[303RoadWarrior]

So my 335i is FBO. Now I'm weighing the options between E85 and Methanol. I have the Cobb Accessport and there is an off the shelf map for a 30% e85 fuel mixture that requires no additional hardware. Is 30% around the highest allowable E85 mix without messing around with the fuel system? Since there is no off the shelf map for meth injection, that will require a protune. So my plan is to run the Cobb E85 map and then get a protune for the meth injection later. When I get the protune, I'm wondering if I can get it for a higher percentage E85 mix without upgrading fuel system components? Thanks for any input.

[adidoman]

Originally Posted by 303RoadWarrior

So my 335i is FBO. Now I'm weighing the options between E85 and Methanol. I have the Cobb Accessport and there is an off the shelf map for a 30% e85 fuel mixture that requires no additional hardware. Is 30% around the highest allowable E85 mix without messing around with the fuel system? Since there is no off the shelf map for meth injection, that will require a protune. So my plan is to run the Cobb E85 map and then get a protune for the meth injection later. When I get the protune, I'm wondering if I can get it for a higher percentage E85 mix without upgrading fuel system components? Thanks for any input.

Usually the stock system cannot handle anymore than e30 or e40 depending on how healthy your pumps are (e30 means 30% ethanol, not 30% e85; pump usually has 10% ethanol, and e85 is usually 85% ethanol, but can be around 70% in winter months). There are online calculators so that you can figure out how to get to e30. Cobb only has the one e30 "race" map.

Protunes will "wake" up your car and push them more even on just e30 or e40. Usually you have to upgrade your LPFP to a stage 2 one (examples are the Boost Concepts or Fuel it! - both use a Walbro 450 pump). Usually a stage 2 pump will allow you an e60 or e70 mixture depending on your HPFP.

[303RoadWarrior]

Adidoman, thank you. I had read about pump gas already containing a certain percentage of e85 but had overlooked that. I also mistakenly assumed E85 was 100% ethanol in the same way. Thank you for pointing that out, guiding me to online calculators, answering my questions, and recommending some products. I'm just realizing how great of asset this forum and community are. Best Regards.

[Digitalism]

The only way to tell if your fuel system will cope is to data log. It may only handle E20 it may handle E40, logging is the key.

[jts1981]

Originally Posted by 303RoadWarrior

Adidoman, thank you. I had read about pump gas already containing a certain percentage of e85 but had overlooked that. I also mistakenly assumed E85 was 100% ethanol in the same way. Thank you for pointing that out, guiding me to online calculators, answering my questions, and recommending some products. I'm just realizing how great of asset this forum and community are. Best Regards.

If you plan on running an E85 blend I would highly recommend getting the fuel-it Bluetooth ethanol content analyzer.

We found in the NY area some E85 pumps are really only E60 in winter. If your going to run a bleND all the time, and plan on prone you should definitely look into am ECA. I did a write up recently on this forum, check it out.

Also you'll need to log frequently.

Originally Posted by jts1981

We found in the NY area some E85 pumps are really only E60 in winter.

Not surprising at all considering the most you should even hope for in your region during that time of year is E70.

Search for this on google:
/showthread.php?37876-E85-Regional-Chart-by-State-and-Month

[jts1981]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Not surprising at all considering the most you should even hope for in your region during that time of year is E70.

Search for this on google:
/showthread.php?37876-E85-Regional-Chart-by-State-and-Month

Yes sir! It's good to know what your running at all times. A bad log may indicate something else, when in fact it was just bad fuel blend. Save yourself the headache chasing gremlins right?

[303RoadWarrior]

More Great insight, thanks everyone. I'm going to take it slow and step by step. ECA unit sounds like a must if your pushing the ethanol content high and with the variances in E85 from retailers. Great knowledge to have when I'm working through this with my protuner. Also, my car is a 2011 335is. Any chance it already has a HPFP? I seemed to have read certain 335's having HPFP's, but being prone to failure.

EDIT: After some research I now understand there is a OEM LPFP and a OEM HPFP. Learning as I go.

[mike@x-ph.com]

If you plan on running E85 daily, get the fuel stage 2 kit
run E30 max with your current mods and map

Once you get the fuel it, you can run up to E70. Just make sure you change the fuel scalar on your map once you do so

[csu87]

you can always just get a handheld tester and test it either every fillup, or every couple fillups depending on your frequency.

From there, you know where your E content is and can adjust your tune accordingly. It is also a lot cheaper.

As for how much e on stock car, depends on your car. I could barely run 20% on old lpfp and hpfp, could run up to about 40% on brand new oem lpfp and hpfp and can run up to 85% on upgraded lpfp, oem hpfp and some tuning changes.

[zmon1300]

The Fuel-It offerings come with a e85 tester IIRC. You fill it up with water to the water line indicated and then fill the rest with e85 to the line and then close the cap. flip it upside down a couple of time and then look at the bottle and it will read out the percentage of e content. It will literally blur all the other numbers out and make a certain number much more clear and easier to read. That number is the E content %. Download e85 mix calculator ( iPhone and Android compatible ) and fill it out according to E content %. It will tell you how much pump gas u need and how much E85 to fill up.


Btw only way to tell how much the oem fuel system could take on e85 is to log. First try e30 tune and fuel. do a couple of logs. see if the lpfp is holding up. If so, increase to E40 and log. do the same. IMO I would not go more than E40 on stock fuel system. just my 2 cents. Good Luck!