I just read that the 2006 4.7L is able to use ethanol. Could it be possible to adapt this feature to 2005 4.7L models?

Thanks!

 

Actually it will be the 2007 4.7L that will be flex fuel. Yes it would be possible to fit a 2005 model, but it would be costly. The big difference is the fuel system. The engines that have flex fuel capabilities have stainless steel fuel lines. Ethonel is a corrosive substance and will eat dry out the seals on a regular gasoline based engine.

 

http://www.e85fuel.com/information/daimler_chrysler.php

The 06' and 07' 4.7L Durangos are flex fuel.

According to some sources most modern vehicles can run on a 10% ethanol (e10) blend without any problems.

Unless you are making the fuel yourself the cost versus fuel efficiency will be the same as fossil fuels (ethanol tends to decrease mpg).

 

Yes, even Consumer's Reports has a cover page on Ethanol last month. You'd think they'd be pro-anything-green, but the title is "The Ethanol Myth". You get about 27% poorer fuel efficiency, giving a lot fewer miles to the tank, greater cost to the consumer than simply running gasoline. Not to mention overall greater consumption of the gasoline portion in the process!

Probably greater overall pollution due to the more frequent fillups -- and it's when you fill up your tank that you're really polluting the air most of all due to direct introduction of a large quantity of fumes.

I just don't get it -- there are way too many negatives.

 

Wow! This was a great explanation! If anyone else has more comments about the topic they will be really appreciatted. I like to learn more about it but from our point of view as consumers.

Thanks guys!

 

Not only gasoline or natural gas, you should see how much coal we ship out of our mine directly to ethanol plants. With the high prices for fuel, many of them were converting their boilers from natural gas to coal to slash cost.

 

Makes me wonder? In Connecticut they added 10% ethanol to pretty much all the gasoline sold replacing MTBE as the additive. I wonder what affect this will unwittingly have on the lifespan of vehicles.

 

I ran a tank of E85 this weekend, mostly highway, 70 mph, got 15.1 mpg, my mileages on the average on the last few tanks has been in the same neighborhood, 14.5 to 15.7 mpg. I only have 3000 miles on it so far, so I expect my mileages will increase some in the coming months. With the price being 60 cents a gallon lower, I was expecting 12 mpg to make the cost a wash, but was pleasantly surprised with 15.1 mpg. I will continue to test.

dw