Flex fuel conversion (everything you need to know)

[Black02Silverado]

On 2/15/2018 at 5:29 AM, kivetts04dmax said:

If you got the sensor installed before they tuned it how would they know? When they go in to adjust the parameters wouldn’t they see that the sensor is there and reading? 

If you have the sensor installed then what a Tuner will do is turn on the E85 table that is already in the ECU and at that point he can see what the percent of Ethanol is flowing past the sensor.  You will have to do a dyno run live so he can see it or send him a file where you recorded or logged a 20 minute or so drive with different throttle settings so he can see it as well. Again after he turns on the E85 table in the ECU.

[kivetts04dmax]

48 minutes ago, Black02Silverado said:

If you have the sensor installed then what a Tuner will do is turn on the E85 table that is already in the ECU and at that point he can see what the percent of Ethanol is flowing past the sensor.  You will have to do a dyno run live so he can see it or send him a file where you recorded or logged a 20 minute or so drive with different throttle settings so he can see it as well. Again after he turns on the E85 table in the ECU.

Thank you for the info I appreciate it! Hopefully the folks at BB will turn it on for me after I send them a stock data log. I’ve been on the road for a year now and have had this autocal waiting for me to do a data log I just can’t ever find the time..

[Trigger man]

I bought a 2014 to customize recently and With some of the mods revolving around performance (supercharger, cam, etc ) I'm glad it is e85 ready. I would have to run 91 anyway and with the additional octane and performance advantage of the corn its an obvious choice. It seems like it would burn cleaner, and cause less carbon build up as well, Does anyone know if that's the case? 

[Black02Silverado]

6 minutes ago, Trigger man said:

I bought a 2014 to customize recently and With some of the mods revolving around performance (supercharger, cam, etc ) I'm glad it is e85 ready. I would have to run 91 anyway and with the additional octane and performance advantage of the corn its an obvious choice. It seems like it would burn cleaner, and cause less carbon build up as well, Does anyone know if that's the case? 

Yes, E85 burns super clean, so less carbon and you get higher octane for a lower cost at the pump.  MPG takes a hit but if you do the math between 91 price and E85 price and calculate out, depending on the cost difference. You break even or get better cost per mile running E85.  Here it is $2.16 for E85 and $3.30 for 93 so it is less expensive to run E85.

 

Plus I like the way the exhaust smells running FF. 

[L86 All Terrain]

Seems like a lot of work to maybe save $150 at the end of the year. You need to factor in opportunity cost. Yes you save $150 on fuel at the end of the year, but you will also be at the gas station 25% more than you were before. 10 minutes per week for a fill up, 520 minutes per year spent at the gas station. 650 minutes per year on E85, (130 mins) so 2hr extra at $30/hr = $60 in lost wages or time. So realistically you are saving $90/year. More power on tap (in my case) leads to a heavier foot, which leads to less MPG. When I put my exhaust and intake on, I lost about 2mpg, not from the mods, but from the way I like to drive it now. So when you honestly look at it, are you really going to be 25% more fuel used, or more like 30-35% more? E85 is a huge benefit for performance engines, especially boosted ones, a poor man's race gas if you will. Not saying E85 sucks or you shouldn't use it, but the savings more or less cancel each other out you just have the benefit of having a few more ponies on tap. I wish we had more access to it in Canada but they wont let us turn our corn to gas here, we have to buy 100LL Av gas, 110 octane, or C16 Race fuel up here. Sucks buying C16 at $750/barrel when you could get a barrel of E85 for $100 and have a similar data table... 

[Sierra Dan]

4 hours ago, L86 All Terrain said:

Seems like a lot of work to maybe save $150 at the end of the year. You need to factor in opportunity cost. Yes you save $150 on fuel at the end of the year, but you will also be at the gas station 25% more than you were before. 10 minutes per week for a fill up, 520 minutes per year spent at the gas station. 650 minutes per year on E85, (130 mins) so 2hr extra at $30/hr = $60 in lost wages or time. So realistically you are saving $90/year. More power on tap (in my case) leads to a heavier foot, which leads to less MPG. When I put my exhaust and intake on, I lost about 2mpg, not from the mods, but from the way I like to drive it now. So when you honestly look at it, are you really going to be 25% more fuel used, or more like 30-35% more? E85 is a huge benefit for performance engines, especially boosted ones, a poor man's race gas if you will. Not saying E85 sucks or you shouldn't use it, but the savings more or less cancel each other out you just have the benefit of having a few more ponies on tap. I wish we had more access to it in Canada but they wont let us turn our corn to gas here, we have to buy 100LL Av gas, 110 octane, or C16 Race fuel up here. Sucks buying C16 at $750/barrel when you could get a barrel of E85 for $100 and have a similar data table... 

E85 is not only about less mileage and more performance, but it is also a Clean burning fuel. Cleaner and better for the engine in that it reduces carbon buildup/deposits especially in these Ecotech DI engines.

Cooler running as well. Not to mention no more black soot at the tailpipe. 

[Gagliano7]

Does anyone know if this can be done on a 2018 6.2 since i heard the tuning is harder to crack into than the 14-17"s?

[1SLOW1500]

On 9/20/2018 at 10:32 AM, Gagliano7 said:

Does anyone know if this can be done on a 2018 6.2 since i heard the tuning is harder to crack into than the 14-17"s?

Not at all hard to "crack". Very easy and on my 16 it automatically sees the sensor. Issue was the TCM had to be sent in on some models to be unlocked. But last I rear you can email HPtuners and download the Patch. So your good.