The questions part of Ethanol FAQ - Direct Injection specific

[Twofer]

Kings of Corn, grant us your knowledge.

Posts from Enki in RED (will edit all together later)
Posts from phate in BLUE

Originally Posted by phate I think it's about time we make our own FAQ, I've been considering doing this for quite some time.

That would be extremely awesome. Since it's an FAQ and I'm a Ethanol noob, let me ask some questions. (Seems like a decent place to start.) I'll throw in answers from what I've gleaned pouring over these threads, but please correct and/or elaborate.

Disclaimer: My (sample answers) may be incorrect, I merely wish to provide a template for the FAQ.

GENERAL

Q: What is E85 / Ethanol?
(An alcohol fuel made from corn / organic matter. E85 means 85% ethanol* and 15% other hydrocarbon fuels sort of like gasoline. It's not regulated by octane rating like gasoline is, but is sufficiently badass.)

(* See summer / winter blends)

Q: Why run Ethanol?
(Suppressing knock and being able to run more boost and timing. On a 50/50 mix X hp and Y torque increase possible with a good toon.)

Ethanol has an incredibly high latent heat capacity, along with a regular octane rating of ~104 (depending on what you read). But, in a direct injection application, all of that latent heat capacity (the amount of heat used to evaporate it) is utilized in the cylinder, giving a much higher 'effective' octane rating. Pure ethanol, E100, was calculated to be ~160 octane; whereas pure methanol, M100, is ~180. As you can imagine, even small amounts of ethanol have a great affect on knock suppression.

Q: Where can I get it?
Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ethanol Fueling Station Locations
Propel Fuels: Renewable Fuels | E85 Ethanol | Biodiesel ? Propel Fuels
E85 Gas Station Locations and Alternative Fuel Information
E85 Stations
Android phone 'keendriver' app
Cleaner & Greener Fuels app on iPhone

Q: What mods do I need to run Ethanol fuels?
(No mods other than HPFP and tune)
On extremely low mixes (1-2 gallons), you can get away with no mods. When tuning for it, you may find that you have to reduce boost to sustain fuel flow without internals.

As with anything, flow mods that allow the engine to breathe will still gain power. Power comes from airflow, first and foremost, taking advantage of it without encountering knock is where E85 comes in. As you increase ethanol content, the fuel demand increases. Beyond 15-20% additional ethanol content, and you are risking dropping fuel pressure with a conservative AFR.

Q: Anything I should do before running Ethanol?
clean the pump when going above ~25% mix, just to be safe.

Set up a tune for it, just like you would when tuning any car from scratch. Start conservative, work your way up.

Q: Should I run straight ethanol or some kind of mixture?
(Mixtures of Gallons E85 / Gallons Gasoline)
3/11 yields E26 and is good for a moderate increase in power/torque.
50/50 yields E48 and is good for the standard, sneaking through the bushes rape.
Straight E85 is good for cell block rape.

Q: What was that about Winter/Summer and Seasonal Blends?
The ethanol content varies seasonally. E85 has a minimum of 70% Ethanol content during the winter, and a minimum of 79% during the summer. More ethanol = leaner mixtures. If you consider the extremes of minimum and maximum ethanol content, going from Winter (70%) to Summer (85%) will result in lean operation. Going from Summer (85%) to Winter (70%) will result in rich operation. (Requesting comment) Note, if you're running a mixture, you can compensate for the ethanol content by adding more or less E85.
Fuel mix cheat sheets
E85 Mustangs.com - Tuning for E85

Q: What's the gas mileage like on Ethanol?
This depends entirely on the tune and driving habits. Mileage can be as good if not better on 50/50 than completely stock on pump gas if tuned for it and driven non-aggressively.

Expect to lose some mileage with E85. As you increase ethanol content, the more mileage you lose. I saw an approximate loss of 25% mileage on straight E85. If you're in the boost more often (you will be), then expect significantly less.

Q: How does Ethanol fuel (E85) compare to Water Methanol Injection (WMI)?

Both are effective knock deterrents. It typically comes down to what is available, and what power you are trying to make.

MECHANICAL ISSUES

Q: What about other Ethanol pump blends E30, E50, E98?
No mechanical issues demonstrated on blends up to ~E45.

Q: Will anything bad happen to my car?
(Black death at mixtures over ____ % mixture and running ___ kind of engine oil)
Frequent tire changes with even light use (lolnotraction)
Pump/spill valve cleanings over 50/50

2nd Gen MS3's sometimes see a failure of the fuel level sensor. It isn't common, but it is a known issue. Many have been covered under warranty.

Fro - I don't remember how much it was.. but MMS has it for $28, normally $45... and that sounds about what I paid for it. However, that's the only problem I've had using a 50/50 e85 mix for about a year and a half.

Q: What can I do about the black death?
(Remove and clean HPFP with naptha when pressure drops)
This might be fixable with specific types of oil used.
Kings of Corn (HPFP + OIL)

TOONING

Q: Do I have to get the car tuned?
To take advantage of it (meaning make more power from it), yes, you need to be tuned for it. If you are planning to run >~20% ethanol content, you need a tune regardless of whether you want to make more power or not.

Q: Are there off the shelf (OTS) maps for Ethanol?
Neg. We could make some though.

Q: What do I need to change in my toon to run Ethanol?
Adjust the Fuel Specific Gravity and Injector Scalar value by Enki's calculated values. Before these options were added to AccessTuner Race, the way to do it was to scale the MAF curve.
Fuel mix cheat sheets

MAF curve is old school. FSG and IS are the new sauce, use those instead.

Q: Then what can do with my toon once I'm on Ethanol?
(Increase boost and timing by _____ ballpark figures. Split difference between timing database and your current settings?)
Timing is something people who need a guide for the fuel probably shouldn't be messing with; direct to general tuning guide.

Q: Anything to look out for when tooning?
(Knock sensor, MBT)
("When tuning timing for E, use the MAF sensor. Voltage flattens out, you're at the peak and should back it down a bit. Make sure you do the comparison runs under nearly identical conditions (temp, humidity, elevation, etc) if you can't do it on a dyno." -Enki)
If timing changes and it feels slower, you've probably gone too far.

I disagree with Enki a bit, here. For timing, be conservative and go by known good values until you are able to get on a dyno to find MBT. Very close analysis using Virtual Dyno is only good enough for the initial, broad changes. It (in my experience), is not reliable enough to report a change of 3-4hp, which is what you will see as timing gets close to MBT.

Q: Tooning differences between Winter/Summer and Seasonal Blends?
(LTFTs? Reduce boost during winter because of fuel demand?)
---- *Removed for typo.
(If you) tune during winter and it will run leaner in the summer. (Bad.) More e = more fuel has to be injected to reach targets, so you always want to tune during summer months or with your summer mix. You'll run rich in the winter. (Which is ok.)

STORAGE

Q: Can I store Ethanol in fuel jugs?
(Yes, keep away from moisture.)
Sealed containers are best.

Q: Should I use an additive to preserve the fuel?
(Sta-bil ethanol treatment?)

Q: How long can I keep Ethanol stored?
(?)
How good is the container at keeping moisture out?

Q: Can I test the Ethanol?
(Yes, using an Ethanol Tester kit, you can determine how much water is dissolved in the Ethanol.)