| Warning! E10 ethanol-blended petrol can be damaging for older cars & bikes
In an article in Autocar U.K. by Mr James Ruppert, that I was going through, it has been revealed that the 10 % ethanol blended in unleaded petrol as concoction causes damage to older engines. E10 petrol is expected in fuel dispensing stations in the U.K. from next month onwards. Some of these facts had come to the fore earlier, that most of us were in the know.
In the U.K. they have three choices for petrol namely the E5 super-unleaded high octane, E5 (5% blending of ethanol with 95% unleaded petrol) and E10 (expected from September 2021) as options for petrol buyers. The E5 is expected to be available for a further next five years. The costlier, high octane (97-99% Ron), superunleaded E5 petrol as an option is available to buyers at an extra cost of 12p/ litre. The article says that if by mistake an old car owner has got a fill of the E10 petrol, damage control by way subsequent topping up with with the high octane super-unleaded E5 petrol is recommended but not habitually, according to the oil companies including Shell.
Here, there are words of caution for users of E10 petrol in older cars and bikes that is universally sold now in India. We have no E5 option here at all of any kind.
According to the article:- Quote:
"Certainly, proper classics that are 40 years old or more will all have problems, but so will modern classics from the 1990s, a lot of cool motorbikes, stupid mopeds and most likely petrol lawnmowers. It couldn’t be easier to check whether you need to worry, of course (simply visit gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol), but what are the main downsides for owners of older cars? The higher bioethanol content in E10 is corrosive to rubber parts, gaskets, seals, metals and plastics, which causes engine damage, so it could dislodge deposits in older engines and fuel systems, causing blockages. It should only be used with expert advice, which means pretty much never".
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It further recommends corrctive measures and says:- Quote:
"What owners of vulnerable cars can do is source replacement engine components made with ethanol-compatible materials."
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This is a very tall order for the older classics and vintages in India, as getting the conventional, non bio-fuel compatible spares becomes a challenge on most occasions.
Among the plus points is that ethanol in E10 actually absorbs CO2, partially offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.
During the past ten years of usage he U.K. data says:- Quote:
"blending renewable fuels in this way has contributed to a CO2 emissions reduction equal to taking more than a million cars off the road."
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Incidentally, diesel in U.K. is blended with 7% biofuel.
The downside of E10 according to the article is:- Quote:
"research carried out by our sister title What Car? revealed that E10 is potentially less efficient than the current E5 blend of petrol, with the problem being worse in smaller-engined vehicles. Drivers of shopping cars would end up filling their cars more often, which isn’t the point of owning a small car with a tiny engine."
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The U.K. scenario as the article says is that:- Quote:
"92.2% of the petrol-engined vehicles in the UK are compatible with E10. Since 2011, all new cars sold in this country have had to be E10-compatible. Vehicles manufactured from 2019 onwards usually have an E5 and E10 label close to their fuel filler caps, showing which fuels they can accept. So what’s the problem? Well, drivers of cars registered before 2002 have been advised not to use E10 in their vehicles, because problems have been reported."
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The full article:- https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/u...ffect-your-car
Our oil companies need to take a cue and make available E5 (a lesser evil) as an option for older petrol vehicle users as the long term damages could be monumental for the vintage and classic car and bike community.
Last edited by anjan_c2007 : 18th August 2021 at 14:12.
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18th August 2021, 14:08
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