the LTF values of 17-19.

When I was using my Giant Eagle discount for E85, a voice over the speakers came on and said "I can't let you use the discount at the E85 pump". I paid no attention as the pump did accept this type of transaction which included 11 gallons of E85. I went into the store to purchase a small cup of coffee which is advertised at .87 cents. Well, the clerk charged me the next highest price but did not say anything about E85. I then left and drove home with a MPG of 33.0.

FEH Expert at Greenhybrid is sounding off again

2011-05-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

The FEH Expert at Greenhybrid had the Cat on his 2005 fail and he blames 30,000 miles of E10 useage for this failure. He just put this vehicle up for sale and the new buyer sought a vehicle exam prior to finalizing the sale. The expert was lucky as he was all 20 miles from being beyond the warranty. He is letting everyone know what a mistake E10 or other alternatives are and smearing those who challenge him. All because he gets less MPG on E10. Needless to say, he ignores others who chime in with 200,000 miles on their vehicle using E85 and still have the orginal Cat converter.

As for mileage, I drove to the Wexford Get Go station on a freshing filled tanke of E10 after receiving a $1.80 gallon discount. My mileage was 30.0 mpg on E10 after 44 miles. I added 1.76 gallons of E85 in Wexford and 68 miles later my mileage report is 32.8 mpg. So much for less mileage with ethanol blends.

40 cent price spread as E10 drops 20 cents a gallon.

2011-05-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Wexford GetGo is now selling E85 at $3.39 while E10 dropped today to $3.79. Price spread used to be nearly 20%. I put some E85 in the vehicle and recorded 32.8 mpg on the ride home that included a stop at GetGo in Butler to pick up a sandwich.

33.4 mpg on E35 fillup

2011-04-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Stopped at the GetGo in Wexford after Polly's Vet appointment at Petsmart. E85 was #3.15 while E10 was $3.85. 70 cents a gallon difference which is a 19% spread! Mixed a E34 blend and obtained 33.4 mpg when I returned home today.

Price spread of almost 20%

2011-04-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Stopped in on 4-15-11 and found E85 at $3.07 while E10 is at $3.75. This is a 18.7% spread. Significant improvement since 2009 when they kept the price a dime less regardless of the gas price. Put in 2.1 gallons of E85 and 2.9 gallons of E10 which made my vehicle run on approximately E32. I got 32.0 mpg on the 27 mile ride home on a low 50's day. Learned that GetGo's E85 comes from Guttman entriprise and the E85 storage tank is in Ohio near Avon Lake which is southeast of Cleveland area.

56 cent spread at GetGo

2011-04-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

E85 was $3.07 while E10 was $3.63. I filled my red Jerry can and Car for the ride home that netted 31.0 mph. My gas tank is only around E16-18 as I didn't have much room to add E85. Weather was unusual with snow/rain mix at 37F in Wexford and 44F at home which is a 27 mile drive north. March has been a colder than normal month and one of the coldest I have experience in my 28 years in Western Pa.

50 cents a gallon spread continues

2011-03-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

E85 is $3.07 while E10 is $3.57. I mixed a blend of E30 into my tank and drove home with a mileage figure of 31.9 mpg on a 44F day. I asked the attended where the E85 came from and he mentioned Source One brings it in and that is all he knows.

Wexford GetGo has a 17% spread and may be 20% now

2011-03-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Stopped in the Wexford GetGo station and found E85 at $2.89 while E10 was $3.49. Splash blended an E30 mixture and filled a Red Jerry can with E85. On the way home most gas stations had bumpped up the E10 price to $3.59 which could mean a 20% price spread for E85 at the Wexford station. Obtained 31.4 MPG during the drive home.

Gas price the same-50 cent spread

2011-02-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Stopped at the Wexford GetGo station and filled up with an E28 blend. Drove home an noted a 30.8 mpg figure on a cold, windy 19F day. There was a large Yukon SUV at the E85 pump in front of me.

33.4 mpg today on E20

2011-02-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

The GetGo 50 cent price spread continues. Filled up an E20 blend and got 33.4 mpg on the way home. It was warm today at 43f with warm temperature predicted all week. This will likely kill off the nordic ski season around here.

50 cent price spread continues at GetGo

2011-02-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

E85 was $2.59 while E10 came in at $3.09 at the Wexford GetGo station. This is a spread I can live with. Mileage on the way home on a 27F degree with 30mph winds was 30.7 mpg. Not too bad. Now if my sinus infection would finally die away.

29.4mpg on drive home at E28

2011-01-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Averaged 29.4 mpg on the way home from the Wexford GetGo station. Temperatures were around 19F. E10 sold for $3.11 while E85 was $2.61. The price spread is alot better than in 2010 when it was a dime less no matter what.

2010 alternative fuel useage

2011-01-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

I drove approximately 15,931 miles. I used 118.5 gallons of E85, 28.1 gallons of E20 from Renew and 404 gallons of E10. This computes to just under 29mpg. I had high ethanol blend of E56 and a low of E10 (less than 60 miles). I normally mixed the E85 fuel into a E20-25 blend. I had no issues running this blend of ethanol. What will 2011 bring?

E85 price spread is 18%

2010-12-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

Stopped at the busy Wexford GetGo station today and got a E25 blend. E85 priced $2.59 while E10 was $3.15. Gasoline continues to move upward at a steady pace. Predictions of $5.00 a gallon in 2012 have recently seen in the news. Will E85 pricing improve with gasoline prices moving upward? Maybe. There is speculation in the market with corn prices above $5.00 bushel. I would think some of the Wall Street trading funds will shift towards oil again with the current trend.

My mpg mileage was 32.8 on the way home from the Wexford station. It was 50F on the way home today as a heat wave has settled in the region. This same heat wave has wrecked nordic skiiing conditions in this region.

38 cent per gallon spread!

2010-11-27T20:33:00.001-08:00

The Wexford Getgo sells E85 for $2.59 while E10 is $2.97. That is about a 13% spread. I can live with that. Filled a 5 gallon jerry can along with an E27 blends. Got 31.4 mpg on the way home on a day that was 34 degrees with a 20 mph constant wind.

30 cent a gallon spread now

2010-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention the price spread remains around 30 cents a gallon. E10=$2.89 while E85 is $2.59

You can't use that!

2010-11-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Stopped at GetGo in Wexford after Ziebart did their annual mainetance on my vehicle. As I pulled in, a Women in a new Cadillac was telling an older women in a GM vehicle you can't use that yellow pump that has E85. The Cadillac owner was surprised to hear from the GM vehicle's owner she had a flex fuel vehicle and it was ok to do so. I pulled up next and let the Cadillac owner know it is ok to use this fuel in my vehicle. She promptly got in her vehicle and drove off.

I got 32.2 mpg on the way home from GetGo at around an E26% value. Temperatures were in the upper 50's on the drive home.

32.1 mpg with nearly E30

2010-11-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Stopped at the Wexford GetGo station today. E85 was $2.54 while E10 was $2.85. Drove home in 44F weather and averaged 32.1 mpg for the 27 mile trip. This is on target for what I have gotten in similar weather. It is fall now and my mileage will decrease compared to the spring and summer months.

Check engine light at LFT of 28.2

2010-10-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

I finally received a check engine light when I had a scanguage LFT reading of 28.2. This would represent an ethanol reading of between E56 and E60. This is similar to what two other individuals who drive my type of vehicle have posted. What is interesting, I drove a full day at this ethanol level and on the second day, I received a check engine light due to a too lean condition. This indicates it takes 12-25 miles before the oxygen sensor records the correct ethanol concentration and throws the check engine light.

Getgo has E85 priced at $2.55 while E10 is at $2.88. Drove home with two stops and recorded a 31.9 mpg reading with the temperatures in the upper 40's. Yes it is no longer summer.

GetGo changes their E85 pricing for the better!

2010-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

GetGo has adjusted their pricing! E85 was $2.35 while E10 was $2.67 today when I stopped in after spending 30 minutes with my Dog at the Cranbery Dog Park. This is the first time I can remember the pricing being different than a dime difference. A pleasant surprise. Now if I can locate an E-85 pump within 10 miles of my home, I am ready to spring for an E-85 conversion kit.

34.5 mpg on E28 blend

2010-07-11T14:20:00.001-07:00

The photos report on my E28 blend today. Click on the photo for an enlargement. I got 34.5 mpg. Last weekend I took a trip to Deep Creek, Maryland on a E22 blend and got a similar figure (34.4mpg) despite part of the trip on the Pa Turnpike. If there was an E85 pump within 10 miles of my home here, I would purchase an E85 conversion kit and see if I could break the 30 mpg barrier on E85.

33.0 mpg with E30

2010-05-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

I boosted my ethanol content to an estimated 30% at the Wexford GetGo station. I then drove home on the same route as previously used and netted a 33.0mpg. It is in the upper 80's for temperature and the traffic was heavier than usual. Gas was $2.69 while E85 was $2.59.

E25 nets 34.7 mpg

2010-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Stopped again at the Wexford GetGo station for a splash blend of 1.25 gallons E85 followed by 3.12 gallons of E10 that filled my tank. Drove home on a slightly different route and netted 34.7 mpg as shown in the photo. This was with my low rolling resistance tires. Temperature was 75F during this drive.

2010-05-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

Stopped at the Wexford Getgo for all 1.7gallons of E85 which topped off the tank at near an E20 blend. Then drove home with one stop at the local Staples store. My Ford dash recorded 35.4 mpg for 27.7 miles of driving. I'm pleased with the results. Going in the dealership on Saturday to replace a broken ABS tone ring sensor and other minor mainetance items. I will also pull off my Goodyear Fontera Triple Tread tires and replace them with the low rolling resistance Contential EcoPlus tires that I use in the warmer months.

308 miles later 28.2 mpg

2010-04-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have not posted many "tank" averages from mid-grade ethanol blending. The photo above reveals a 28.2 mpg average after 308.7 miles of driving on this mid-grade blend. My mileage drops significantly due to my short commute to work and elsewhere as I live in a small town. I even put in .72 gallons ($2.00 worth) of E85 yesterday at the Wexford GetGo station. I have an ethanol blend of somewhere around E27 and have another 90 miles or so before I am empty. No issues with the vehicle. The weather has recently changed with temperatures in the 40's the last three days.

31.0 mpg 86.5 miles later

2010-04-11T18:54:00.001-07:00

This photos is what the Ford Dash readout is reporting on mileage a day after my latest GetGo fillup. Nice to know your mileage doesn't tank after using ethanol blends. This mileage figure will drop during the week due to my mulitple short trips and cold starts.

33.1 mpg on approximately E22 mixture

2010-04-10T18:48:00.001-07:00

I returned to the Wexford GetGo station for more E85 (1.15 gallons) and E10 (5.2 gallons). The drive home included three stops including one of 80 minutes. The temperature was 64F while last week was 80F. The dime difference (e85=$2.75 while e10=$2.85) continued.

35.7 mpg on E25

2010-04-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yes I did obtain 35.7 mpg on E25 on my drive home from the Wexford GetGo station. The difference between today and others is related to the warm 80+ day. Here is photo:

E20 study finds no drivability issues with NFFV

2010-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

A just released study out of Rochester found not issue with 10 different Non-flexible fuel vehicles that ran this blend for 100,000 miles each! This study is being utilized by the Federal Government's Department of Energy in an attempt to justify the upward boost of permitted ethanol blending from 10% to 15%. What is the wait? I'm currently driving a E230 blend in my vehicle. The weather is spring like and I'm going to be changing my winter tires for the low rolling resistance tires sometime in the next few weeks.

20% spread of E85 on the Turnpike

2010-03-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Stopped at the Sunoco station on the Pa. Turnpike and was shocked to find the E85 price decreased to $2.28 while the E10 increased to $2.84. That is a 20% price spread. I promptly put in $5.00 worth of E85 and the rest of E10. When I arrived home after skiing in the Laurel Highlands, my Ford dash mileage read 28.4 mpg. This includes driving in the AM when temperatures were in the mid-teens and on the way home when the temperatures were in the low 40's. Got to love the 20% price spread which is similar to what the many of the station in the corn belt offer.

2005 Escape Hybrid improved MPG with E20

2010-03-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

This link:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/~/media/Files/renewable/ethanol/e20drivability.ashx

reveals improved mileage 23.7 to 24.4 mpg (4%) with E20 usage over a full year of testing. This testing occurred in Minnesota which is known to have real winter weather. This is similar to what I have frequently experienced in that E20 blends do not significantly alter mpg. I doubt the gasoline only lovers would be swayed by this small change.

A 46 cent difference only 16 miles away from GetGo

2010-02-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

I stopped at the Sunoco Station on the Pa. Turnpike today on my way to the Nordic Ski area. What a surprise, E85 was $2.31 while unleaded was $2.77. My Ford dash indicated a 29.0 mpg average when I pulled in. I promptly added .43 gallons of E85 ($1.00 worth) to 1.65 gallons of unleaded (around a 25% ethanol blend). 42 miles later at the bottom of the Mountains, my Ford Dash again read 29.0 mpg. The mileage then dropped driving up the mountains where a 10 degreee difference existed in temperature. By the way, the ski area has received 100 inches of snow this month!

A dime difference again.

2010-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Stopped in today at GetGo and mixed a low ethanol blend of around 23% with E85 at $2.63 and E0 at $2.73. Drove home in the snow at around 30F and recorded 29.6mpg. Another day another dime differnce. Sounds like another recording.

Another visit to GetGo, another dime less for E85

2010-02-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

The title sums it up. GetGo in Wexford keeps the E85 priced 10 cents a gallon less than gasoline no matter what the price. I can remember The Drunken Swede bitching about the poor price spread in his area (Northern Indiana) and this is even worse. Anyway, after filling up with a blend around E25, I drove home and my Ford Dash read 30.7 mpg. Temperature was 31F and it was dark during the ride home.

Long drive into Michigan nets varying mileage

2010-02-16T15:39:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a long weekend of driving into and out of Michigan. I skied the 50K Vasa race which is quite a challenge for a weekend warrior such as myself. It took me 3 hours 30 minutes to cover 31 miles of rolling hills-some very steep. This was "only" about one hour slower than the winning time. Any ways, I ran a mostly E10 or E0 into Michigan and average around 28 mpg. Leaving Michigan I ran mostly an E20-25 blend with gas mileage between 27 and 29 mpg. I did drive several miles per hour faster going into Michigan but the difference between the E20 blends and E10 blends in regards of mileage remain non-signficant. I'm going to keep using ethanol blends as often as I can.

Projected snowfall of plus 10 inches

2010-02-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

There is a current Winter Storm that is projected to dump 10 inches in my area and 20 inches in the higher elevations (ski areas) east of Pittsburgh. The storm should end around noon on Saturday and make driving interesting that day. My trip to the ski area and back (167 miles) netted me 28.3 mpg on a day that started at zero and ended in the low 20's. Just added 1 gallon of E85 to 4.75 gallons of gasoline via the red jerry can(s) that have been sitting in the garage for several weeks waiting to be used. Likely to travel to another ski area on Sunday and will report back on mileage.

Another visit, another dime less for E85

2010-01-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Stopped at the GetGo station in Wexford for another fill of E85. This time I put in 1.74 gallons of E85 with 5.7 gallons of E0. I saw two other vehicles filling with E85 while I was there. It was busy. On the way home, I drove the same route but stopped at three places opposed to a straight drive home. My Ford dash reported a 27.9 mpg average on the way home. It was no higher than 21 F on the way home with little or no wind. Driving out to the ski area on Sunday and will report back on my mileage at the nearly 25% ethanol blend.

GetGo E85 pricing continues to be 10 cents less.

2010-01-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

On the way back from nordic skiing in the Mountains East of Pittsburgh, I made a slight detour to stop at the Wexford, Pa. GetGo for E85. Ethanol pricing remains 10 cents less than E10 ($2.69) and this was true last month when I stopped. I filled a red Jerry can of E85 and took it home for splash blending. The trip home with an E20 blend yielded 32.2 mpg on the Ford Dash. This is similiar to other readings I have obtained.

Trip thru Michigan fueled by E25-30 blends.

2010-01-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

I stopped at the Iron Mt. Michigan Freedom Express station on US2, Meijer stations in Gaylord, Traverse City and Birch Run for splash blending of ethanol. Most of my splash blending attempts resulted in upper E20 blends as reflected by the scanguage values of lft of 13-14. My mileage varied depending upon a variety of factors. I had readings of 29.8 and just under 28during this trip. The price spread at Iron Mt. was 11% while the Meijer's stations offerred a 14% spread. No cold start issues or other. I have to travel 27 miles miles one way to find the nearest E85 pump in southwestern Pa. I will bring home a red Jerry can filled with this so I can continue E20 blending.

Fillup prior to leaving Wisconsin for Pennsylvania

2010-01-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

I just added 2.5 gallons of E85 to 5.85 gallons of E10 to my tank. My Ford Dash readout reported 28.4mpg while the scanguage reported 29.7 mpg for the last tank. This was in 11-22 degree weather and about 90% of it on two lane state highways (traveling to nordic ski areas) with a 55 mph speed limit. The local E85 pump carried a price of $2.39 while E10 was $2.79. I leaving on Monday for Pa with a likely stop in Michigan.

Good (mpg) mileage report

2010-01-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today's high was between 18-22 degrees when I was driving to and from a nordic ski area. Total trip mileage was 55 miles and my scanguage reported 30.7 mpg today while the Ford dash reported a 29.8 mpg average since I fillup the other day. All this on a low E20 blend of fuel. A similar drive during warmer (60 F or above) and no snowcovered roads would likely net a 3-6 mpg improvement. I almost always can exceed the 30 mpg figure running E15-25 blends of fuel.

New fillup at station with 20% price spread.

2010-01-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Coming back from a nordic ski outing just south of Rhinelander, WI I stopped at the Trigs Shell station and was presented with a surprise; 20% price spread. E85 was $2.24 while E10 was $2.79. I promptly filled 1.72 gallons of E85 to 5 gallons of E10 and my vehicle now has a low 20% ethanol blend in it. I averaged 29.8 mpg on the 39 mile trip to the family house. I had averaged 27.7 mpg on the previous tank of fuel.

Long drive brings weather issues and poor mileage

2010-01-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

A long drive that brought a wide range of weather conditions. Lite drizzle in Pennsylvania, freezing rain for a section in Ohio, dry blowing snow in Indiana, sunny skis in the Chicago area, subzero temperatures and snow in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The one constant was the 20 mph north and northwest winds. This killed my mileage and produce worst ever "mpg" figures. This induced an additional 300-500 rpm in my vheicle at similar vehicle speeds. Never before have I had long interstate drives with sub 25 mpg. During this trip I began with around a 30% ethanol concentration. 60 miles into the trip, I added 1 gallon of E0. 220 miles into the trip I added 7.5 gallons of E10 and the mileage (MPG) dropped an additonal 1.5 mpg! Nearly 400 miles into the trip, I mixed a blend of E85 with E10 to obtain an added fuel blend of around E20. My mileage actually increased nearly 1.3 mpg. I later stopped where one could add premixed E20 (Renew Station in Cedar Grove, WI) and my mileage increased another .3 mpg. Finally, in Northern Wisconsin, I returned to a 27 mpg+ figures despite temperatures dropping below zero. The heavily forested land blocked the winds and my rpms returned to near normal levels.
One might conclude from this report that my vehicle runs well on the E20 mixture and produces improved mileage when compared to E0 or even E30. My sweet spot must be E15-E25 mixtures. The Renew station's E20 pump sure makes life easier to mix ethanol blends.

Trip to Wisconsin

2009-12-31T15:08:00.001-08:00

I should be leaving early on the 1st for a trip to Northern Wisconsin. I got a tank of approximately E25 and will report on the mileage during this trip.

Ford Escape E85 Hybrid details

2009-12-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

I drive a 2005 Escape Hybrid that not a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV). Ford has produced a number E85 Escape Hybrid vehicles for fleet testing. I am aware of at least twenty 2008 E85 Escape Hybrid vehicles that went out in June 2007 for a two year real world testing. Here is a photo of one of them.

Ford currently has at least 20 E85 Escape Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles undergoing fleet testing since December 2007. Here is a photo of one of them:

What is different in the E85 Escape Hybrid from mine? Read this: Ethanol also doesn't possess the same energy content or burn rate as gas, which requires the engine to flow more fuel to the injectors to keep performance levels comparable. To handle this increased fuel flow, the Escape Hybrid E85 has a larger fuel pump and larger injectors.
Ford researchers did have to navigate uncharted territory when it came to the Hybrid E85's engine control module (ECM). "An engine that is capable of running on straight gas to E85 has to learn what's in the tank and adjusts accordingly," says Varns.
A vehicle's ECM monitors the exhaust gas sensor and the fuel system's air-fuel ratio, as well as reads the float rod in the fuel tank. When the ECM senses a shift in the engine's air-fuel ratio to the lean side (more air than fuel), it deduces that the vehicle is filled with E85 and adjusts the fuel system accordingly.
"The vehicle learns while the engine is running," says Varns. "But with the hybrid, the engine may be shut off for long periods of time while the vehicle runs on electric power, so we had to make some custom software and calibration changes within the ECM to make sure it could seamlessly remember or relearn the correct percent of ethanol after a shutdown."

Ford, like GM, is using software found in the Engine Control Module to determine the fuel composition and to make fine adjustments with fuel deleivery. This software change can be slightly modified for previous years vehicles with minimum cost. There is also mention of a larger fuel pump and injectors. It is unknown if the fuel pressure also varies (increases with higher ethanol percentage) in the vehicle. These hardware changes are also do able with previous year models. It isn't rocket science to make vehicles "more" E85 compatible. If a lot of changes were needed, then how could the companies sell for the same price as the non-FFV?

Another visit to the GetGo station

2009-12-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

I stopped today at the Wexford GetGo station after completing my last dog training class in nearby Cranberry Twp. The price per gallon had dropped 2 cents a gallon since last weekend. I did not need too much fuel so I added 0.9 gallons of E85 and then 4.0 gallons of E10. My tank was not full after this addition. I then drove home thru 3 inches of snow with an outdoor temperature of 26 degree. My Ford Dash reported a 30.0 mpg average since the fillup which is 3+ mpg less than a week ago. However, it is nearly 10 degree colder with snow and a wet road surface today that can partially explain the drop in mileage. I am going to be taking off my Eco-Plus tire (stock) and putting on my Goodyear Forenta Triple Tread (winter tires) in the next few days. I got a trip to Wisconsin planned at the end of the month and I should be able to drive the complete way on intermediate blends of ethanol.

Is ethanol more electrically conductive than gasoline?

2009-12-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

There is a post today on www.E85vehicles.com from cgrey8 about "covering the fuel pump leads" for E85 useage. This is based upon the concept that ethanol is electrically conductive and more corrosive to metals that have an electrical charge on them than gasoline. This is something brought up in a previous post by "The Drunken Swede". This post on E85vehicles showed a photo of just such a device. However, others have also posted that reports of issue with this do not exist. Interesting concept but there is little documentation from manufactures or third party developers on this issue. Will have to wait for more information to develop on this topic.

2009-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

I stopped at the Wexford, Pa. GetGo station for more fuel. I was about 1/2 empty running approximately an E30 mixture. I decided to decrease the ethanol blend by adding 1.4 gallons of E85 to 5.4 gallons of E0 in my 15 gallon tank. My scanguage II LTF values varied between 8-14.7 (around +12 on level cruising sections) on the 27mile ride home. Thus I believe I am running a blend between E20 and E25. The price of E85 was $2.49 while the gas price decreased 14 cents overnight to $2.59. The spread is poor and the station keeps it at a 10 cent difference. As for mileage on the way home (27 miles), my Ford dash readout reported 33.8 mpg which is .8 mpg better than my last trip home which was in mid 40F degree weather compared to today's upper 30F weather. I can't say the mileage is much different than what I would have achieved on E0. I forgot, I also brough along a red Jerry Can that had maybe a 1/2 gallon of E85 to which I added 3 gallons. I will add this to a future gas fillup.

After I pulled away from the E85 and moved like 10 feet to a E0 pump, a black Chevy Impala pulled up with a 20's male driver. I normally don't see individuals in that age group pull up to an E85 pump. I didn't get a chance to talk with him as I had to head inside to pay for my fuel and he was gone before I returned.

If I can get an E85 pump within 10-12 miles of my location, I will spring for an E85 ocnversion kit. I just can't justify doing so at this time without local access to E85 pumps. If one goes to www.e85vehicles.com, they can obtain a special deal on E85 conversion kits.

I try to report back within 8 days.

The Drunken Swede goes on hiatus

2009-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Well, the Druken Swede (http://drunkenswede.blogspot.com/2009/12/e85-experiment-going-on-hiatus.html) is going to stop posting about using intermediate blends of ethanol. I'm going to miss his posts and little rants from the Northwest corner of Indiana. I use to live 30 miles west of Chicago and have traveled thru this region many times on my trips to and from Wisconsin. His post states a non-flex fuel vehicle can handle around 40% ethanol. Well, my reading and understanding is this will vary. I have read of non-flex fuel vehicles running on E70 while others may start showing the check engine light on E25. Your long term fuel trim values play a major role in this issue. For my vehicle, I am aware of two individuals who have driven on E50 without throwing a check engine light. I personally have had my LTF trim values up to 18.4 via the scanguage II hardware reading. This is pushing E40. I normally attempt to run between E20-30 depending upon the price spread. It looks like I will be heading for the E85 pump on Saturday and will report back here later.

2009-12-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, I emptied a partially full one red "Jerry" can of E85 and another "Jerry" can of E10 into my vehicle. My scanguage LTF is now hanging around +14 during steady state driving. This is correlates to an ethanol blend between E28 and E31. Vehicle is running fine. The weather is 10-18 degree colder than during my last post and this will effect the mileage negatively. Noticed a number of Federal Government vehicles at the local GetGo station and others pulling out from the franchise hotel which is located behind the station. I can't figure out why an E85 pump wasn't installed at this location where a federal mandate exist that states Federal Government vehicles are required to fill up with alternative fuels where available and at reasonable costs. There is a large Federal Government institution in town (500+ employees) and the location is the headquarters of the county government.

2009-11-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

Stopped at the Wexford (north of Pittsburgh, Pa) GetGo station and filled a blend of around E22 today in my stock 2005 Escape Hybrid. The spread of 04% ($2.55 E85-$2.65 E0) was terrible but this the closest E85 pump (almost 27 miles) to my location. After resettiing my scanguage II and Ford trip odometer I drove home. My Ford dash reading indicated a 33.2 mpg average (mid 40F temperatures) which is no different than driving on E0. I later had to run some errands and drove no longer than five miles at a time dropping my mileage for the day to 31.8 mpg. Short trips do drop mileage. Of course a better figure is to compare cost per mile of E0 with E20.

I image some of you are asking how I determine the percent of ethanol blending in my tank. I normally figure for every 10% increase in ethanol blending, the scanguage II LFT increases 4.5 points. Even simplier math is to just double the LFT values by 2. Today's scanguage II long term fuel trim hung around +10-12.5 during steady state driving on level sections.

I have been using ethanol blends in my FEH for nearly two years now. I normally attempt to have between E20-E30 blends but because of the lack of local E85 pumps I sometimes can not fill my vehicle with these blends. This does mean I sometimes will bring a "red" Jerry Can to the E85 pumps and transport E85 back home for use.

It is interesting to note, a published study out of Minnesota utilize two vehicles identical to mine and found no difference between E0 and E20 for mileage. This year long study also included other cars and trucks with similar findings.