I have a lot of researching to do (and I still don't own a 95-96TTZ yet, dammit...) but I am curious to see if anyone out here has tried running their Z32TT on e85 or some other ethanol base. Generally the higher compression possible with alcohols takes up the need for higher octanes, so I am curious to see also if someone is up on their combustion chemistry?

If at all possible this would *rock* for we TTZ enthusiasts, obviously. Lower priced fuel with a possible performance gain and cleaner burn, albeit at a MPG hit (pfft). A metallurgist friend has mentioned that many engines will run e85 without issue (and some better) and theorizes that the well-built Z32TT engines will handle e85 rather well.

Any ideas?

Anyone have a 95 TTZ they mind parting with?

 

NO!


Ethanol is bad for the 300ZX. Not to mention, on a high performance engine such as the VG30DETT, you do NOT want anything lower than 91 octane, and I'm pretty damn sure E85 is below 91 octane (for the record, the 85 is not the octane, it's the mixture of 85% ethanol).

The only cars that can use ethanol right now come from GM... GM does not, nor did they ever, produce the 300ZX.

In the end, if you don't blow your engine from detonating on E85, you're going to damage your injectors (if you have a pre-94 300ZX). The later model Z's may not have the injector issues of the earlier models, but it doesn't change the fact that you can't run a Z32 on ethanol.

If you want to use ethanol-based fuel, get a Cobalt SS.

If you want to go fast, get a 300ZX TT and use ethanol-free premium unleaded fuel.


And seriously... you could've just searched here..
http://e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php
... and seen that the 300ZX is not capable of running on E85 fuel.

Notice how it says "If your vehicle is not listed, your vehicle is NOT E85 compatible."

 

if you ask that kinda question, it makes me wonder how long that TT is gonna last when you get it..

 

you beat me 2 it ^^^ yeah common sense though about the octane...and ehtanol ruins injectors in our cars and will corrode them in the mean time.

 

but only on 90-94 Zs. 95+ had a revised wiring system that resolved the oxidation issue. (I know you probably know... I just want to be thorough so everyone understands.)

 

yeha i knew they had the updated injectors...i didnt know thats why though....thanks for that as well.
but other than that...i hope this person does lots of homework about this car before he gets one...otherwise it will have a somewhat less blissful life....its a sensitive car...truly like a lady....rips a hole in your pocket and is sensative to many things...and is high maintanence......man...it is ALOT like a lady

 

This is why one asks before attempting. I despise costly learning by trial and error!

Thanks for the info. Ultimately it isn't critical what fuel I use, I like the car enough as it sits and I drive *very* little so a nice high octane gas is fine with me. You might as well enjoy what you drive when you do, right? My feel-good about the environment daily driver will be a biodiesel Smart car when I can get ahold of one anyway. I might keep the Jeep and the Audi as well, what the hell. ...nah. screw the Audi.

I had just found info on TTZ32 detonation with ethanol and was also reading about solid grounding of the injectors from the factory in 95-96 (like Zlover mentions).

Edit: Hey - I hadn't found the e85fuel.com link prior and just saw it on your post Zlover, thanks! That's a great site.

 

premium unleaded only goes in that tank... and since he has teh 95 plus injector cleaner is ok??? thats a question...not a statement...i know we got our beefs with fuel system cleaners on the z32 as well. so i figured he should know about that too

 

It was eliminated in 95 and 96... the constant power supply to the injectors applies only to 90-94 300ZXs.

With 90-94 style fuel injection systems, absolutely not. Fuel injector cleaner contains alcohol (ethanol is an alcohol), which is the root of all evil in the early style injection system.

On the 95-96 Zs, it won't do harm, but it honestly won't do good either. It's a scam product, think about it. If you use good fuel, and you have a fuel filter, what would be the purpose of fuel injector cleaner? No contaminants should be reaching your injectors ever, thus not justifying fuel injector cleaning products.

Good fuel is all you need.

 

I am seeing a few post edits coming in instead of new ones;

I mentioned my metallurgist friend as he deals with alloys for various applications and was of the *opinion* that the Z32's engine metallurgy and design could possibly handle ethanol's high compression ignition. Probably unlikely from what I am seeing, even with some serious mods; if the block and heads can't take it, forget it.

I am also aware that some hoses would react differently to an alcohol environment so they'd need to be changed out (even if the engine could handle it). Neoprene or grounded metallic lines for everyone!

I am, among other things, a chemist - so yes I know 85% is the content designation. I also know that ethanol (all alcohols) burn at a considerably higher octane rating than even super unleaded gasoline (offhand I think e85 is over 100, FYI). Put simply, alcohols and thus ethanol also have a lower actual energy content than gasoline so you will get reduced mileage performance, like anyone who drives a Z32TT cares. ;o)

Hehe, new edit:
Most pumps these days deliver fuels with up to 10% ethanol as it is, so someone out there seems to think that a little bit of ethanol is ok for any gasoline engine. The gas stations don't even need to advertise it apparently.

 

good point zlover....touche....lol

and seattle...huh? your right about alcohol being a higher ocatne rating i.e. alcohol race cars run higher boost cause of detonation....so i dont know....but nitro fuel is een better....i dotn know why i threw that in there. ok im done.

 

My way of trying not to take up space. I try to make my changes before anyone sees my response (normally my changes are additions, just to be thorough), but obviously that's not always possible.

Most Z32 owners avoid these gas stations. I'm pretty sure that gas stations must note somewhere on the pump if there is ethanol content (at least here in Illinois they do). As a result, if I see the 10% ethanol content sticker on a pump at a gas station, I go elsewhere.

I've had two injectors die on me in 2 years; that's $300 simply because some environmentalists thought it'd be a good idea to add crap to my gas that's going to oxidize my injectors (sure, it won't do it to every car, but I don't care about every car - I care about my car). Since then, I limit my gas purchases to the three or four local gas stations that I know don't use ethanol. I haven't had a problem since.

But back on topic; if there is a specific list of cars that are able to use E85 (by the way, I only posted the 85% alcohol thing because I've encountered many people who thought that was the octane), and it is specified that cars not listed are not E85 compatible, there must be a reason for it.

I am not a chemist, nor a metallurgist, but I am a Z32 enthusiast (as well as an expert, some would say). As such, I try to do what is in the best interest of the Z32. If it says that the Z32 is not E85 compatible, I'll take their word for it (and not complain since I couldn't use it anyway with respect to my injector system).

In the end, it's better to be safe than sorry, and I see no true benefit for running E85 anyway.

 

e85 is for tree huggers lol...and i honestly would very comfortably call zlover an expert.... if your gonna argue with him on ANYTHING you better have a crazy facts list cuase he has his brain.... and that thing knows alot about the z32.

 

Most of the gas stations around me do this 10% ethanol at the pump jammie. How do you guys feel about that?

AND, I have a 93, with a high idle, like 2000-2500, could this ethanol issue be part of the problem? Or at least adding to it?

 

The ethanol isn't part of your problem... bad injectors cause misfires, not a change in RPM. I honestly don't know what the problem with your car is.

But if you have no option but to use gasoline with ethanol content, you have two options. Either convert to the later style injectors ($1200+), or do this...
http://twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.asp...&msg_id=998981

 

high idle...i would suspect the TPS. specially since its and old car. coulda gotten dirty or just un adjusted. you play around with it (the right way) (should be a write up on it on twinturbo.net i think) and you can get the car to idle soo damn smooth. i did it. idled so nice i didnt even know one cylinder wasnt firing until i drove it...gah stupid car.

 

It's not likely the TPS, to be honest... as I said in his thread about high idle, I think his timing belt was done poorly. Symptoms are that of a car that isn't timed properly.

 

i thought this was a different car. i think i got confused....

 

sure...you just don't want to get yelled at, by a smart *** person..jk?

 

no i really did...becuase in one post emo or canyon carver (i cant remember which guy i just remember a white z32) threw up the TPS before i did... and i thought this was a different thread because i didnt see canyon/emo's post like that. and there for thought it was a different car we were talking about cause that would mean Zlovers post after canyon/emo when he said "i suspect timing cuase you said you had your timing belt changed recently" was not present in this one either. plus, i get sternly corrected by zlover every now and then, but i understand the guy and have alot of respect for him one because he lives near by so if i ever met him sometime i want to be on good terms, and 2 becuase he is a very very smart man.

 

I'm not saying you're absolutely wrong, Eric - in fact, you're not the first to suspect the TPS as the culprit, so it's definately not something that's unheard of - I just think it sounds more like a timing problem.

 

yeah i actually looked back into this...and it is the same car but different thread. my bad on that part. yeah checking the timing would be easier to do less to do...ok, how would you check the timing on a car that has coil packs anyways??? normally you clip it to the spark plug wire on teh #1 cylinder, but with the individual coil packs what would you clip the timing light to?

EDIT: i remember why i saw that other thread and realized that it was the same car. cuase the owner of the car and thread posted that the idle was high like how it is now before the timing was done. at least thats what i think i read.

 

You can time it either by clipping onto the #1 cylinder ignition wires or the black wire that loops out of your PTU. I prefer using the wire on the PTU because it's a significantly stronger signal and I have had issues with getting a signal from the #1 cylinder on less-sensitive timing lights.