E85 - What can you run i in. 92 Jeep Wranger?

[madsam]

A station near me started selling e85 for $1.99. I tried a 1/2 and 1/2 with gas in my 92 Jeep. It has a fuel injected 4L-6. Then I tried a full tank and it still works. I lost a little power 5%, with almost no fuel millage difference. The engine runs cooler too. Does any one know if there could be a problem with that? Is there any info on parts waring quicker? My engine has about 183,000 miles on it, so I don't want to be to hard on it or it will blow up. I drive 300 miles a week and don't want to rebuild to soon.

 

[jasonjc]

You need to make shure air the rubber parts in the fuel system are alcohol resitance. Alcohol can eat some types of rubber.

 

[Barrman]

Your plastic fuel tank might not like it either. Along with any rubber seals/o-rings in the fuel pump and fuel injectors.

 

[Westech]

I have sucked a lot of gas tanks and flushed many systems because of the customer using E85 in a NON flex fuel car. Every thing in the fuel system is different. If you keep using the E85 kiss your fuel pump and sending unit good by along with your injectors. The fuel will eat the plastic in the pump and the injectors. non flex fuel cars can only run a MAX of 10% ethanol.

 

[nkawtg]

Not a good idea! Allthough it seems to work, the damage will be long term. Your vehicle should do fine on E10 (10% ethanol/90% gasoline), but when you up the ethanol to 85%, you will cause corrosion to any aluminum in your system. Also, as mentioned above, your rubber components will suffer. Further, on flexfuel vehicles, the computer is programmed to alter the engine performance parameters when there is an increase in ethanol. The manufacturers also use materials resistant to corrosion when making a flex fuel conversion. While not the only reasons not to use E85 in your Jeep, they are the most compelling......

 

[madsam]

Thanks, thats the kind of info I was looking for.

I understand the fuel system is a problem now. Does the E85 run cleaner in the engine? Maybe clean out the engine a bit? Does it hurt the main engine? Would it be worth replacing fuel system parts to run it? All those parts you mentioned are probably mostly worn out at this millage, 183k, anyway. If I found the flex fuel pump, lines, injectors, and tank, would the engine, valves, pistons have a problem with it. In the future I plan to fully rebuild the jeep any way. (A lot cheaper to rebuild everything than buy a new wrangler.) besides the new wrangler is ugly and big.

By the way, It has an big old iron head, not alu.. 4 l strait 6.

 

[jwaller]

the eng itself does not care but be warned your mileage will drop significantly on E85. Most after market injectors I use will work with E85 and the after market fuel pumps as well. Your biggest problem is the eng managements system. it needs to be tuned for the E85 bc you will need a lot more of it to kep th eAFR the same. some ppl just step up 1 or 2 injecotr sizes to get a shadetree way around it but you should have a custom tune bc the timing is different as well bc E85 is about 100-110octane

 

[madsam]

Suprisingly my millage has not dropped but maybe 5%. Then again a wrangler is not that aerodynamic or efficient. The engine is a "hight output". so I wonder if the amount of fuel is closer to what it is supposed to be. With Gas,up at my altitude, 10,000 the jeep runs a little rich.

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

The engine runs cooler because E85 only contains about 70% of the energy that RUG does. That means you will only get about 70% of the mileage. 20 mpg becomes 14 mpg with E85. A lot of Chrysler vehicles came ready to use E85 and they called them Flex Fuel engines. Of course, those mileage figures only show when you run straight E85.

 

[ida34]

A station near me started selling e85 for $1.99. I tried a 1/2 and 1/2 with gas in my 92 Jeep.

I guess that would make it e42.5 instead of e85.

 

[madsam]

RE: Re: E85 - What can you run i in. 92 Jeep Wranger?

At first I fried 1/2. then I tried a full tank.

 

[chevycrew]

RE: Re: E85 - What can you run i in. 92 Jeep Wranger?

It wont be cost effective to convert a non flex fuel vehicle over to flex fuel.

Cheaper in the long fun to run the regular fuel, not worth the complete replacement of the fuel system, or the upgrade to flex fuel. You have sensors, computer, etc with the flex fuel for the vehicle to compensate for which fuel it is running, or percentage of ethanol.

 

[madsam]

I agree that it would not be worth replacing on a good running vehicle. But maybe if it was time for a full rebuild, on a vehicle, and most of that stuff would have to be replaced anyway, and you could chose e85 compatible parts. The computer is the issue, but if the vehicle runs on e85 ok now, ?? Maybe looking into a programmable modal so you could tune it?? Just a thought.

That is all dependent if the vehicle is worth rebuilding.. I would not think of trying on an old neon or other disposable car. But an older jeep is old iron and worth rebuilding. At least to me.

 

[Crazyguyla]

When E85 replaces regular unleaded, Chrysler probably will come out with a retrofit kit for Jeeps. Sorta like the fuel injection kit they did for the 4.2l 6 Cyl. If there's a demand, there will be a supply

 

[madsam]

Maybe.. I just figure I have about 20k to 30k more miles before I do a full rebuild. I might keep this in mind when I look for parts.