Ethanol percentage flex fuel

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wsteele

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Just a thought Bill, have you checked the software version installed in your truck against the TIS2WEB website to see if there was an update that might encompass the issues you are having?

Unfortunately I did. I have the latest calibration. :(

PS - One specifically that calls out a fix for errors in sensor calcs. I guess they didn't get all the bugs. :)
 

swathdiver

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The Sierra was sitting at 17% when it was refueled yesterday. After running errands for a few hours my daughter put the Tech-2 on it and the alcohol content was 7%! Now, we've been running a mix of E15 and E85 to see if its mileage will improve like mine and that is what we have so far. Took on 18.7 gallons of E15 and 4.2 gallons of E85. There's no way it should be that low unless the blend pumps were turned off again at that particular Sunoco. Will check the alky content again tonight to see if it changed.
 
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wsteele

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It's too bad you can't just turn off that function.

It actually isn't that big a deal, given I have the ability to reset it. E10 is pretty much the standard around here, so just keeping an eye on it (or even just using the smell test in the morning) and resetting it when I need to isn't all that bad. Glad I bought that Tech 2 though. :)
 
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wsteele

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Checked mine this morning. Running on E15 and reading 16% according to the virtual sensor.

Sounds pretty much right down the middle of the fairway. Thanks for checking George.
 
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wsteele

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The Sierra was sitting at 17% when it was refueled yesterday. After running errands for a few hours my daughter put the Tech-2 on it and the alcohol content was 7%! Now, we've been running a mix of E15 and E85 to see if its mileage will improve like mine and that is what we have so far. Took on 18.7 gallons of E15 and 4.2 gallons of E85. There's no way it should be that low unless the blend pumps were turned off again at that particular Sunoco. Will check the alky content again tonight to see if it changed.

If it is convenient James, could you check it again right after your next cold start? Mine jumps around sometimes on my first cold start the next day.
 
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wsteele

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I wonder if a data log would indicate something askew with your truck. Do you have a BB tune?

I should, but I don't. Like the numbskulll I am, I went the Diablo route to shut off AFM.

Everything on my two scan tools (simple ELM327 dongle and phone app and the Tech 2), indicates no issues. My Evap monitor wasn't completing and I thought maybe the aftermarket canister purge valve I had installed a long time ago might be the problem for both the evap monitor and the ethanol virtual sensor, so I replaced it with an OE unit (I also bought a new bright yellow OE gas cap). Now my Evap monitor completes, but the virtual sensor is still goofy.
 

swathdiver

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https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/ford-flex-fuel-faults/

What is your fuel pressure at idle? Can you see commanded and actual? I could not see this on a member's 2007, even when calling it a 2009 though. I also wonder about the injector pulse width after reading that article. Compare yours to mine in those videos, the first two the alky was at 3%, the 3rd it was at 73%.

Here's a log that I took, first obviously is from the Tech-2 and then the second is the same run displayed on the TIS2000 software so we can see more data at once. Third was a pass at the drag strip.



 

kbuskill

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https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/ford-flex-fuel-faults/

What is your fuel pressure at idle? Can you see commanded and actual? I could not see this on a member's 2007, even when calling it a 2009 though. I also wonder about the injector pulse width after reading that article. Compare yours to mine in those videos, the first two the alky was at 3%, the 3rd it was at 73%.

Here's a log that I took, first obviously is from the Tech-2 and then the second is the same run displayed on the TIS2000 software so we can see more data at once. Third was a pass at the drag strip.




That article sounds like it may be the key to the issue @wsteele and myself are having.

Thanks for posting that. I will definitely be looking into replacing the fuel pump before too long.

I didn't realize this before but @wsteele and I both have a Diablew tune, although I can't imagine that is causing this issue.
 

George B

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That article sounds like it may be the key to the issue @wsteele and myself are having.

Thanks for posting that. I will definitely be looking into replacing the fuel pump before too long.

I didn't realize this before but @wsteele and I both have a Diablew tune, although I can't imagine that is causing this issue.

Yup! I was thinking to myself this morning. What if the these guy's trucks are running lean for some reason? They would think the alcohol content is high. Thus why I asked in a data log might show some thing...
 

Fless

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That article sounds like it may be the key to the issue @wsteele and myself are having.

Thanks for posting that. I will definitely be looking into replacing the fuel pump before too long.

I didn't realize this before but @wsteele and I both have a Diablew tune, although I can't imagine that is causing this issue.


Seems like it would be worth a chat with Lew.
 

kbuskill

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Seems like it would be worth a chat with Lew.

My guess is that, at least in my case, at 268k miles it probably needs a fuel pump.

I have put 113k of those miles on it and never replaced a fuel pump and, from the maintenance records I have, I don't think the PO did either.
 
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wsteele

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https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/ford-flex-fuel-faults/

What is your fuel pressure at idle? Can you see commanded and actual? I could not see this on a member's 2007, even when calling it a 2009 though. I also wonder about the injector pulse width after reading that article. Compare yours to mine in those videos, the first two the alky was at 3%, the 3rd it was at 73%.

Here's a log that I took, first obviously is from the Tech-2 and then the second is the same run displayed on the TIS2000 software so we can see more data at once. Third was a pass at the drag strip.





I really appreciate this leg work James. I will try and get my Tech 2 displaying the relevant screens and record them. If you couldn't get the measured and commanded fuel pressures to display on the Tech 2 I probably have zero chance, but will bang around and see what I can do.

I also have that dongle and phone app, it may display those fuel pressure parameters and may allow me to display more parameters simultaneously. It won't be as good as the TIS2000 display you had, but I think I might be able to capture a bunch of the important parameters at the same time and record them.

I agree with @kbuskill that the issues described in the article very well may be the root cause. My fuel delivery system is untouched since new, so fuel pressures very well may be out of spec.

Renewed hope! :)
 

swathdiver

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I really appreciate this leg work James. I will try and get my Tech 2 displaying the relevant screens and record them. If you couldn't get the measured and commanded fuel pressures to display on the Tech 2 I probably have zero chance, but will bang around and see what I can do.

I also have that dongle and phone app, it may display those fuel pressure parameters and may allow me to display more parameters simultaneously. It won't be as good as the TIS2000 display you had, but I think I might be able to capture a bunch of the important parameters at the same time and record them.

I agree with @kbuskill that the issues described in the article very well may be the root cause. My fuel delivery system is untouched since new, so fuel pressures very well may be out of spec.

Renewed hope! :)

Back when those videos were recorded, the fuel pressure never wavered. Nowadays the Tech-2 will sometimes show it drop to 42 psi at idle for a second. The fuel pump's Long Term Trim got up into the 1.50s a few months ago but the other day was back down to 1.40 on the nose. Still, if you go full throttle and the pressure drops off, the pump needs replacing in my book.

Back in the old days, we hooked a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and with a long hose stuck it under the wiper blades so we could see it while driving, while testing of course! Later, we put them in the cars when Autometer and the like started making them.

If the Tech-2 can't see fuel pressure, maybe the Torque or Dash Command or whatever phone app you are using will. Being that you're both having the same issue and have the same tune, that's a good place to start after checking the pumps.
 
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wsteele

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OK, I am uploading the video of the Tech 2, Yukon idling, taking forever.

In the video she is warm, so closed loop the whole time. I couldn't find fuel pressure data with either the Tech 2 or my dongle/app scanner.

I think I still have one of my old fuel pressure gauges I can hook to the fuel rail to get actual pressure measurements, if I can find it. We do have the pulse widths (2.2ms nominal at 600 something idle). The Ethanol was calced at 20% (6% actual), LT Trims were -7% and -9%, ST hovering right at .1% +/-.

I will post up the video as soon as it is done uploading.
 

kbuskill

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OK, I am uploading the video of the Tech 2, Yukon idling, taking forever.

In the video she is warm, so closed loop the whole time. I couldn't find fuel pressure data with either the Tech 2 or my dongle/app scanner.

I think I still have one of my old fuel pressure gauges I can hook to the fuel rail to get actual pressure measurements, if I can find it. We do have the pulse widths (2.2ms nominal at 600 something idle). The Ethanol was calced at 20% (6% actual), LT Trims were -7% and -9%, ST hovering right at .1% +/-.

I will post up the video as soon as it is done uploading.

I have seen the fuel pressure and fuel pump trims but I can't remember off the top of my head which menus I had to go into to get to them. I know it was under Fuel pump control module or something along those lines.
 
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wsteele

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I have seen the fuel pressure and fuel pump trims but I can't remember off the top of my head which menus I had to go into to get to them. I know it was under Fuel pump control module or something along those lines.

I will check it out. Thx.
 

swathdiver

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I have seen the fuel pressure and fuel pump trims but I can't remember off the top of my head which menus I had to go into to get to them. I know it was under Fuel pump control module or something along those lines.

The 2007s don't have the same menu and it is not in the engine section either for some reason.
 

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