Higher Level Ethanol Blends
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2012
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From: ND
Higher Level Ethanol Blends
I want to share my experience of running my 2007 AWD Lexus IS 250 on higher level ethanol blends.
To start off I have run all of my vehicles on higher level ethanol blends starting in about 2011 with no maintenance issues. I have put over 100,000+ miles combined on these vehicles running higher level ethanol blends. The vehicles include a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta GLX, 2003 Dodge Dakota, and the 2007 Lexus IS. For the non-flex fuel motors I have blended my own ethanol and gas to 30 to 50 percent ethanol if i do not add an aftermarket conversion kit. My main motivation is to utilize the 105 octane of E85 to increase performance while using a pure American fuel.
I bought the Lexus in October of 2012 with 72,000 miles on it. I assume the vehicle had never run on any fuel higher than E10. The car now has 100,000 miles on it and since I have owned I have not put any fuel with less than 30% ethanol through the tank.
The car has run great on higher level blends and has thrown no lights. I've found the car's relatively high compression ratio takes advantage of the higher octane of the E30 blend most efficiently and have experienced no MPG reduction at that blend. On blends higher than E30 I have a slight mileage loss, but more often than not the savings at the pump takes care of any MPG loss.
I have not had any carbon buildup issues like some Lexus IS owners have experienced and I believe running higher level ethanol blends will reduce my chances of such an issue in the future.
I believe all "ethanol is bad for engines, fuel lines, and is corrosive" to be nonsense spread by oil companies. This video
I've found shows the actual truth; especially at the 3:30 mark and on.
To start off I have run all of my vehicles on higher level ethanol blends starting in about 2011 with no maintenance issues. I have put over 100,000+ miles combined on these vehicles running higher level ethanol blends. The vehicles include a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta GLX, 2003 Dodge Dakota, and the 2007 Lexus IS. For the non-flex fuel motors I have blended my own ethanol and gas to 30 to 50 percent ethanol if i do not add an aftermarket conversion kit. My main motivation is to utilize the 105 octane of E85 to increase performance while using a pure American fuel.
I bought the Lexus in October of 2012 with 72,000 miles on it. I assume the vehicle had never run on any fuel higher than E10. The car now has 100,000 miles on it and since I have owned I have not put any fuel with less than 30% ethanol through the tank.
The car has run great on higher level blends and has thrown no lights. I've found the car's relatively high compression ratio takes advantage of the higher octane of the E30 blend most efficiently and have experienced no MPG reduction at that blend. On blends higher than E30 I have a slight mileage loss, but more often than not the savings at the pump takes care of any MPG loss.
I have not had any carbon buildup issues like some Lexus IS owners have experienced and I believe running higher level ethanol blends will reduce my chances of such an issue in the future.
I believe all "ethanol is bad for engines, fuel lines, and is corrosive" to be nonsense spread by oil companies. This video
Don't tell Lexus you run that fuel! 
Yes, ethanol fuels burn cleaner than petro...which would "help" with the carbon build-up issue. But I still don't think running E30 is a good idea.
I've ran a boosted Honda on E85 and did plenty of research before using it; so I know all of the myths and what TO DO and NOT to do.
Yes, ethanol fuels burn cleaner than petro...which would "help" with the carbon build-up issue. But I still don't think running E30 is a good idea.
I've ran a boosted Honda on E85 and did plenty of research before using it; so I know all of the myths and what TO DO and NOT to do.
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