Flexible-fuel conversions available in SW Michigan
As a biodiesel plant goes up in nearby Bangor, residents of Kalamazoo can get into the biofuel scene without switching from their standard cars thanks to flexible fuel conversion kits available at Great Lakes Lab. Mechanics at the GLL will install the kits, made by Flextek, in a car for a few hundred dollars, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette (which - full disclosure - I used to write for). GLL just started installing the kits last week and has already done five, said co-owner Sheryl Bongers. The Bongers (Sheryl owns the station with her husband) charge different rates depending on the number of cylinders in the vehicle undergoing the conversion, and the entire process takes about two hours. There is currently only one gas station in Kalamazoo that sells E85. We'll see if this helps grow that number.Related:
[Source: Kalamazoo Gazette]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John Hritz 6:11PM (8/28/2006)
I would be careful about putting ethanol in vehicles not designed for it. The basis of most of these conversions is a switchable bias to inject more fuel when you're running over 50% ethanol. This is much cruder than a production vehicle that detects the percentage of ethanol from 0 to 85%. I would also be skeptical of a fuel additive that purports to coat an engine to make it safe to run 85% ethanol. I like the idea of flexfuel conversions, but I'd like to see an independent lab confirm the results.
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Jimmy 6:57PM (8/30/2006)
An independent lab is testing FlexTek E85 conversion kits. The Minnesota Center for Automotive Research in Mankato is conducting these tests.
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