Have You Used 88 Unleaded/Flexfuel In Your Bronco?

[AreUgettingEnufCaffeine]

With everyone talking about MPG results and experiences, Have u ever messed with that 88 Unleaded/Flexfuel? They have it at Sheetz for .30 cents cheaper, but I haven't tried it.

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[BigHoof]

I would not but up to you. Per the Owners Manual:

Do not use:
• Fuel containing more than 15% ethanol
or E85 fuel.

Have seen cases at the local garage where 87 octane was a lot higher than the 10% stated at the pump so just imagine if they mess up the 15% blend.

 

[Ducati1098]

I’ve never used it, but I’m pretty sure 88 unleaded is just slightly higher ethanol content at 15% instead of regular 87 which is 10%. It’ll run perfectly fine.

 

[Fmuguira]

Good Luck, I personally don’t put any ethanol blend in my vehicles.
To each his own.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Good Luck, I personally don’t put any ethanol blend in my vehicles.
To each his own.

Some States mandate it. Not even sure about Indiana.

Newer cars, it doesn't bother me much .... unless the fuel sits for more than a week or two.

Anything else, it becomes a nightmare on the fuel system. Boats, lawn equipment .... anything not in constant use or without the right fuel lines.

I'd rather it just go away.

 

[Langwilliams]

I've run it before. Every once in a while it's a buck a gallon cheaper when they do a special on it an I'll get a tank. I've put a few gallons of E85 in with 89 octane to make premium. There are a lot of guys chasing big HP numbers than run E85 blended or have a custom tune for straight E85.

 

[old goat]

Use what owners manual says to use
To each their own needs

 

[Dmorty217]

I run a E30 blend in mine whenever I am near a place selling E85. Works without any issues and I get more power

 

[bravely]

With everyone talking about MPG results and experiences, Have u ever messed with that 88 Unleaded/Flexfuel? They have it at Sheetz for .30 cents cheaper, but I haven't tried it.

think of it as paying $10/tank more for good fuel for better performance, better mpg, while better for your bronco. Three things I never go cheap on fuel, oil, brakes

 

[AreUgettingEnufCaffeine]

think of it as paying $10/tank more for good fuel for better performance, better mpg, while better for your bronco. Three things I never go cheap on fuel, oil, brakes

It would actually be cheaper than the 87 unleaded..Sometimes it goes for $1 less depending on the station, Always at least .30 cents less on a regular weekday..lot of mixed opinions on it

 

[PrepVet]

I have used E15 before in other cars and I will not again. It had no deleterious effects to the engine, that I am aware of, but it also really tanked my MPG. A known distance of 106 miles 99% interstate would take roughly a 1/4 tank of gas in my old JK, with the E15 it took 3/4 of a tank. I tried the same distance twice more along the same stretch and it was roughly the same. Going the other direction it was 3/4, going back down again it was right between 3/4 and 1/2 tank.

 

[Loesch]

If it's only 10% cheaper you won't come out ahead since you'll be using more of it. It only makes sense when it's stupidly cheap. I'm still not sure how Sheetz was able to sell it for like $1.99/gal. Probably came out our taxes somehow . It has been since I had an F150 3.5 ecoboost since I used it, but the truck didn't seem as happy as it does on 87 -93.

 

[AreUgettingEnufCaffeine]

If it's only 10% cheaper you won't come out ahead since you'll be using more of it. It only makes sense when it's stupidly cheap. I'm still not sure how Sheetz was able to sell it for like $1.99/gal. Probably came out our taxes somehow . It has been since I had an F150 3.5 ecoboost since I used it, but the truck didn't seem as happy as it does on 87 -93.

I remember the lines when they first had it..chaos, lol I stayed away then, prolly still will

 

[Jsullivan]

Some States mandate it. Not even sure about Indiana.

Newer cars, it doesn't bother me much .... unless the fuel sits for more than a week or two.

Anything else, it becomes a nightmare on the fuel system. Boats, lawn equipment .... anything not in constant use or without the right fuel lines.

I'd rather it just go away.

My sister in law put it in my brothers 2010 F150. (165,000 miles on a 5.4.)
it screwed stuff up so bad it jumped timing.
We put on a new chain, dropped the fuel tank and cleaned it out (MF that was) put in a new fuel pump assembly (low pressure). It was giving us MAF sensor codes so we replaced that too. Used a lot of CFaom to clean the lines and changed spark plugs.
FYI, this vehicle was designed for flex fuel but I wouldn't put it in anything with many miles on it unless you have used it frequently before.
FYI, the truck runs great and they are still married.
New vehicles check the manual as stated above.

 

[BadmansSAS]

So much misinformation here its silly.

Well first and foremost, your bronco has wideband 02 sensors and will account for any blend of ethanol above or below what its been calibrated for which is 14:08 e10 pump gas. The bronco along with most other vehicles that use wideband 02s, have the ability to add or take away fuel based on the ethanol content they are seeing after the exhaust cycle. As the bronco sees more or less ethanol, it can add or subtract out fuel based on your short term fuel trims.

For the cleanest fuel trims, try to use e10 based pump gas. Thats what its calibrated for. If you are one of them "I wont put ethanol based fuels in my car" idiots, then your bronco will always be adding fuel volume via the fuel trims to offset the constant lean condition you are trying to put it in. If you refuse to use e10 gas, you are using more gas than you need because you will always be + whatever percentage fuel trims that you are down when the vehicle is trying to keep stoich (14.08). You'd be far better off running e15 to get the added knock protection the extra ethanol will give, while letting the bronco pull out that extra 5% or so fuel that its seeing after the fact. You will always be at stoich but your trims will be pulling out a small amount of fuel to keep you there. But you get that knock protection.

This is why tuners will ask if you run one of those piggy back tuners that you run e20 or e30 blend. The bronco is more than capable of pulling out the extra fuel via the fuel trims as needed, but you are getting a tremendous amount of knock protection as the bronco adds timing which in turn adds power. The more timing it adds without seeing spark knock, the more power you will make. This is why its always better to run e20 or e30 over say racegas. You get to pay for cheap gas, and you get the knock protection without running any octane booster or $10 a gallon race fuel.

This is super common in the coyote world as well as other platforms that run factory widebands.

Oh and lastly auto fuel systems have been ethanol friendly for 25 years at this point. I think it was 2000 when cars had to be able to run ethanol based fuels and not have parts in the fuel systems that would corrode due to the extra moisture that ethanol can pull in.

Ethanol free gas is really only made for lawn tools or other small engines that might sit for months or years without running. Or older cars.

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