If I buy a FlexFuel vehicle (FFV) (Nissan Titan 2006) which runs on
E85 (85% Ethanol-15% Gasoline), will I be able to run E100 (100%
Ethanol)?  It doesn't exist at the pumps, but I can make it myself)? 
The GM advertising (www.livegreengoyellow.com) states being able to
run E85 and gasoline in any mixture thus the name FlexFuel. Does this
also include the combination 100% Ethanol-0% Gasoline?  This would
provide higher national/personal security if burning pure ethanol with
no engine modifications were possible.  It may be enough to make me go
buy some farm land if I knew I could make my own ethanol and get
around while others are stuck in their driveway with their gasoline
only cars.  It's kind of
"hunker-down-in-a-commune-waiting-for-the-end-of-the-world" in a 
"maintain-my-mobile-lifestyle-in-a-techno-enviro-friendly-kind-of-way".
:-)  I guess to simplify the question, I would ask "Why do I even need
15% gasoline?".  Mileage drops of up to 50% using E100 are of no concern
to me.  All I care about is if it's possible to run an FFV on pure
ethanol with no modifications.

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Request for Question Clarification by denco-ga on 11 May 2006 21:10 PDT

Howdy omegavector-ga,

This Wikipedia entry on E85, especially the sections marked "Use
in flexible-fuel engines," "Use in standard engines," "Risks" and
"After-market conversions," appears to address your "simplified"
question.

If the above article will answer your question, please tell me and
I will post it as such.  Thanks!

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Question Clarification by denco-ga on 11 May 2006 21:11 PDT

Apologies.  Here is the link to the referenced article.

E85 - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E85

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Denco-ga already posted the link, so I won't poach his answer, but for
the lazy, here's the one caveat to running E100:

"At inlet air temperatures below 15 C (59 F), it is likewise not
possible to start the typical internal combustion engine on pure
ethanol (E100); for cold engine starts, starting the engine on
gasoline and then transitioning to E100 can be done. Similarly, for
starting a vehicle on E85 summer blend in extremely cold weather, it
is likewise required to add additional gasoline during at least the
starting of the engine, before transitioning to burning the E85 summer
blend. In practice, it is easier simply to add more pure gasoline to
the fuel tank when extremely cold weather is expected, prior to the
arrival of the cold weather, to avoid cold engine start difficulties."

So, you'd need to keep some petrol around (or starter fluid or
somthing) for winter months, or devise a way to pre-heat the intake
air and block to increase the vaporization of the E100 during cold
months.  The EPA pdf file suggested raising the speed of the starter -
crank it faster.  SAAB uses fancy direct injection and air injection
to handle the E100 cold start issues.

Other References:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentations/epa-fev-isaf-no55.pdf

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/31/saab-debuts-worlds-first-dino-free-hybrid/

You may get busted for bootleging if you make 100% ethanol.   Neil

Howdy Neil,

Only if all you are doing lots of siphoning without catching your breath.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher