E85 in 96 Camry

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I'am wondering if E85 is going to harm my 96 4-cyclinder Camry? I know I'll see reduced MPG but will it cause any long term damage? I maintain it well and it still runs strong with 105K miles.

Thanks for knowledgeable replys Gents.
 
IIRC, the '96 Camry wasn't designed as a flex-fuel vehicle. If my recollection is correct, that means E85 will most definitely do harm. There will be clear language in the OM designating the acceptable fuel for the 2.2L engine.
 
Some non flex fuel cars run with no issues on E85. Why run the wrong fuel when with flex fuel cars the mileage loss usually does not make up for the price reduction? A non flex engine won't make things any better.

To whatever extent ethanol saves the planet it is happening with E10. E85 has nothing to do with it.

Just don't fill your tank with E85 on your trial run. If it doesn't work you want space in there to dilute it with E10.
 
Sorry Gents, should have made myself more clear. It is NOT a flex fuel car. So my question becomes what percent of ethanol can I run without causing long term damage? I plan to keep the car a very long time.
 
I'd say an easy 10~15% ethanol based on the ole 3AZ-FE that my wifey once had (it's a 91 Camry). We run 10% ethanol pump gas here typical so no worries on that at all (been running 10% ethanol pump gas since the early 90s, and all of our vehicles subjected to annual air care testings to ensure emissions control components as well as engines are running properly before you can renew your insurance/license.
 
I'd stick to E10, as the car was designed to handle it. Anything significantly higher is likely to cause issues with things like hoses, seals and gaskets. None of which is good for a "keeper".
 
There are two potential problems. One is that the more corrosive E85 will corrode parts not designed for it. I doubt many people have any hard information about this, how long metallic and rubber parts on your car will hold up to Exx instead of pump gas. To further complicate matters, you could add something like 2cycle fuel to prevent this corrosion but again, it will be hard to locate information like this. The state if Minnesota did a test with E20 specifically on these concerns you can find by searching with google. This is more a long term issue, of course, one tank won't cause problems.

The second is the fuel trim. Stock, your injectors probably won't pulse enough fuel to run on E85. Many cars can do upwards of 50% stock, but at some point your ECU won't keep adding fuel, and you'll get a check engine light and probably a 420 code. There are piggyback ECU's for most cars that will lengthen the fuel pulse for use on E85 to compensate for this, but they're not free.

Best of luck. A mix of E85 and gas will likely be fine. Not sure why you're doing this, but best of luck and let us know what you find.
 
The owner's manual for my 1995 Toyota Avalon says that gasohol with more than 10% ethanol will damage the engine, so I would think that would apply to the 1995 Toyota Camry as well. Check your owner's manual.
 
likely the ecm couldnt adjust enough and u'd run lean causing misfire and check engine light.. most likely lead to burned valves or pistons
 
Gasoline does not conduct electricity, E85 does. The in tank electrical gizmos such as your fuel pump and sending unit are designed to work in an environment surrounded by an insulating fluid (E10) as opposed to a conductive fluid (E85). When a mishap forms in your tank, it is not sudden, but rather the conductive fluid creates electrical resistance causing gradual heat buildup. A vehicle designed to run on E85 differs from the filler neck to the tailpipe not just the engine. To safely run your car on E85 would cost so much to modify it, it would take years of running E85 to break even if ever due to decreased fuel economy. A fuel tank itself is an oxygen poor environment, so the odds of an explosion are very rare, but if there is a sudden temp change in the tank, it could overpressure the system. It seems these days we pay for fuel based on the BTU, so even if your vehicle is designed to run on E85, the savings at the pump is offset by decrease in fuel mileage.
 
I once accidentally added E-85 to my '87 Toyota Camry, see my thread a while back.

I don't know what percentage I was running, but it got me home ok - though I don't plan on doing that again.
 
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