# FlexFuel E85 **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** gasoline\ **Created:** [February 22, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811 "2009-02-22T08:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![skip2K12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@skip2K12](https://community.cartalk.com/u/skip2K12)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811/1 "2009-02-22T08:20:57Z")
I drive a 2001 Honda Civic LX. There is a gas station not too far that sells Propel FlexFuel E85. It is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Would I be damaging my car if I use this fuel? It claims to burn cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811/2 "2009-02-22T09:06:44Z")
I’m assuming your '01 is not specifically designed as a flex-fuel vehicle. Most modern cars are designed to handle 10% ethanol fuel without problems. They employ alcohol-resistant gasket materials that don’t degrade in ethanol. The problem that you would have is mixture ratio. Ethanol requires a richer mixture than gasoline. A modern car such as yours will self-adjust mixture to compensate…to a point. As more ethanol is added to the mix, at SOME point your car will most likely run out of adjustment capacity, and run too lean, triggering a code, and possibly causing drivability issues. What you COULD do is mix a gallon of E-85 with normal gas, and run a tank through, to see if you Check Engine Light comes on. If not, ramp up the E-85 a gallon at a time until you trigger a code–at which point you know the maximum ethanol concentration your car can tolerate. However, unless you’re experimentally-minded, I wouldn’t bother. Since ethanol contains less energy per gallon than gas, it’d have to be 25% cheaper (or abouts) to be “break-even.” Also, modern cars are already clean-running, so air-quality gains would be minimal. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811/3 "2009-02-22T11:18:16Z")
Read the owner’s manual. It likely will tell you it can handle up to 10 - 15% ethanol. Above that can cause damage. ``` While in some ways it does burn cleaner, it also has less energy so you burn more. I the US most of it comes from corn and growing and processing the corn is not without pollution problems. Overall it is generally not a great idea. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811/4 "2009-02-22T14:58:51Z")
I doubt it your car is a Flex Fuel vehicle. It could do damage if it isn’t. Check your owner’s manual. I too would rather support corn farmers than support OPEC countries, but it isn’t a good idea unless your car is a flex fuel vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/flexfuel-e85/26811/5 "2009-02-22T15:45:10Z")
Your car is not a flex fuel vehicle. Do not use E85. Ever. E85 is just a way for corn growers to make money and their elected representatives to gain re-election. Even if you had a flex fuel vehicle, it would not be economical to use.