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Conversion to ethanol - E85

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Conversion to Ethanol - E85

ECM Titanium Tuning Tips

Convert to E85 ethanol is one of the most popular modifications for those looking to maximize their vehicle’s performance, while also offering economic savings and greater environmental sustainability, thanks to the renewable source from which this fuel derived.

E85, a blend composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, offers a significantly higher octane rating compared to traditional gasoline, increasing from around 95 octanes for gasoline to 105-110 for ethanol. This allows a higher compression ratio without the risk of knocking, in addition to reduce engine operating temperatures, resulting in an overall performance improvement.

However, converting to E85 requires specific modifications to the engine control unit (ECU) as ethanol has different combustion characteristics compared to gasoline.

How is the modification achieved?

To convert a vehicle to use E85, no mechanical modifications are needed, but adjustments to various ECUs’ parameters are required:

  • Injector calibration
  • Adjustment of the “Factor Cold Start”
  • Ignition timing modification

This is the first essential step: modify the injector calibration map so to increase the injector opening time to ensure a greater fuel supply. In some ECUs, it is necessary to adjust other maps such as injection enrichment, MAF sensor coefficient or volumetric efficiency, following the same principle of modification.

Adjusting the “Factor Cold Start” maps is crucial to overcome one of E85’s challenges: its greater difficulty in vaporizing compared to gasoline, especially at low temperatures.

Finally, modify the ignition timing that allows performance enhancement by making the most of E85. The fuel’s inherent properties enable the engine to handle increased timing effectively.

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Example

Ethanol conversion on Honda Civic Type-R FK2/FK8/FL5:

Thanks to the maps available in the driver for the Bosch MED17.9.3 ECU equipped on the Civic Type-R FK2/FK8/FL5, it is possible to perform the ethanol conversion with great precision.

This example will provide you the necessary information to tackle the E85 conversion on this type of ECU. Learn how to work on injector calibration maps, the “Factor Cold Start” and ignition timing to achieve the best results. We will use the ECM Titanium software for these modifications because it allows you to:

  • Clearly visualize the useful ECU maps.
  • Accurately modify the injector calibration and cold start parameters.
  • Increase ignition timing degrees as needed.
  • Save custom settings.

1. Injector calibration

Increase in injector calibration map value: as mentioned earlier, this map is crucial for proper fuel management with E85. Increasing the percentage value of this map virtually reduces the injector size. This way, the ECU compensates for the imbalance with a higher fuel flow.

This intervention allows the tuner to precisely choose the desired setup: for an optimized fuel mixture exclusively for ethanol, the map value should be significantly increased; for a blend of ethanol and gasoline, the increase should be smaller and more moderate.

Note: For any conversion intervention, the air-fuel ratio (AFR) must be adjusted from the standard value of 14.7 (for gasoline vehicles) to 9.8 for E85 bioethanol.

2. Cold start adjustment

Modifying Factor Cold Start maps: adjusting the “Factor Cold Start” maps is necessary to increase the correction factors during startup, ensuring the engine start without issues even in particularly harsh climates.

The reference axes for these maps are coolant temperature and rail pressure during startup. Properly increasing these values ensures efficient ignition even in very low temperatures.

3. Ignition timing modification

Ignition Timing map adjustment:considering ethanol’s efficiency, which boasts a higher octane rating, it is possible to increase the ignition timing without risking detonation, maximizing engine efficiency. Additionally, ethanol’s slower combustion requires increased timing to reach peak pressure at the optimal moment.

To modify ignition timing, based on the desired objectives, can improve engine performance, keeps the system at optimal temperatures and prevents overheating.

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