Anyone try running E-85 in Suburban

I have a 2003 FLex Fule Suburban. I have never tried E-85,
but they have just built a station near my house. Has anyone used this fuel with what results. It is not worth burning my truck up to save a few bucks. My thoughts are much worse fule mileage and not as much power. Any thoughts?
Thanks

The biggest misconception in regards to E85.....less power.

E85 is 85% ethanol.....alcohol has a HIGHER energy content than regular un-leaded petro. Why do you think race cars run on 100% alcohol? :banging:

Second misconception..... economic loss (fuel mileage). Your looking at about 3mpg's less than what you might get with premium petro. Not a huge deal! Your probably going to pay $.10-15 less than you would for dino oil.......so in the end, it's nearly a wash. BUT....

Why would you not keep your dollars here in the USA, and more specifically here in the midwest? Why would you not put your hard earned dollar towards a product with a the potential for sustainability? 12% of your E85 dollars goes back into the product for research and development!

I'm amazed anyone would even question this. If you want to keep sending your dollars to Exxon and the Suadi's ..go ahead, but dont #%@%@% and complain when the prices keep going up !!!

Something to keep in mind: WE DO NOT HAVE AN INDEFINATE AMOUNT OF DINO OIL. IT WILL EVENTUALLY RUN OUT, AND PRICES ARE GOING TO KEEP INCREASING. SUPPLY AND DEMAND,...IF NOT POLITICS AND GREED. SUPPORT BIOFUELS!

How much foreign oil does it take to:

1) Fuel the tractors that plow and plant the corn fields?
2) Produce the fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides required to grow the corn?
3) Fuel the harvestors that pick the corn?
4) Fuel the trucks and trains that transport the corn to storage?
5) Fuel the dryers that dry the corn so it will not spoil before processing?
6) Fuel the production facility that processes the corn into ethanol?
7) Fuel the trucks and trains that ship the ethanol to the (eventually) the gas station?

Moral of story - If you think you are weaning yourself off of foreign oil by burning ethanol, think again. You are helping the AMD's and Cargill's of the worls make lots of money though. Your $$ plus the tax credits (also your $$) makes them very happy.

[perchjerker]

I have heard all of those arguments before.

But you gotta start someplace.

>How much foreign oil does it take to:
>
>1) Fuel the tractors that plow and plant the corn fields?

72% of all tractors and harvest equipment in the midwest are now running on bio-diesel.
>2) Produce the fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides required
>to grow the corn?

Farming has become very minimal tillage, ecologically minded, fertilizer rates are less due to increased ability to aquire increased yields via genetics, not artificial fertilizers. Not to mention, many have integrated organic fertilizers into thier operations. (feedlot, containment unit wastes)

>3) Fuel the harvestors that pick the corn?

72% of all tractors and harvest equipment in the midwest are now running on bio-diesel.

>4) Fuel the trucks and trains that transport the corn to
>storage?

Trucks and trains are also capable of burning bio-diesel.

>5) Fuel the dryers that dry the corn so it will not spoil
>before processing?

95% of the midwest corn crop was NOT ran through grain drying facilities this past growing season due to "field dry-down". (Farmers have the ability to let mother nature dry down corn to 12% moisture due to larger more efficient harvesting equipment/methods.

>6) Fuel the production facility that processes the corn into
>ethanol?

Modern ethanol plants are 75% more effeciant than their predecessors. Continually improving technology results in less energy to achieve the same end product.

>7) Fuel the trucks and trains that ship the ethanol to the
>(eventually) the gas station?

BIODIESEL!!


Moral of story - We are breaking the cycle..or at least those of us who support biofuels are. You cant cease your critical line of thinking, and except change, and the fact that your consuming a fuel source that we only have XX supply! DINO OIL TAKES BILLIONS OF YEARS TO CREATE, AND WE HAVE CONSUMED OVER 900 BILLION GALLONS IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF GEOLOGICAL TIME, IT WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. Things arent as they were 5 or even 10 years ago. Time to come up with a new line anti-ethonol advocates! The Berkely California scientist thermodynamics speel isnt going fly anymore.

[mrbreeze]

You might want to double check that your 2003 can burn ethanol. I was told by the local gm dealership that it was only the post 2004 engines that could run this.

Indy cars use ethanol/methanol because it is less volatile (explosive) in case of a crash...not because of its energy. There is no question that ethanol has far less energy than gasoline. The new Silverados get 12mpg on ethanol versus 16mpg on gas.

Having said that, though, all things being relatively equal...I'd much rather give my money to a domestic corporation of any sort than OPEC.

[yarcraft91]

Let's keep the facts straight. Race cars might run "alcohol" for the octane, but they certainly do not run ethanol for the "HIGHER energy". Ethanol has only 2/3 the energy content of an equivalent amount of straight gasoline. Ethanol is a lower energy fuel and actually harder to burn than gasoline. It still can be a good fuel in engines designed for it, but it contains less energy/gallon than gasoline.

[capnlee]

Here is a list from ethanol.org of the GM Vehicles that will run on E85. The 2003 5.3L Vortec Suburban is included

2007

5.3L V-8 engine Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups 2WD & 4WD

5.3L Vortec-engine Avalanche, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon & Yukon XL

3.5L Chevy Impala (LS, 1LT & 2LT)

3.5L Chevy Monte Carlo (LS and LT models only)

2006

3.5L Chevy Impala (LS, 1LT & 2LT)

3.5L Chevy Monte Carlo (LS and LT models only)

2005 - 2006

5.3L Vortec-engine Avalanche

5.3L Vortec-engine Police Package Tahoe*

2003 - 2006

5.3L V-8 engine Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups 2WD & 4WD

5.3L Vortec-engine Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Yukon XLs

2002

5.3L V-8 engine Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra half-ton pickups 2WD & 4WD

5.3L Vortec-engine Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon and Yukon XLs

2.2L Chevrolet S-10 pickup 2WD

2.2L Sonoma GMC pickup 2WD

2000 - 2001

2.2L Chevrolet S-10 pickup 2WD

2.2L Sonoma GMC pickup 2WD

[jet man]

The whole energy arena is complicated to say the least. Cargill in a business section article in the Minneapolis Tribune indicated that "if 100 percent of the US corn crop were used to produce ethanol it would replace only about 20 percent of motor fuel". Thus they feel the focus needs to remain on agruultural land use for food and feed.
Food for thought (no pun intended).

[Ryno]

Itmes 1-5 and 7 on your list are not now, nor have they ever been valid points in this argument, because the corn producer is going to use fuel while producing his corn whether it ends up in an ethanol plant, or elsewhere. Is there more corn acres being planted now than pre ethanol? Perhaps, but no more land being farmed for one crop or another. ie beans, wheat, beats, cane, flax, oats etc. etc.

Yes My wife uses it in her 2003 Sub all the time and it is a cost advantage per mile, with it being some 35 cents less in our market. The vehicle is very snappy with it....exhaust smell kinda sweet on it though.
Ryno