Gas for Flex Fuel
10-05-2011, 01:56 PM
#2
Your truck for normal E10 is 87 octane. So yes you can use the lower grade. The only thing Flex fuel implies that it can adjust for the higher octane of E85, the injectors can pulse to compensate, and the lines are internally coated to avoid corrosion. So use either 87 octane or E85 and try to stick to better additive level fuel companies and you'll be fine.
10-05-2011, 02:13 PM
#3
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Location: Grand Forks, ND for college; Langdon, ND is home
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Thats the idea of flex fuel, you can use what you want. 87,89,90,92,E30,E50,E85. Any of them. The 90 and 92 octane would be pointless cause your truck is designed for lower octane, and E anything is just throwing gas mileage out the window. The prices of E fuels today doesn't offset the worse mileage, it will equal out to cost about exactly the same using E or normal fuels.
10-05-2011, 07:51 PM
#4
Senior Member
Here is one thing to consider. You may pay less for fuels with higher ethanol concentrations (even though the fuel cost more...Uncle Sam for ya) but you will not get near the same mileage out of it. That being said, depending on the fuel you could see a few extra horses. Not too long ago Formula 1 made the conversion from methanol to ethanol. That being said, nearly every ethanol fuel comparison study has shown that it is cheaper at the pump but the reduced efficiency has you paying nearly the exact same as a fuel with less than 15% of ethanol.
10-05-2011, 08:06 PM
#6
Senior almost
Octane is not a Fuel it is an additive to control fuel ignition under compression. More compression means more octane to stop pre-ignition.
10-05-2011, 08:16 PM
#7
Senior almost
E85 is stated to be about 105 Octane. Of course this is higher than 92 or 93 Octane rated gasoline. Your ignition on the 2010 has a electronic ignition control system to adjust the timeing of the spark to get fuel mileage. Because engineers used E85 with 105 octane as the limits it moves the timing furhter to top dead center getting more power but less energy than gasoline. However on the upside your truck can take advantage of higher octane rated fuel becuse it will in fact make the sprak closer to top dead center achiving more miles per gallon than with 87. But you have to drive with a more controlled foot to really see any benefit. I tested over 4 tanks of E85 and 4 tanks of 92 Octane and achieved my best MPG with 92 octane fuel with about 11% increse in mileage. However that being said 11% is only about 1 to 1.5 Mpg so just a hiccup in throttle pressure can make that much differnce. Without a totally controlled conditions scientific experimant I found E85 about 20% less economy over 87 and 92 about 11% better economy.... But thats me......
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10-06-2011, 01:42 AM
#8
Senior Member
Pre det has always been an issue with higher compression engines. That's why more and more high compression and turbo charged engines are going to direct injection. Think of modern directly injected gas engines as low compression diesels. Due to the fact fuel isn't injected until the piston reaches TDC, the mixture nearly ignites itself. Great way to run great amounts of boost, in theory should be able to run 80 psi (or until you blow the head gasket out) without any predestination issues.