I see Ford is offering the FFV 5.4L at no additional charge. Does the FFV engine have any extra emission or hp/torque inhibiting components that the regular 5.4L doesn't?

 

I'll let you know when I pick up my truck tonight. The truck that I am getting has the new FFV 5.4L in it. I'm interested in seeing how it runs with regular gas vs. E85 gas.

 

I've had my '06 FX4 with the 5.4 FFV for about 3 weeks now. First tank was the dealers gas, next 2 have been strictly E85. Performance-wise, I can't tell the difference. E85 might make a bit more power even. Mileage-wise, the E85 seems worse, but I expected that. Around here E85 is $.30 less per gallon, so that offsets the mileage drop.

Only other thing I've noticed is that the exhaust fumes smell a little different. Nothing bad, just different is all.

Other than that, I'm happy with the E85, just wish it was a little more easily available.

 

hey, can you use E85 in any engine, or does it have to be a specific kind? (is that what the FFV engine is?) not really sure about how all this works....

 

yea, you can only run the e85 on ffv (flexible fuel vehicle) engines (only the 06 has it- us 04/05's have to stick to gas)

 

Are all '06 5.4's FFV engines? I have an '06 5.4 but I never asked if it was FFV, it would be good to know.

 

I think the FFV is an option for the 06 trucks. When I was pricing out a new truck, you had the option of the 4.6L, 5.4L, or the 5.4L FFV.
I look forward to testing out mileage and power with the E85. Unfortunately, there is only one gas station nearby (7 miles away) that sells it that I am aware of (and don't know the price difference yet).

 

8th letter in your 06 F150 VIN has to be a "V" for it to be the FFV motor. You'll also have a sticker on your gas door, that says Ethanol on it.

The dealer told me that all F150s they order for dealer-stock from now on will have FFV motors.

 

go with the FFV. its the way of the future. E85 has higher octane ratings so it might give better performance but it does not have the same energy content as gas so (as mentioned here) will be slightly less mpg.
i am hoping that someday ford will offer a FFV option that can be added to non-FFV cars (like my 2004 f150). i hate buying my fuel from the mideast and would be much happier giving my money to some farmers in illinois and ADM. don't put E85 into a non FFV, because it is corrosive and i don't think your fuel line and injectors would like it.

e85 from the USA

oaw

 

Ethanol gets anywhere from a fifty cent to a dollar subsidy from the government which is pretty substantial. It may be cheaper to us, but it is actually more expensive to make. Until it becomes more efficient to make and produce I am going to stick with gasoline. I am all for not being dependent on foreign oil, but I am against pushing our nation further in to debt by doing so. It seems like a higher tariff on foreign oil would make much more sense than subsidies for domestic alternative fuel options.

 

It would be nice to have a kit for the 04/05s to have the option of going to ethanol,....just in case. Iran is the 4th largest oil producing nation and now they are really waving the oil stick at us. All we need is to have Hugo Chavez in Venezueala to get in with the Iranian wackjob president and withhold exports to the US and divert to China and I wouldnt even want to know what the prices at the pump will be. The kit would be a nice fallback indeed. Screw the Middle east Until Hydrogen fuel systems are realistic Ethanol is the so fart the best way to get off the peverbial middle eastern teet.

 

you are gong to see more an more ethanol in your gas stations as time goes on. it won't be a fast change. this will take some time. it will be in the form of E85 as well as an additive replacement for a chemical called MTBE. in my neck of the wood we don't use MTBE as an additive, we already use ehtanol. you will see a sticker on the pump that says "contains up to 10% ethanol". well they were finding traces of MTBE in drinking water so they outlawed it in gas and replaced it with ethanol. the ban on MTBE just went into effect. that means the ethanol plants will boost there production, more plants will come on line and there will be new and better ways to transport it. (can't transport it by pipeline since it absorbs water) i think by replacing the MTBE, we will also see more E85 becuase of the increase in production levels. i'm betting my money on ethanol, i invest in ADM as well as pacific ethanol. (bill gates does too. he agreed to buy $85m worth of pacific ethanol stock)

i understand there is all of this subsidy mumbo jumbo.... but wait a few years and when it takes off that will change. i'm for giving it a chance. i hate getting my oil from the middle east. if i could run my f150 on the pond water from my back yard i would, but this is the next best thing.

oaw

 

My '06 is not a FFV, but that's OK because I've never seen E85 for sale.

 

If/when I buy a new truck, I hope they don't intend to make the FFV engine standard. Eventually, flex fuel modules fail, and they ain't cheap. I like plain ol' gasoline.

 

they dont even have e85 for sale here, so no big deal