I think I'm a bit jealous....

I try to use United E85 when possible. I used Caltex E-Flex for the first time recently.
I still use normal premium 98 fuel occasionally. The last time I went to United, I was almost out of fuel, and their E85 pump was out of order. I would've been screwed if my tune was for E85 only!
There is always a different amount of fuel left in the tank when I fill up, so the ethanol concentration after each refill is always a bit different depending on the last time I used non-ethanol fuel.

Ah ok I just got mine going again and considering going flex fuel. Had not considered about a pump not working/out of fuel 

Just for fun, I recently implemented something geeky and quite useful with my check-engine light (CEL), which is connected to an aux output on my ECU.

I don't have many gauges in the interior of my car, which is by choice, because I like the simplicity and lack of clutter. The only non-standard gauges I have are an Omori boost gauge and an oil pressure gauge.
I recently had an idea of how I could utilise the unlimited configurability of my e1280s Adaptronic ECU, and provide myself with heaps more engine-related data without installing any more gauges.

Firstly, I installed a small momentary push button next to the fog light switch and coin holder, below the ignition barrel. I wired this button to a digital input on my ECU.
I then added some completely custom functionality into my ECU, allowing me to use the push button to determine what the CEL does.

Currently I have the following behaviour implemented:
- Under normal conditions, the CEL will remain on or off depending on whether there are any engine problems. If I press the push button briefly, or restart the car, then the CEL will revert back to this 'normal' state.
- If I hold down the push button for a longer duration, there is a counter in the ECU which increments every 2 seconds, and the CEL will flash for about 0.6 seconds each time the counter increments.
- For each value of the incrementing counter, I assigned an important parameter in the ECU (I have noted this on a piece of paper in the glovebox, but I've memorised it anyway).
- After I choose a parameter that I'm interested in from the list, I then hold down the push button and count the flashes, releasing the button during the 0.6 second flash corresponding to the relevant parameter.
- The CEL will then begin a repeating cycle of flashes to tell me the value of the chosen parameter in the ECU.
- There is a 5 second gap between each repeating cycle, so if I get distracted it's easy to know when the start of the cycle is reached again.
- After the 5 second gap the CEL will flash the number of times corresponding to the counter value, so I can confirm that I chose the correct parameter (ie. that I held the button down for the correct duration).
- After the initial confirmation flashes, there will then be 3 separate groups of flashes to tell me the values of each digit in the parameter value (always treated as 3 digits).
- The number of flashes in each of the 3 groups, will be equal to the digit value + 1 (so a value of zero can still be interpreted).

As an example, I currently have '% Ethanol Concentration' assigned to parameter 1 for the CEL. Let's assume that the current ethanol concentration is 82%, ie. 0-8-2 when split into three digits.
Now, if I hold down the push button for 2 seconds and release it to choose parameter 1, then the CEL will continuously perform the following cycle until I reset the CEL back to the normal state:
[ 5 second gap -> 1 flash to confirm parameter 1 -> small gap -> 1 flash (1 + digit value 0) -> small gap -> 9 flashes (1 + digit value 8) -> small gap -> 3 flashes (1 + digit value 2) ] ... repeating

Obviously this is no good for checking things on-the-fly like a proper gauge, but it's quick and easy to do when I stop the car.
Most importantly, I can access a huge amount of data (including things which can't be displayed on a gauge) with just one little check engine light!

I'll try to take a video of this soon :-)
 

Sounds good but I'm confused......
 
What else besides ethanol concentration can you check?

MR2QIK
Sounds good but I'm confused......

Haha yeah, it sounds way more complicated than it really is. It will all make sense when I get a chance to capture a video and post it up.
 

MR2QIK
What else besides ethanol concentration can you check?

ANY value that the ECU knows about.
If I want to extend the list of parameters, then I just need to make a small change in the ECU configuration to assign the new parameters to different button-press durations.
 
Currently I have made it possible to check any of the following values with the check engine light:
- Ethanol concentration (%).
- The richest or leanest lambda that was reached at wide-open-throttle and 5000+ rpm, during this driving cycle.
- Peak boost (psi), during this driving cycle.
- Peak air temperature (degrees C), during this driving cycle.
- Coolant temperature (degrees C).
 
The values are captured and stored at the instant that the push button is released, so they won't change during the flashing of the CEL.

Ahh ok. Useful indeed.
 
Is there a way to output/display those values to say a Win based tablet for example via the Adaptronic software? That'd be handy.

Yes there are many other ways of displaying gauge data from Adaptronic ECUs.

The good thing about my setup is that I didn't have to do anything apart from modifying the ECU configuration. As I said before, it was just a fun little project to modify the ECU configuration and make this work.

Here we go, yesterday I took a video of the CEL functionaility:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCc0cK5uDaY&feature=youtu.be
 

Last month on one of the MR2 club runs, I made a silly mistake in a carpark and subsequently put a big crack in my Aeroware lip from Shine Auto Project (I hit one of those concrete stopper things at the front of the car). I recently replaced the damaged lip with another Aeroware lip, but this time it's polyurethane instead of fibreglass. I'm very happy with it!
Normally I may have repaired the damaged lip, but this for-sale thread popped up coincidentally at just the right time so I couldn't resist:
http://www.mr2australia.com/mr2play/tm.aspx?m=114160
In case anyone is interested, the fibreglass lip is repairable, with a vertical crack which can be patched up (and a few other hairline cracks which are only visible up close and are typical for a used fibreglass front lip). If anyone wants to buy it off me for a cheap price and repair it themselves, let me know and I can send you some photos. It would be much cheaper than buying a brand new one.
 
While my car was up on jackstands, I took the opportunity to finally replace my 24-year-old sway bar bushes at the front, because they were binding so badly that it was causing a creaking sound and making it slightly difficult for the suspension to move freely. I replaced them with SuperPro polyurethane ones off eBay, which came with a tube of suitable grease. At first it looked like the slot in the bushes would never be able to close completely, but once I torqued the bolts for the saddles around the bushes, the fitment was perfect and the sway bar was able to move very easily with the end links disconnected.
I may be imagining it, but it feels like those 2 bushes made a big difference overall. I went for a test drive after it was done, with the windows down so I could listen for noises, and did lots of aggressive little darting turns on an empty road. The car has never felt so sorted and smooth! I couldn't hear a single noise from the suspension, just the sound of the tyres gripping the road nicely.
 
I also replaced my 24-year-old wiper blades. The rubber blades themselves have obviously been replaced many times, but the metal part of each blade was still original. Mine had the early screw-type attachment to the wiper arm, instead of the modern hook-type, but luckily I found some Trico blades which included screw-to-hook adapters. The driver-side wiper blade no longer has the wind deflector that the original one had, and the passenger side blade is also a bit different to the original, so I hope they will be OK next time it rains. Whatever happens, at least I can now use hook-type wiper blades in the future.