Q. about e10 and e85 engines?

Question

do you need to get a new engine or engine part to fill up with e10 or e85 ethanol fuel?

Answer 1

All gasoline vehicles manufactured after 1987 can use E10.  It is a blend of 10% ethanol, and most stations are actually selling E10 with the premium blends.  Most states no longer require the pump to be labeled as E10 as all new cars can use it with no modification.

E85, since it has a higher octane rating and a lower energy content per compression vs. gasoline, can only be run in an engine designed as a "flex fuel" engine.  This is not just an engine modification, but also a change to how the computer adjusts the engine to the different blends of fuels that are put into the tank.  If you want to run E85, you either need a car that was designed as a flex fuel vehicle, or you need to replace your engine with a high compression type, and also make sure that your gas tank is either stainless steel, composite lined, or a composite tank.  You also need stainless steel gas lines, Viton or PTFE seals on your tank and lines, and you must always use E85 or gasoline with at least a 98 octane rating after modification.

Bottom line is, if it it not a flex fuel vehicle already, it would be cheaper to buy a flex fuel vehicle rather than try to convert your current vehicle.

My parents just purchased a used flex fuel mini-van for $4000, so the cheap ones are out there.