E85Forum.com

Revision · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Carol Stream, IL

Applies to newer Hondas and some older Hondas.

It seems that a good knowledgeable friend of mine has been working on several Hondas due to fuel system failures due to using E85.

As it turns out, most Hondas use aluminum fuel lines and these have been corroding and getting clogged or failing for another reason due to the higher dielectric value of E85. (see: dissimilar metals and electrical conductivity) End result, the car fails to start and all the aluminum fuel lines have to be replaced.

Also to note, while discussing the issue with a Honda Engineer. It should be noted that Hondas use a layered plastic fuel tank. According to the Engineer, concentrations of Ethanol over 30% will start degrading the seals on the fuel tank over time. How much time was not discussed.

The same engineer also expressed concern that higher concentrations of ethanol would cause the catalytic converter to run hotter than normal causing premature failure in the catalytic converter. Apparently there is a special catalytic converter that is used in flex fuel vehicles. This would be interesting to check.

Just a warning for everyone. Make sure your fuel system is made from mild steel by using a magnet.

Robotbeat · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Posts: 31

Virtually all plastics have at least as good of resistance to ethanol as they have for gasoline. Aluminum is basically the only thing that you have to be mindful of, as far as materials go. Look here for the properties of ethanol and here for the properties of "petrol."

Revision · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Carol Stream, IL

Its not the plastic the engineer was worried about, but the seals which bind/seal the plastic.

Corn Squeezins · Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 42 Location: Madison, WI

I haven't heard of this but it doesn't suprise me. I spoke to an engineer/
trainer a number of years ago at a class I attended and said that they had been having this trouble on the older 3.1L engines (in the late eighties/early nineties) with the end plugs in the aluminum fuel rails. They would corrode because they were a non-coated/anodized aluminum material and would float white powdery junk into the
end injectors with extended use of E10, as was noted in high ethanol content states/areas at the time, such as the Twin Cities. These engines have since gone away from using this fuel rail setup, but are still around
on these vehicles.
Some other import models also have trouble with
body/bottom fed injectors leaking with normal fuels available already.
Nissan/Infiniti has had recalls for years for problems such as this acc. to some of my fellow techs in our dealer group. I always likened it to a horse that was allergic to hay. WHY would you put out a product that was so borderline to being durable at modest levels of aggresive fuels that YOUR MANUAL says that u can use (E10?) Seems very stupid from an engineering standpoint, don't you agree.??? Thus we continue to live and learn at this "conversion" process for those of us that undertake it on our vehicles. Some things are just more fussy than others!!

Corn Squeezins

specialgreen · Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 10:57 am Post subject:

imprezarsc · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 87

"Shoulda bought a Subaru"

Laughing

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http://www.grantouringlabs.com My ethanol conversion and tuning site.