Think Twice: Electronic E85 Testers

[Tractionless1]

Long story short (on my end) is I purchased an electronic E85 tester and it reads a consistent 7% low as compared with my manual test tube. The electronic tester manufacturer says throw the manual in the trash, after seeing the below I say throw the electronic in the trash. In short, electronic's see anything other than gasoline as ethanol, they're not actually sensing ethanol! They are sniffing for gasoline and reporting everything (including water) else as ethanol! The vid below shows a bucket of water being tested as E100 because there is 0 gasoline present!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8DZhLjwsWVY&client=mv-google

 

[c6zhombre]

Wow, talk about exposing a product....what a pile of junk. Good find

 

[Tractionless1]

Ya working with my CC co. now to get my $ back! Both because of problems I've had with accuracy vs. the manual tester with my particular brand and now for mis-advertising what the setup actually reads.

 

[04sleeper]

Interesting tests. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mofobucs is a thief]

****, i just got one...

 

[cj428mach]

I have a friend that owns a fuel company in a small town he tried to mix me up some e85 that fell a little short. I showed him my test tube style e85 fuel tester and the results it got. I told him I don't know how accurate this method is all that I know is that his shows much lower ethanol than the stuff I get at the local kwik shop tests at e85+. He informed me the test tube method is how the state tests it. He said its a much bigger setup more of a graduated cylinder with a lot smaller increments of measurement, but its the same method of water + ethanol.

 

[1wild-horse]

now don't jump my shit, this is a serious question. But since the water and alcohol bond in the test tube method, you could have some moisture in the fuel sample and still have it miscalculated as alcohol content can't you? Not advocating for either test, I just had a bad tank of e85 once that tested fine at the state minimum advertised on the pump. My wide band was definitely telling a different story. Switched back to gas for tank and everything was fine. A/F's back to normal. Next tank was E85 from a different source and we are all good now.

So that's where my root question comes from. With either test, is there an accurate way to test the water content that may or may not be present on your fuel when running alcohol?

op sorry for thread jacking. Good find with the tester, I actually looked at buying one, not now.

 

[Tractionless1]

^^ You're definitely not thread jacking as I'm wondering the same. Here's the only known water in alcohol tester to be found. http://www.paclp.com/Lab_Instruments/QuickSpec

Maybe we should get a pot going, buy one, and share amongst us testing at multiple locations throughout the country.

Here's a more in depth thread and where my issue started. http://www.modularfords.com/threads/209330-E-Readings-Inline-vs-Manual-Testing/page4

 

[1wild-horse]

A pot? Holy crap are they that much!? (I didn't request a quote). I did a little googling and found that you can separate alcohol and water mixtures using salt. I'm not a chemist, I would have to read up on it.

It sucks we have to worry about it that much. Every time the fuel truck comes you have to wonder, Is there good fuel in there or did they get a piss poor shipment this time? I try to buy from stations that are always busy too for fresh stock. But it is kind of the nature of the product (alcohol) to suck up moisture, so I guess it is what it is. Keep testing and monitoring the wide band. It's the new maintenance for toy cars. Read somewhere that a guy would switch back to gas like every 3rd tank just to reduce some of the corrosion.

 

[Tractionless1]

A pot? Holy crap are they that much!? (I didn't request a quote). I did a little googling and found that you can separate alcohol and water mixtures using salt. I'm not a chemist, I would have to read up on it.

Read somewhere that a guy would switch back to gas like every 3rd tank just to reduce some of the corrosion.

Was the salt method reported by a reputable source or we talking BOOM!?

The owners manual for my flexfuel '13 F150 says to run at least 1 tank of 93 per month if running E85 consistently for anti-corrosion purposes. I just bought some upper end lube specifically for alcohol burning vehicles as I've found multiple conversion owners running it.

 

[1wild-horse]

It was a video on youtube for a college demonstration.
[youtube_browser]1SS3-D-Aqr4[/youtube_browser]
He had a little trouble at first, it must take a lot of salt...
Klotz uplon is a good upper cylinder lube. Thought about picking some up myself.

 

[Slowb00st]

something i see strange is that he ends the video saying that for it to work it reads gasoline content so his e90 with water wont read because it has no gasoline yet pure water reads a 100%?????

 

[Tractionless1]

something i see strange is that he ends the video saying that for it to work it reads gasoline content so his e90 with water wont read because it has no gasoline yet pure water reads a 100%?????

Yes, if no gasoline the tester assumes 100% ethanol. It's not really an ethanol content tester as advertised and therein lies the problem. It's a gasoline content tester with the readout being the assumption the rest of the solution is ethanol, whether or not it actually is. IMO, BIG PROBLEM and misrepresentation of the product.

 

[Slowb00st]

Yes, if no gasoline the tester assumes 100% ethanol. It's not really an ethanol content tester as advertised and therein lies the problem. It's a gasoline content tester with the readout being the assumption the rest of the solution is ethanol, whether or not it actually is. IMO, BIG PROBLEM and misrepresentation of the product.

Again his home made e90 (10% water) with zero gasoline in it reads 0% instead of 100% as it should since there is no gasoline...

 

[cj428mach]

Was the salt method reported by a reputable source or we talking BOOM!?

The owners manual for my flexfuel '13 F150 says to run at least 1 tank of 93 per month if running E85 consistently for anti-corrosion purposes. I just bought some upper end lube specifically for alcohol burning vehicles as I've found multiple conversion owners running it.

Can you post what oil/product you bought as an additive to the e85?

 

[Tractionless1]

Again his home made e90 (10% water) with zero gasoline in it reads 0% instead of 100% as it should since there is no gasoline...

It's advertised as an ethanol % tester right; therefore, it should read 90%. :idea:

Probably why my CC co. refunded all of my purchase price after I forwarded them the video.

 

[Tractionless1]

Can you post what oil/product you bought as an additive to the e85?

I found most owners are running this http://www.ebay.com/itm/271446044388?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[Tractionless1]

Finally got around to draining the tank and running a guaranteed E85 product. The electronic tester reads 9% lower than the guaranteed 85% mixture and the manual tester reads spot on.

 

[JustaGT]

Which e85 tester are you using? Which one is best? Also what are you using to store e85?

 

[Tractionless1]

Dynosty however all read water as Ethanol. I use my fuel tank to store fuel.