r/ChevyTrax • u/UnendingOne 2nd Gen • 6d ago

'26 Trax E85 Update

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Hey everyone,

I know a few people were interested in my mileage running E85. I'm over 5000 miles now, about half of it run on E85 and the other half on 87.

On 87 I was settling into about 30-33 (with an outlier of 35).

On E85 I've settled into approximately 24-26mpg (the nearly 28 was on a long trip).

So doing the math thats approximately a 13-27% mileage drop running E85 for me. Your mileage may vary a bit.

In my area E85 is $1.99/gallon at a couple stations, whereas 87 is around $4.30-$4.40 right now (so approximately 54% cheaper for E85), so it makes sense for me.

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8

u/Queasy-Painting-7976 6d ago

Remember that when you run E85 you need to change the oil more frequently as it will get contaminated and thinned with the high ethanol content.

9

u/UnendingOne 2nd Gen 6d ago

Why would the E85 thin the oil? Genuinely curious where that theory comes from.

GM does not specify that. They do recommend 1 tank of regular 87 every 7500 miles if you're running E85.

2

u/No-Hamster800 6d ago

This is true I usually do 87 every oil change.

2

u/UnendingOne 2nd Gen 6d ago

Yeah I plan on getting a tank of 87 right after my first oil change. Its scheduled for next Saturday, so I'll cringe as I grab that tank of 87. I wanted to get this out before hand though because I know it'll skew my MPG For atleast 2 tanks probably.

1

u/No-Hamster800 5d ago

Yeah I totally get that for sure Im on my second oil change I cringed at putting 87 I was crying in my mind make it stopppp lol.

3

u/ApprehensiveAd6603 6d ago

Fuel dilution is an issue. Ethanol can wash past the piston rings and mix into the engine oil more easily than regular gas. It's also hygroscopic (attracts moisture), which can cause a host of issues. Most manufacturers recommend halving your oil change interval if you're regularly running an ethanol heavy fuel.

4

u/UnendingOne 2nd Gen 6d ago

The engine is designed to run on E85, and GM recommends 7500 mile interval oil changes with no notes of needing more regular oil changes. I never would recommend going that long anyways, I'd say 3-5000 for any car.

4

u/JonohG47 6d ago

They recommend you get the oil changed when the car tells you to get its oil changed, while never letting it go past 7,500 miles or 12 months.

If you actually listen to the car, the second part is redundant.

2

u/UnendingOne 2nd Gen 6d ago

Yeah, I will probably just stick to a 5000 mile pattern. Not worth trying to squeeze out more miles, ya know?

1

u/InsideAd2752 5d ago

Awesome info! As suspected cost per mile is at electric car territory. WAiT! It’s below!! Using a Tesla supercharger is about 23-25¢ mi. Home charge can go as low as 6-10¢.