Well my car has been down from almost 3 months. Ive been getting worried that my E85 might go bad. It is pretty much a full tank of gas also.

 

I would use a E-85 tester just to be safe sir!

-Justin

 

How will that tell u if it's bad or not, doesn't it just tell ya percentage of ethanol? I have noticed some stations have a milky look to it and smell more like gas. I try to stick to the ones that are more clear and smell less like gas and more like corn whisky lol.

 

yea i thought that will just tell you the % of what the E85 is. i didnt know if it told you if it was good or bad.

i think having a full tank of it is better bec it causes less place for water to build up but idk

 

http://www.injectordynamics.com/AlcoholArticle.html

Practically...

1. Do not let your E85 or methanol powered car sit for extended periods of time. In hot humid weather, the alcohol can absorb enough water to rust injectors in less than a week. If the car is going to sit, "pickle" the fuel system by emptying the tank and flushing the system by running the engine on gasoline for a few minutes.

 

wow it didn't know this was going to be an issue

 

Don't forget alcohol is hydroscopic

 

Fixed that for ya, commonly misspelled/pronounced or just flat out incorrect, as hydro/a is well known for water... it has been something that is being picked up along the way, but the proper term is actually with a 'g'.

 

Yeah, that's always made me scratch my head a bit.

 

well thank god its been 20-30 degrees here so i dont think i need to worry about water in the tank

 

You didnt do even a little bit of research into the troubles of E85 prior to forcing yourself upon a restricted distribution energy network?

There are a few good reason why E85 isnt viable nationally. Short shelf life, distribution issues, and the propensity to ruin your fuel system are but a few.

 

I've had the same 55gal HDPE barrel of E98 sitting outside in my shed since last summer and it still runs fine and makes good power. Might have even had the same tank full for last two months.

 

Just test the fuel with an E85 tester. If it absorbed water it will read differently then 85%. Of course its harder to test mechanical parts though. The injectors should definitely be "pickled" while your car is down.

 

Dont let temperature fool you. Humidity is independent of temperature. You can have a 90 degree day with 30% humidity or a 40 degree day with 95% humidity. Cool weather typically is dryer...but not always. If your car is in a dry environment youll be ok. If its in a damp environment, be careful.

 

its a great point, but because the temps are below freezing generally the humidity freezes out and is typically very low, reason why humidifiers are needed in HVAC systems in cold regions.. I have a HVAC temp/humidity table around here somewhere, if I find it I'll post it if interested.