Shop Talk Saturday | How to Test E85 Ethanol Content

Want to know how much ethanol is in your E85 fuel? In this episode of Shop Talk Saturday we show you an easy and quick way to test the ethanol content in your station's E85.
Want to see more videos like this? Let us know your suggestions in the comments below!
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[@PlanetEaterG]

Up here in PA I have only 2 stations within 50 niles that have E85. They're both on a toll highway.

[@paintballinfoo]

crack the cap once you shake it and itll seperate 10 times faster...

[@HymezKidd]

I wish this had line indicators from E10 - E95 for those of us that use blends.

[@crazypete3759]

You can just use a slide caliper to measure the increments and keep drawing them down the tube with permanent marker. They do also make testers that go from 0-100% just not as common and usually a couple dollars more expensive.

[@johnlefever3220]

Can I still test e85 after I put Lucas stabilizer in the e85

[@jerryhagen9476]

Lets say I get a not so good batch that comes out around 50 or 60. Is there an additive to boost that up to 70 or 80?

[@craig0077]

Is there ethanol only in regular gas??

[@pumpkinfury]

I plan on running E85 on my stang soon. I did a local test and found it to be around e70. Is that still a safe tune ratio or should I do a flex fuel? I'm going to have you guys handle the tune so it's based on your experience and expertise. Thanks

[@VMPPerformanceTV]

E70 is fine, just make sure you put it on the tune order form and measure the ethanol content at fill-up.

[@alextravis8429]

I wish it could tell you how much is just water (i.e. water, ethanol, and gasoline).. the ethanol and water combine so you can't even see a difference, I'm pretty certain that water saturated E85 ruined my engine.

[@davidray4128]

Is there a way to measure octane in pump gas?

[@Rondo392]

the same way

[@buyadriver]

@@Rondo392 are you sure? These tests measure ethanol CONCENTRATION. NOT octane. The water molecules bind with the ethanol molecules. If you used regular pump gas it would do nothing except read about E10. That isn't octane.

[@ivanfedyshyn7211]

Maybe a dumb question after the test where do you dump this mixture?

[@jerryhagen9476]

into your gas tank....

[@Robert-sy2cy]

I believe this test only measures how much petroleum product exists in the mixture, in this example 10 percent. The 90 percent of this mixture is ethanol and existent water if any. The amount of water is unknown. Ethanol absorbs water from the atmosphere. So, the fuel can be bad and low on octane.

[@alextravis8429]

Exactly! nobody talks about the preexisting water content.. I'm pretty sure I ruined my Maserati running water saturated "E30" (E85 mixed with 93)..

[@dad3562]

So if it reads E90 so it’s 90% alcohol?

[@alextravis8429]

not exactly.. it could be any combination of water and ethanol.. you can't determine how much is just water as only the gasoline floats to the top.

[@philipmvee8466]

Well u know the total volume of water thats gone into the container, you also know the total volume of gasoline at the end. Are you saying that the remaining delta can be both alcohol and water?

[@ramiromacias1993]

So the winter blend has more ethanol?

[@VMPPerformanceTV]

It has less ethanol content. The basis behind this is the difficulty that may be observed with starting a vehicle in the cold that's running on E85. Particularly, Flex-Fuel OEM applications. It'll be mixed with more gasoline content to ease in cold starts. It's important to be aware of your ethanol content, particularly in high performance/race applications where the vehicle may have quite a bit of timing or boost present and its super sensitive to any variances in the ethanol content.

[@ramiromacias1993]

@@VMPPerformanceTV thanks bro! Yeah Im asking because my lighting acting up this month! Out of no where she running rich and getting miss fires. She built and only takes e 85 and it seems like every winter I get fuel problems 😅😂🤣

[@VMPPerformanceTV]

Understood. We'd suggest testing your ethanol content to verify the fuel for sure!

[@guthrie1181]

No background hip hop music? Thank Christ

[@kevinstachura927]

Hello

[@Travis2L]

ok I admit. I messed up. I’ve never ever used e85 probably shouldn’t have tried it my first full day of driving my 2012 focus 12.4 gallon. Tonight I was on about little less than 1/4 tank of 93 fuel. E85 is 1.86 gallon right now. Total newbie here. No idea what’s it’s ethanol percentage is. I will soon after this. I put $9.00 a little over 4 gallons of e85 in cold Kentucky on top of less than 1/4 tank of 93. Now it’s running like dog crap. What do I do? Go get ethanol free fuel and add it to it and start over next time I know what I’m doing? Please help man

[@Travis2L]

@Triston Stuart no dick head it’s not a joke. Read and comprehend idiot. I have flex fuel obviously

[@buyadriver]

If your car is flex it should read the e85 and adjust accordingly. You didn't specify that you had a flex sensor so the other dude didn't know. And even some cars like my wrx don't necessarily NEED to be flex to use e85. A gallon or 2 in a full tank adds knock protection but if it's not tuned for it don't put more.

[@Travis2L]

@@buyadriver my bad. I do have flex sensor. But every time I run it, it runs like junk

[@buyadriver]

@@Travis2L if your intentions are to get more power I would definitely take it to a reputable tuner and pay the 500 or so dollars and have them tune it. I'm not sure if focus engines like it as much as new subarus but you can get almost an extra 100hp just from tuning and e85 with some cars. It is by far the best bang for buck mod.

[@chrism.728]

Wish Arizona had E85, only E54 here.

[@rafaelortiz127]

We have e85

[@Rondo392]

arizona have like 11 gas stations of e85

[@chrism.728]

@@rafaelortiz127 Yeah, but it's very scarce here. It you test the E85, most stations have E54 even though it's labeled as E85.

[@chrism.728]

@@Rondo392 If you test the E85 at most of the gas stations, it's really E54.

[@Rondo392]

@@chrism.728 yeah i just actually tested 2 gas stations this morning and shells on 16th st and buckeye was E51 and there is another gas station on 32nd st is actually E75

[@pieterotten3848]

Instructive but the music sucks

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Here is an idea..redo the video. Use a dark background so we can see the line on the tester. Also tell us how long it took to actually separate. Was it 5 min or 15 min. Also remind people to do it safely and outside and how to safely discard the fuel when done. Sorry to be a nag but if your going to demonstrate something demonstrate it the best way. Rock on VMP..

[@Lethal_Venom]

thereissomecoolstuff reminding people to do it outside and how to dispose of it is common sense. They are not here to hold everyone’s hand . If you need to be told safety precautions like this then natural selection will just take its course.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@@Lethal_Venom actually it's called liability protection. You are absolutely right. Unfortunately common sense doesn't hold up in court. That's why you have to say all of those things. If it's John Q making a video he typically says "Do at own risk, I am not responsible" when a company sponsors a tutorial it's even more important. Sorry, life in 2019. I love VMP. I don't want them to get in trouble.

[@kostasgt500]

Here's another idea, strictly for your condition. You should dispose of it, by Drinking it. It'll help with your nagging, and everything you mentioned, won't even matter. P. S, the higher the alcohol percentage, the better...

[@Lethal_Venom]

@@thereissomecoolstuff They are not getting in trouble. You think they dont know about these things? How they did the video is perfectly fine

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@@kostasgt500 thanks trying to help keep VMP out of the courtroom. I like your idea, just not your tone.