# E85



## Jayqpadilla (Apr 29, 2019)

Getting pretty hot here in SoCal. Recently seen a 2019 traverse catch fire ? which kind o brings me to my question. How can I run e85 in my gen2 1.4l. I don’t miss this heat soak and all of the other negatives with 100+ degree heat.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

So are you saying your car is less likely to catch on fire if you use E85 or the Traverse is prone to start on fire in hot weather? I live in the valley next to Death Valley and this is of little concern.
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*Non flex-fuel vehicles don't have the sensors necessary to detect ethanol content. They also don't have the control software to manage the air fuel mixture properly. ... It could also cause major damage, and using E85 in vehicles not equipped for E85 usually voids your warranty.*


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## Jayqpadilla (Apr 29, 2019)

Saying neither just shared an experience. And I do believe ethanol would burn a little bit cooler.


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## v8sten (Aug 24, 2017)

welp i pulled the tune on my 2018 Cruze and I believe it is already a flex fuel car, Im not 100% sure yet though, but a solid 90% sure. with 93 octane, the IDC is only at 11% and it isnt running any timing under boost, 10 degrees max. Plus under the Flex Fuel tab on HP Tuners, its already enabled in stock form.


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## v8sten (Aug 24, 2017)

the alcohol content is set at 9.8% and does not change when e85 is added.


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## PolarisX (Dec 17, 2017)

I'm almost positive our cars fuel system are only rated to handle E15. Not sure if that's because of the tune, how the fuel system is made, or something else.

I also wonder if they are just doing their math in the stock tune assuming E10 is in the tank and using the Flex Fuel tables to lock that in.


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## v8sten (Aug 24, 2017)

PolarisX said:


> I'm almost positive our cars fuel system are only rated to handle E15. Not sure if that's because of the tune, how the fuel system is made, or something else.
> 
> I also wonder if they are just doing their math in the stock tune assuming E10 is in the tank and using the Flex Fuel tables to lock that in.


seems to be, I got a stock flex fuel tune out of a 2019 premium cruze and the fueling and timing tables are same but different. everything under the flex fuel tab is exactly the same.


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## 6speedTi (May 18, 2018)

Cars that are set up to run E85 have ethanol sensors to monitor the ethanol ratio and make adjustments to the ECU. 
Basic common sense is if it's not designed to run on e85 then don't. Unfortunately many drivers think they know more than the automobile engineers and manufacturers who design, build and test their products before releasing them for sale to the consumer. Nothing will prevent you from using e85 and the vehicle will run. The unknown is what and when will adverse effects begin to show up? Maybe never. I'm sure drivers will continue to use e85 in vehicles not designed for it and make their arguement that the car runs fine and it's cheaper than e10 or e15. 
It's your vehicle so do as you wish.


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## v8sten (Aug 24, 2017)

6speedTi said:


> Cars that are set up to run E85 have ethanol sensors to monitor the ethanol ratio and make adjustments to the ECU.
> Basic common sense is if it's not designed to run on e85 then don't. Unfortunately many drivers think they know more than the automobile engineers and manufacturers who design, build and test their products before releasing them for sale to the consumer. Nothing will prevent you from using e85 and the vehicle will run. The unknown is what and when will adverse effects begin to show up? Maybe never. I'm sure drivers will continue to use e85 in vehicles not designed for it and make their arguement that the car runs fine and it's cheaper than e10 or e15.
> It's your vehicle so do as you wish.


I am fully aware of that. I know where I need to plug the sensor into, I know what sensor to get, and now I know what tune to load into my car, if and when I choose to do this, prolly not though. E85 is not a hard concept, all the fuel lines are stainless steel, Only questionable variable in this whole thing, is the fuel pump itself. Even that is an easy replacement.

I put a few gallons of e85 in my (non e85) car to see if the alcohol content percentage increased or if it was fixed. It did not move so its fixed @ 9.8% content. But literally 1 sensor with a simple 3 wire hookup, 4 credits on hp tuners and a little time on the keyboard and i can have a flex fuel car. a few hours. Now its prolly not worth it since its a fuel saver and not a race car. Thats what the Vette is for.


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## Dust (May 28, 2014)

v8sten said:


> seems to be, I got a stock flex fuel tune out of a 2019 premium cruze and the fueling and timing tables are same but different. everything under the flex fuel tab is exactly the same.


If you do this, I am interested. I read earlier that there is not enough head room to convert to full E85.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

6speedTi said:


> I'm sure drivers will continue to use e85 in vehicles not designed for it and make their arguement that the car runs fine and it's cheaper than e10 or e15.


It will almost certainly throw a CEL. The last gasoline car I owned (Hyundai Accent) would run E30 without problems, but E50 was too much and it would throw a CEL.


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## RoninDusette (Aug 21, 2018)

v8sten said:


> the alcohol content is set at 9.8% and does not change when e85 is added.


Yes it does. I just put some in and it went from 9.8 (91 octane, shell) to 74.9. It will change, and make a HUGE difference especially if you tune with it. It won't change if you don't have a flex fuel sensor hooked up and the sensor turned on in hpt. I put together a custom kit for less than 100 bucks, too less than an hour to hook up. Check the sonic forums via a Google search for something like diy flex fuel kit sonic.

Dust. Not talking to you. This is where things went bad. I was talking to someone else, responding to their post. Mind your own business.


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## Dust (May 28, 2014)

RoninDusette said:


> Yes it does. I just put some in and it went from 9.8 (91 octane, shell) to 74.9. It will change, and make a HUGE difference especially if you tune with it. It won't change if you don't have a flex fuel sensor hooked up and the sensor turned on in hpt. I put together a custom kit for less than 100 bucks, too less than an hour to hook up. Check the sonic forums via a Google search for something like diy flex fuel kit sonic.
> 
> View attachment 287438


Your car is a Gen1. OP is referring to a Gen2. Different engine, different injection system.


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## Dust (May 28, 2014)

RoninDusette said:


> Incorrect. There is, but will for sure need bigger injectors. At least green giants, because you will need up to 30% more fuel to make the same power, but the amount of anti-knock properties makes it worth it. Also, the way I did it, I replaced the fuel line from the firewall to the fuel rail with tubing made specifically for flex fuel. From what I understand the rest of the fuel system should be able to take the increase in ethanol without eroding any lines, but the one in the engine compartment, I just replaced it and put the flex fuel sensor inline there. But considering flex fuel is an option on these I think, it should have the rest of the car set up for it already. I have had mine for like, 4 months now, and not an issue yet.


As I stated above. The OP is running a Gen2 Cruze. It is direct injection. The "green giants" are for indirect injection engines. Please read before commenting.


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## Dust (May 28, 2014)

RoninDusette said:


> I don't see how that matters, because the flex fuel sensor is completely separate from the rest of the injection (more precisely, it's part of the fuel delivery, which encompasses both.). And The reason it says 9.8% is because he is running e10 and that's what it's reading, or he doesn't have a flex fuel sensor installed, and the calibration, and it's set up as a virtual sensor which will only show 9.8% until you install the sensor and enable it to use those calculations from said sensor in the calibration to scale the tune up base on alcohol (ethanol) content. I am not sure what you mean by it's a gen 2, and why that would matter. I am currently tuning an le2 (same motor as op) in HP Tuners, and the flex fuel sensor options are the same as gen, and this dude has a flex fuel sensor, and we log that PID with e85, and it changes, so you are incorrect. It will only change if 1) you have the sensor, and 2) it's enabled via the ECM (in my and my client's cases, via HP Tuners).


The OP is running a Gen2 Cruze. It is direct injection. I have not found any bigger injectors for a Gen2 Cruze with direct injection. It matters because being able to run E85 would be pointless if there was not enough injector to make the conversion worthwhile. It also matters because the ECU will have to be different, as the engines are not the same.


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## Dust (May 28, 2014)

RoninDusette said:


> Well, at least I am offering help from experience instead of just being a nay-sayer.


Offering incorrect information isn't helpful. Being a naysayer for incorrect information is.



> So, you go do that, and if the OP wants help, I will help, since you don't really seem to be offering anything in that realm except different long sentences to say no and incorrect assumptions about how the sensor will read to the ecm


The OP is asking about running E85 on a Gen2. You have provided no information about runnin E85 on a Gen 2.




> .  And yes, I know it's direct injection, so he could actually run it. To be honest, he could run it on stock injectors from a gen 1,


How would one install green giants in a Gen2?



> I just called BS on your statement that the sensor wouldn't change that PID because it's flat out incorrect. Anywho, I am conversing with the OP, not you any longer.


Would you care to show me where I stated that the sensor wouldn't change that PID?


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

RoninDusette said:


> sdf


Having a hard time deciphering your post here 🤔


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## RoninDusette (Aug 21, 2018)

Shroomie said:


> Having a hard time deciphering your post here 🤔


Because they all got deleted as I just decided to stay out of it. Regardless, I stand by my original statement; the alcohol content PID will change if you have the sensor hooked up and enabled in the calibration. Anyone who says otherwise is incorrect, as it works on any GM ECM that supports flex fuel the same way, and I have done it on a few already, so I know it works.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

RoninDusette said:


> Because they all got deleted as I just decided to stay out of it. Regardless, I stand by my original statement; the alcohol content PID will change if you have the sensor hooked up and enabled in the calibration. Anyone who says otherwise is incorrect, as it works on any GM ECM that supports flex fuel the same way, and I have done it on a few already, so I know it works.


Newer post 2015 gas engines I.e. the LGX are 100% FFV compatible. Going as far as having it enabled, stock, in tune, ready to go.

But the stock ECM configuration does not have pins assigned for it. Is it possible to change that? Yes. But it’s much easier to just swap the entire ECM with one that does.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the LE2 is the same way.


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## RoninDusette (Aug 21, 2018)

It is, it does, and it works. I don't know the pinout personally for the e80, because the client I'm tuning for is remote, and I didn't build the vehicle. I'm just thing it, but it's there.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

RoninDusette said:


> Dust. Not talking to you. This is where things went bad. I was talking to someone else, responding to their post. Mind your own business.


Josh, you just need to be a nicer person and your posts won't be deleted as often


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## AlaskaCruze’n (Apr 23, 2020)

So can the Gen 2 use 85 or not. Trifecta said they don’t have a tune for it


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## JeremyHabetler (Jan 3, 2020)

AlaskaCruze’n said:


> So can the Gen 2 use 85 or not. Trifecta said they don’t have a tune for it


Yes, but it runs much smoother with far less knock the higher octane you go. The better the fuel, the better the timing making a tune function as expected


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## AlaskaCruze’n (Apr 23, 2020)

JeremyHabetler said:


> Yes, but it runs much smoother with far less knock the higher octane you go. The better the fuel, the better the timing making a tune function as expected


So the HP gains won’t be there when using e85


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## JeremyHabetler (Jan 3, 2020)

AlaskaCruze’n said:


> So the HP gains won’t be there when using e85


Oh wait, I totally blanked when I answered that, ignore that first message

In theory it should run OK with E85, I wouldn't expect it to run great and so no, you will not see much if any HP improvement


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