Sorry if this has been asked several times, but I couldn't find an answer in a quick search.

I'm hoping to make the switch this year, even though very few (if any) X's are on E yet. Main concern: I live in Wisconsin, where we have a high of zero this week. Is anyone running E85 at these temps? I thought there were a bunch of guys in the twin cities with it... Does it work, or are you back to gas for the winter?

Because we don't have any kind of map switching yet, and I don't plan to do my own tuning, I need to make sure the car is reliable for daily driving (it's my only way to work!!). Thanks for your advice.

Ryan

 

I'm on E85 for the winter! Drive my car every day and even 25-30psi of boost. I'm on EMS but on lower boost and a good tune you should have no problem. Start up is a little harder in the cold but not too bad. It is very safe as it is still 70% ethanol in the winter.

 

What do you mean by starts are a little harder? Like you have to keep cranking it, or has it ever not start on you? Is the car left outside? I know it's F'n cold up there, so if it starts outside there, it should just about anywhere.

 

No cold start problems here, but its 80 degrees outside right now

 

There is a bunch of us on E85 in the Twin Cities. I run E85 all year long, and some other guys do as well. Not on X's though.. Come talk to us on evomn.net if you want local opinions.

 

Thanks for the info. I was warned by a reputable tuner that my car may not start, so I just wanted to see if anyone has had that experience.

 

Your "reputable" tuner does not have enough E85 experience. It will start just fine at 0 degrees. You should probably let it sit and idle for a bit before driving as they don't really drive well when cold. I have only started in as cold as 8 or 9 degrees but it fired up just fine. My friend however, I think he may have started his at close to 0 deg F.

 

Thanks for the cold start feedback.

Hmmm.. he works at a certain West Chicago Evo shop so i don't think experience was the issue. It might have just been a standard CYA line since nobody has tried it on an X yet.

 

Sorry, did you see you had an X. People don't know enough about X's to get them to cold start well on the stock ecu. You'll need an AEM to get it to cold start right now, and I don't think they have one out for the X yet. I guess you could do what my friend did with his AFC hacked race car half a decade ago. Dump fuel with the AFC and when it sputters to life start dialing it out LOL!

 

OK, this is good to know... I should have asked if anyone has had trouble cold starting with the stock ECU... Probably still a crapshoot since the X is completely different, but it would be more reassuring if people have made it work stock. You are correct, AEM is not an option for us yet, and probably won't be anytime soon.

Thanks.

 

Well, today marked the first time in two years that my car decided not to start in cold weather. Usually it's one crank and boom, she's fired up, have done it multiple times when it was as low as -10F.
Today was -18F in the morning and either the battery was weak or maybe i should have primed the fuel line (i never do that usually), but it didn't start and then i proceeded to flood the cylinders.. WOT cranking didn't help because by then the battery was definitely almost dead. So.. drying my spark plugs and cylinders now... It's -2F outside now, i wonder how long it'll take for all the fuel to evaporate from the cylinders.. or at least some of it..

 

I agree with the guy from AMS.

I would be extremely cautious about being the first adventuresome EVO X owner to go on E85 particularly in extreme cold country.

Now, if the X is a 2nd car and you have another terrific gas car that always starts, then never mind.

There are other options too: electric engine heater, garage, keep the X in the heated parking garage at work and ride the bus, whatever...

I have wondered if a coil-on-plug setup would make an E85 EVO easier to fire off in very cold weather?

 

Mine always starts, but sometimes takes a few more cranks, and sometimes it will die right after starting - I just wait a few secs and crank it again and it runs fine.

 

Same thing here with my 8. I have stock ECU and 1200CC injectors and some aggressive cams. In the cold weather it takes a few cranks and a little step on the gas to fire it up. Then I let it warm up to operating temp before I drive it. I'm in upstate NY. Havent tried it in the current extreme cold tho..

 

Yeah, AMS wants to do it, but had those words of caution. My garage usually stays above 20 degrees, but work is another story. My gut is telling me not to be the first to try this, but my right foot won't agree .