Flex fuel conversion kits for the fx 35's

V

very phast

Member
Location
PG County Maryland
Im scared to purchase this kit (driveflexfueldotcom) mount it, only to have my fx throw out all kinds of error codes.

Does anyone know if there is a signifigant amount of fuel mileage that would be gained, to make this conversion kit a worthwhile purchase?

My fx drinks gas like water, lol.

Im not into the habit of peeling off at stop lights, riding around on under inflated tires or riding around with 50 pound dumbells in my trunk area. I thought about removing the spare tire & jack but im not too comfortable with that idea.

But yes, is this kit a good idea or am i asking for more problems than it's worth?
 
Im really itching to try this out, as im not into modding the fx, lol.

I've came over from a 2001 Volkswagen Beetle (albeit 1.8 liter turbo) and stepping into this beastly fx, is a bit different.

I couldn't possibly understand the mileage you'll are getting out've of the 45's or 50's.
 
I say don't do it. It looks like all the "kit" contains is some sort of controller. E85 requires bigger injectors, fuel ethanol % sensors, a different fuel pump, and various supporting parts. A good example is that they blatantly say their "cold start" feature just adds extra fuel for the first 30 seconds then goes back to normal. Any respectable engine tuning equipment would do WAY more than this, and have sensors and formulas built into the unit to add exactly the correct amount of fuel for the correct time duration.

You need to think about a few things...
-how much money will the kit plus installation cost?
-how much money will you save by using cheaper fuel?
--you need to consider that even though the gas is cheaper, your engine needs to run at about 8:1 air/fuel ratio on ethanol as opposed to ~13:1 on gasoline. Your 1-tank range will be much less.
--figure out how many miles you'll typically drive in a year (be realistic!) and then look at the price of gas and the milage difference. You can use this info to figure how much money you'd save on a yearly basis, then factor in the cost of the kit to get a payback period.
-Would it be better/cheaper to just drive a little easier?


I live in denver, have 20" wheels and a ski rack, commute 10 miles to work daily through the city, and average 17-18.5 mpg depending on how crazy I drive. I put on a good intake with a K&N filter and it gave me +1 mpg (~6% increase).
 
Last edited:
^wut he sed.

1. MPG will drop (range drops, from 400 miles per tank to 300)

2. E85 might end up being a hassle to get depending on how readily available it is in your area

3. E85 prices sometimes fluctuate from 30 cents cheaper per gallon than 87 octane all the way up to same price as 93 octane in some states

4. Who knows for sure if all synthetics (plastics, rubbers) in the FX's fuel system is E85 compatible?

5. E85 is E85 in the summer, E70 in the winter... this is referred to as "winter blend" and I doubt this thing takes that into account

6. Cold starts suck

7. Not sure if stock injectors are big enough to keep them below 90% IDC since they'll have to flow a whole lot more of this stuff than 93 octane

8. Being naturally aspirated, you really have no performance benefit




With all that said, I'm going to switch to E85 really soon :tonguey: it's cheap race gas for forced induction applications...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top