Yes, but your car must be configured for it. I refer to both mechanical and electronic setup when I say that. I have the Hondata-Flash Pro tuner, which includes an e85 tune, and the PRL e-85 Flex Fuel Kit. I constantly use e85. Some advise blending the e85 down by using roughly 6 gallons of e85 and 6 gallons of 93 octane gasoline because the Civic only gains about 40 percent more power from the fuel after that. However, I occasionally run the full e85 without any problems.
In my most recent car, a Flex-fuel Chevrolet Silverado, I exclusively ran on e85 (full e85) for two years and 30K miles without experiencing a single issue. Right off the bat, I did get a 30HP increase just from fuel. I asked the engineers at GM for their test data via email, and they graciously sent it. The article “e85 Don’t Do it unless you know!” that the other poster shared with you and contains information concerning hydroscopic short tank life and pre-ignition is utter BS (it’s garbage produced by the oil industry). None of this happens if your car is set up to run on e85.
By the way, the tuners discovered that the 17-19 Civic has factory-installed fuel lines that are e85 compliant. The fuel lines are indeed tagged or designated for use with e85. It appears that Honda uses many of the same parts in the Civics marketed in the US and Brazil that are set up for e85. The PRL Flex Fuel Kit and the Hondata tuner take care of a few items that are missing from our US autos. You should educate yourself on the subject before getting started. The good thing is that this website has numerous posts with instructions.
In This Article...
What type of fuel can Honda Civics use?
What Sort of Gas Is Used in the Honda Civic? It is advised that you fill up your Honda Civic with unleaded fuel that is at least 91 octane. Additionally, Honda advises using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline when it is offered. Never use gasoline that contains methanol and ALWAYS steer clear of fuel that has more than 15% ethanol.
Inspect Your Gas Cap
The majority of flex-fuel vehicle automakers equip their FFV models with yellow gas caps. This method was started by GM in 2006, and since 2008, other manufacturers have been copying it. You might also see the words “E85 / Gasoline” printed on the cap’s surface in addition to the color yellow.
Check Out the Fuel Door
You might find a label specifying the types of fuel your automobile can accept if you pop open the fuel door of your car. Your automobile is capable of running on flex fuel if you see “E85.” The label could be on the door’s exterior in some vehicles.
Look at the Body
Typically, automakers want to brag about a car’s ability to use flex fuel. Various badges with designations like “FFV,” “FlexFuel,” and “E85 Ethanol may be present on the vehicle’s side and back. Since FFVs have existed since the early 1990s, some older cars might not have badges.
Open your owner’s manual
Sit down and open your owner’s manual if you are not familiar with it. Locate the paragraph that discusses gasoline. When your automobile specifies the various fuels it may use, such as standard grade gasoline and E85, it will indicate if it is an FFV.
Check the Vehicle Identification Number
You can determine whether you own an FFV or not by looking at the 17-character alphanumeric string that may be seen on your dashboard and other parts of your automobile. That information can be interpreted because of the North Carolina Solar Center’s excellent work.
The 8th VIN character on most FFVs serves as a specific designation that verifies this information, while occasionally another character is used. To find out more about your vehicle, visit the NC page.
What vehicles utilize flex fuel?
A significant credit for flex-fuel vehicles was made possible by a flaw in the CAFE laws that were intended to promote the use of alternative fuels. This caused the technology to be widely used. About 80 distinct car models could run on E85 by 2015.
There are presently very few models that are E85 compatible because that loophole has long expired. There are presently more than 22 million E85-compatible vehicles on the road, according to the Department of Energy, although the EPA’s list of 2020 model vehicle/powertrain combinations authorized for E85 use only includes:
What will happen if I inadvertently fill my car up with flex fuel?
If you accidentally fill your tank with E85 while driving a non-flex-fuel vehicle, you can experience decreased performance and gas mileage. Even though the accident is unlikely to harm the engine, your check engine light can still come on. They advise filling the tank up many times with standard fuel.
Does flex fuel harm engines?
Does your car work with flex fuel? Your engine will benefit more from using E85 than conventional fuel. Your engine, fuel lines, and fuel injectors are all cleaned by E85 flex fuel in addition to providing power. Because E85 contains up to 83% ethanol, it has a high ethanol content.
What function does E85 gas serve?
High octane fuel is E85. It has an octane rating of 100 or above. The highest octane fuel on the market is really E85. It enables the engine to run more smoothly, advance the spark, and withstand knocking.
Will 87 fit in my Honda Civic?
If you can afford it, you can run any gasoline engine at any time with high octane fuel without suffering any negative consequences. High octane won’t make much of a difference for the majority of cars, but it will make a significant impact for those that are tuned or built for it. Octane has nothing to do with volatility. Some hydrocarbons that are extremely volatile have very low octane numbers. Higher octane fuel does not resist spark ignition, but it does resist autoignition, especially when under pressure. Autoignition temperature and flash point are two distinct concepts. You must not understand diesel fuel or engines.
Clue No. 1: Badging
Badging or other visibly displayed signage attached to your car is the most clear evidence that it is E85 compliant. The words “Flex Fuel” or “E85 Ethanol” are frequently emblazoned on the surface of a car’s body, usually on the sides or the back.
Flex fuel refers to the ability of your car to run on either straight gasoline or ethanol, indicating that the fuel system has been improved with better plastic and rubber components and a fuel sensor that can detect the ratio of ethanol to gasoline.
Clue No. 2: Placarding
Placarding is used on some flex-fuel cars to indicate this capacity. For instance, a label showing E85 compatibility may be attached right above the gas cap or within the gasoline door.
Additionally, some manufacturers mark their flex-fuel gas caps with the words E85/Gasoline on the cap’s cover in a bright yellow color.
Clue No. 3: Owner’s Manual
The owner’s manual for your car contains a lot of knowledge. To find out what kinds of fuel are suggested for your car, go to the section on fuel.
The manual will make it very obvious if your automobile can use E85 fuel.
American Lung Association
The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest’s “Clean Air Choice website” keeps track of the largest online listing of flexible fuel vehicles.
This list, which includes all vehicles made since 1995 when some Ford Taurus models were equipped with flex-fuel capability, is updated on a regular basis. Additionally, the ALA does not list the sub-models that are impacted, but it does list the vehicles that have an FFV option.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
If there is no information about flex-fuel capabilities in the owner’s manual or on the exterior of your automobile, you may be able to find it in the 17-digit vehicle identification number. The VIN is typically visible from the outside of your car on the dashboard on the driver’s side, towards the bottom of the windshield.
Each letter or digit also stands for information about your car, such as the year it was built, the type of engine, the body style, the place of origin, and other details. Some manufacturers, like Chrysler, reserve the eighth spot to designate their flex-fuel capability.
To find out if your automobile is flex-fuel capable, write down the entirety of your VIN and call your dealer.
Sole Crop Use
Flex fuel may be made using corn and sugar, which is excellent, but there is a drawback to this method of production. It is not possible to divert crops intended for flex-fuel production to other uses. The cost of animal feed can increase as a result. Diseases and unfavorable weather patterns like drought and flooding can also affect corn. During bad harvests, this may cause problems for corn prices.
Possible Engine Damage
It goes without saying that you want to take the finest care of your engine. Sadly, ethanol readily collects dirt, which might potentially corrode and harm your engine, according to Car Bibles.
Gas Mileage
Gas mileage is one of the key issues with flex-fuel vehicles. While some experts believe that flex-fuel vehicles get equivalent gas mileage to conventional automobiles, others assert that they have worse gas mileage.
While ethanol does increase a car’s octane rating, it has less energy than gasoline. In other words, 1.5 times as much energy will be required to provide the same levels. So, yes, using ethanol will result in lower miles per gallon. However, because ethanol is less expensive than regular gas, the savings should more than make up for the reduced mileage.
Scarcity of Fuel Stations
Flex fuel is less commonly seen in gas stations than gasoline because it isn’t as cost-effective. In reality, ethanol is only available at a small fraction of petrol stations countrywide, but this is likely to change as more people buy flex-fuel cars. But the advantage of a contemporary flex-fuel vehicle is that you can use any proportion of ethanol and gasoline, whether it’s 85 percent or 100 percent unleaded. The blend will be picked up by your vehicle’s sensors, which will then adjust as appropriate.
Is it acceptable to combine ordinary gas with E85?
Ethanol is one of the most well-liked choices for alternative fuels. E85 is a fuel that can be used in vehicles that are compatible with it. It is a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. In rare circumstances, individuals might be unsure whether they can fuel their cars with conventional gasoline instead of E85.
Yes, you can blend ordinary gas with E85, but the results might not be perfect. E85 is a mixture of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol.
The ethanol content will be too high and may harm your engine if you combine it with 50% ordinary gas. It’s best to continue using fuel that is made for your particular vehicle.
Is E85 the same as flex fuel?
E85 gas, commonly referred to as flex fuel, is a high-level mixture of gasoline and ethanol that contains 51 to 83 percent ethanol by volume. Geographical location and season have an impact on the amount of ethanol.
Can E85 and 87 be combined?
Not a problem at all. The computer will compensate for ethanol concentrations up to 85%. The majority of ordinary gas already contains 10% or more ethanol, therefore adding it will simply increase the amount to between 10% and 85%.