Any of you folks running ethanol free gas?

I'm the opposite of this thread LOL. Though I'd like more MPGs, I also have a turbo IS and a supercharged Taco, so though I'm not liking the E10, I fricken LOOOOOVE E85!!!

I've noticed the E10 I get on base gets worse MPGs than Chevron out in town. But I've also noticed getting better MPGs with 87 vs. 91. My theory is that the 1st gen 5vzfe taco runs with very little knock sensor input, so it doesn't capitalize on the timing advance and thus MPG gains newer ECU's do when increasing the octane rating. The 87 may have a faster flame front and thus I get more usable BTUs out of it before it gets wasted out of the exhaust.

There is research (take with a grain of salt) that higher ethanol content starts to curve the MPG losses away. I don't know how it makes sense, but when I run E40-60 it sure gets better mileage than E85, and not much worse than 91, and the performance gain is still there. Without a 2.0 pulley or some other way of really cranking up the boost, and without the ability to advance my timing over stock, E85 seems to be overkill. I have one of those "chronic pinging" 5vzs that anything over vacuum caused ping. The piggy pulling timing and adding fuel cured that mostly, but at the cost of power for sure. E40+ lets me zero out the timing retard map, and when I've run leaner I still haven't seemed to find any ping.

I'm not sure if E85 cleans as well as running water/meth, but I'm game for anything that removes what I think are a lot of carbon deposits causing my 5vz to want to ping so easily. E85 burns very clean as well- its used as a trick to pass smog on ailing cars. If my fuel system starts to hate me for running EXX, I'll replace and upgrade the parts as it happens. The linear and overall better power I get with E40+ is just too fun to loose.

I believe saab made an engine and tune that extracted the most efficiency out of E85 of any maker. It apparently completely made up for the typical loss. I would imagine a design that has higher compression and runs hotter overall would be the important parts.

Anywho, if I really really wanted MPGs then an engine swap or another vehicle would be in order.

 

Are you sure your injectors are clean? After a few techron sessions, my performance increased. I do use "low ethanol" fuel, which means 5% or less. Most ethanol gas has aprox 10% or less.


I do pay more per gallon, but alcohol has corrsive properties, that I rather not deal with.

 

What do I like most about E0 fuel?

I get to raise my middle finger to the federal mafia every time I fill up...

 

I also run non- ethanol in my Tacoma and my Civic and average 2 to 3 more mpg. It is around 30 cents higher. However, the main advantage is that ethanol fuels have a tendency to attract and hold in moisture (water), Non-ethanol does not. I also notice my truck idles and accelerates smoother with non-ethanol fuel

 

I kept track of mileage for several tanks in two vehicles and saw no benefit. They ran the same too. I buy whatevers cheapest.

 

I've run it, and mileage did improve. However , it didn't make a drastic improvement.

Doing a full top-end cleaning, new plugs/wires, new gear oils, upping tire pressure, ect. That did approx the same in fuel improvement.