Question about Fuel (Winter Gas)

[ClearwaterSHO]

Hi, All,

  I live in FL, and I am not sure if we get winter blended fuels here in Tampa/Clearwater area. Anyone know? If we don't. I am driving up to Memphis, TN this week and I want to run at Memphis International Raceway, because Saturday the DA is going to be crazy negative.

  My question. Here I've found that 4.4 Gallons of E85 mixed with 12.2 gallons of VShell 93, puts me at a nice spot for my E30 tune. With winter gas, should I add more E85 or less? Should I just do what I normally do and log? (thinking I'm going to have to log anyways to make sure everything is good to go.) I'm just curious to those that run E30 tunes and have winter gas, how do you compensate for the crappy Winter gas?

 

[GIGANTORE]

You dont need to change the fuel you run for Florida winters.

 

[ClearwaterSHO]

You dont need to change the fuel you run for Florida winters.

Yea, I'm asking because I am going to TN and I'm pretty sure they get Winter Fuel there. That's why I am curious if I am going to have to add more E85 or less.

 

[GIGANTORE]

You dont need to change the fuel you run for Florida winters.

Yea, I'm asking because I am going to TN and I'm pretty sure they get Winter Fuel there. That's why I am curious if I am going to have to add more E85 or less.

Sorry. At work trying to multitask. I dont think youll have to worry about it. Your ECU should compensate for the difference in blend.

 

[SHOdded]

There will be a bit less e85 needed if winter blend aka e10 is in use.  Plus e85 is not necessarily e85 across the country.  So there is that consideration  also.

 

[derfdog15]

The shell 93 you use is an E10 blend already. As long as the 93 you get is also E10 or so (shell 93 is actually higher sometimes) you should be o.k with the same amount of E85 added in to your mix. I ran the same blend year round in Indiana with my E20 tune, 93 E10 from shell + ~3 gallons E85. I didn't change a thing when I drove down to Florida last year and back (at Christmas).

Make sure you can source E85 on your trip, based on your average MPG, as not everywhere has E85. This (https://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_locations.html) is a helpful site to use.

TLDR: you should be fine with the same ratio, just make sure to map out where you can source E85 on your trip. If worst comes to worst, get yourself a few 5 gallon gas cans (E85 cans) and take some E85 with you just in case.

 

[Brucelinc]

I don't know about other areas but here in the Minneapolis area, fuel labeled E85 is around E50 in the winter.  The reason is that in cold temps, even flex fuel capable vehicles start better with a higher concentration of gasoline.  If I wanted to run an E tune in the winter, I would need a much different mixture than in the summer when E85 is much closer to actually being 85% ethanol.

 

[sholxgt]

Can probably buy the E85 at the track to eliminate most variables.  Many tracks now have race E85 also.  That mixed with some Shell 93 should do very well.

 

[ZSHO]

I have always added a bottle of Heat(Yellow Bottle)which contains Methanol to combat the winter-blend gasoline.
I found Chevron with Techron or Shell gasoline to be far superior preferably @ a busy High Turnover Station.  Z

                 

 

[FoMoCoSHO]

You dont need to change the fuel you run for Florida winters.

Yea, I'm asking because I am going to TN and I'm pretty sure they get Winter Fuel there. That's why I am curious if I am going to have to add more E85 or less.

If you are unsure, don't beat on it after the initial fueling and watch your fuel trims. It takes about 7 miles after a fillup before the ECM locks in LTFT so you will see STFT swing wildly until then. If it starts adding more LTFT then you know it has more corn. Moving backwards would mean there is less corn. Worst case scenario should be about 70%.

Somewhere in the fuels section is an E85 map by region and season.