Run IS 250 on Ethanol?
05-16-08, 09:45 AM
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Run IS 250 on Ethanol?
Is there anyone who knows if the IS 250 engine can be driven on ethanol? I guess I have to do something with the ECU and maybe change the fuel hose, but can ethanol damage the engine in any other way ? If you ask people 50% says "yes,there can be some problems", the other 50% claims that they have driven a stock car on ethanol for years, without any problems at all ! I dont know what to believe anymore!
The thing is that ethanol is about 40% cheaper to buy right now because of the oilprice and other taxes ( in Sweden )
The thing is that ethanol is about 40% cheaper to buy right now because of the oilprice and other taxes ( in Sweden )
05-16-08, 10:02 AM
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It depends on the % of ethanol. In California we have a 15-20% blend of ethanol. In the midwest they have a 85% blend of ethanol. If the % is that high then yes there will be problems later in life of the engine.
You wont see it for a year or 2. but it will destroy certain metal parts. I know it didnt really answer your question! It might not cause problems because it is lower than 85%.
JoeZ if your reading this am I wrong? please correct me if i am!
You wont see it for a year or 2. but it will destroy certain metal parts. I know it didnt really answer your question! It might not cause problems because it is lower than 85%.
JoeZ if your reading this am I wrong? please correct me if i am!
05-16-08, 03:22 PM
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Pat Goss on E85 conversions for 'normal cars':
Originally Posted by Pat Goss
Beginning right at the beginning, where you put the fuel in all of this stuff is different. The hoses are different, the wiring connections are different, there's a flame arrestor, there's an anti-siphon valve, all kinds of things that have to be changed to make this system work.
But it gets worse. The fuel pump, the capsule assembly, the fuel gauge, all of these things inside the tank are different, so you have to change that. Even the tank itself, if it happens to be steel and a product called Turn Metal, will have problems if you use E-85.
Then under the hood of the car, the fuel rail itself that distributes the fuel to the fuel injectors has to be stainless steel. The injectors have to be changed, they have to be bigger and they have to be made of a different material.
Then the computer that controls the injectors has to be different, has to be able to operate and control things relative to gasoline or E-85.
How does it know? Well, it knows by this fuel identifier that has to be installed in the system. It tells the computer which program to use based on the fuel that's moving through it.
So, if you think that's all, no, there's more coming up. See buried way deep in the engine; valves, intake and exhaust valves and valve seats. We have valves here, we have valve seats, you can see them in the cylinder head. They are different; they are made of a metal that doesn't erode when you use ethanol. So you're looking at a major operation right there: the cylinder heads have to be replaced.
All of this makes it absolutely impractical to convert a non flex-fuel vehicle into a flex-fuel vehicle. Save your money, drive more gently and you will be doing your part.
But it gets worse. The fuel pump, the capsule assembly, the fuel gauge, all of these things inside the tank are different, so you have to change that. Even the tank itself, if it happens to be steel and a product called Turn Metal, will have problems if you use E-85.
Then under the hood of the car, the fuel rail itself that distributes the fuel to the fuel injectors has to be stainless steel. The injectors have to be changed, they have to be bigger and they have to be made of a different material.
Then the computer that controls the injectors has to be different, has to be able to operate and control things relative to gasoline or E-85.
How does it know? Well, it knows by this fuel identifier that has to be installed in the system. It tells the computer which program to use based on the fuel that's moving through it.
So, if you think that's all, no, there's more coming up. See buried way deep in the engine; valves, intake and exhaust valves and valve seats. We have valves here, we have valve seats, you can see them in the cylinder head. They are different; they are made of a metal that doesn't erode when you use ethanol. So you're looking at a major operation right there: the cylinder heads have to be replaced.
All of this makes it absolutely impractical to convert a non flex-fuel vehicle into a flex-fuel vehicle. Save your money, drive more gently and you will be doing your part.
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