Unleaded fuel

aardvaak

Why are they increasing the ethanol, when it harms engines, I presume to cut costs?

tacpot12

It doesn't harm most engines, but it does create cleaner combustion which will reduce pollution and the incidence of asthma. 

You can check if your car will have any problems with the new E10 fuel that will become the standard unleaded fuel in September 2021 here: Check if your vehicle can run on E10 petrol - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

I had a bit of a heart-stopping moment when I check my car as there is one Ford 1.8 engine that cannot use E10 petrol and I have a 1.8 Mondeo! Luckily I don't have the SCi engine in mine.

aardvaak

It will however stuff up mowers, chainsaws and older classic vehicles

AdrianC

aardvaak said:

Why are they increasing the ethanol, when it harms engines

It doesn't.

aardvaak said:

It will however stuff up mowers, chainsaws and older classic vehicles

It won't.

The answer to "why" is simple.
They aren't making dead dinosaurs any more. They are making crops.
You may have heard mention of something called "climate change", too... Long-term, short-term carbon cycle?

There is a huge amount of scaremongering. E10 has been the default petrol in the US for decades. It's been the most widely available petrol in France for a decade. It's the only petrol available in several other European countries.

If you have an older car with fuel lines that are coping with the E5 we've had since the 80s, then odds are that they'll be fine with E10. If not, then either spend the extra on E5 98 "Super", or simply replace the fuel lines - they'll be ancient and knackered anyway.

And what you may not know or remember... Cleveland Discol was a popular petrol from the 1920s to the late 1960s... it was 25%+ alcohol.


The people panicking now are the same people who panicked about unleaded a third of a century ago.

aardvaak

I have a 55 year old Landrover.

I have seen it is very easy to remove the ethanol

 

AdrianC

aardvaak said:

I have a 55 year old Landrover.

I have seen it is very easy to remove the ethanol

2a? Built during the time Cleveland Discol ("E25") was on the market...

I have a 42yo one, 2.25 s3.

I don't bother to remove ethanol, because there's simply no need.

Nor do I bother with lead-replacement goop.

twopenny

I went to the .gov site first and didn't find it reassuaring as you can't enter the age and model.

Just 'everything's fine unless you don't have a specific Mondeo'.........then why bother with the checker? Just say the one model that won't take it.

I've got a Fiesta 1999 basic model that's only done 61,000 miles and can't afford much newer - and there's not much choice for change down here with covid having people keeping cars.

"Most cars built between 2000 and 2010 are also compatible but there are some exceptions, including models from major brands such as Audi, Ford, Mercedes, Toyota and Volkswagen. Older cars, including classic models are more vulnerable to damage from the fuel."

So do I need to go for E5 or what? Does anyone know please as I'm already stuffed for income with the appauling interest rates at the moment.

Otherwise I'll have to move the the Scottish islands!

AdrianC

twopenny said:

I went to the .gov site first and didn't find it reassuaring as you can't enter the age and model.

Really...?

https://check-vehicle-compatibility-e10-petrol.service.gov.uk/

Ford

E10 is cleared for use in all petrol driven Ford models sold in Europe since 1992 excluding:

• Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCI from 2003 to 2007.

Personal imports not approved by Ford of Europe are not included in the above statement.

twopenny

Ah thanks Adrian. Perhaps it was gloom at the end of a not great day but I read it as 2012.............. no idea why. Wearing my good specs.

That's good. Went straight to the local garage site and seen a Giha 2004 only done 60,000miles and year MOT which I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Maybe an upgrade ;-)

If only I could do the same with my brain.

AdrianC

60k miles on a 17yo car... Not necessarily a good thing. What's the MOT history look like?

daveyjp

Only issue with smaller petrol engines is when you use the chainsaw, strimmer, lawnmower etc for the last time of the season, throw it in the corner of the shed and leave it for 6 months in damp and cold conditions.

More than long enough for the ethanol to do its worst.

Drain the tank and run the engine until the fuel is out of the system.