E10 fuel from September - can we use it?

Templar

Member
Messages
107
I see that from September E10 fuel will replaces E5. I have carried out a search on the site but have had no return. Will our cars be OK to run on E10 the HMG website doesn't help with Maserati's but I am sure someone on here will have done their homework.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I'm sure it will be fine for most if not all EFI cars, it's been E10 in America for a while i believe.
Bit of a problem with older classic cars, my Stag isn't too happy on the current E5!
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
It’s fine, quite a few threads on it already.

it should say this in your manual:

88792
 

Templar

Member
Messages
107
Thanks guys. Should have looked in the manual. I see that motor mowers and the like will not be happy with E10. Recommended to use something like VMax. If so I will be able to cut my lawns much quicker lol.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Thanks guys. Should have looked in the manual. I see that motor mowers and the like will not be happy with E10. Recommended to use something like VMax. If so I will be able to cut my lawns much quicker lol.

I think it will be a storm in a tea cup mower wise.

I plan to, it it is an issue, split out the ethanol with some water or chuck some fuel stabiliser in it.
 

ratbag

Member
Messages
135
The problem is not whether your car will run on E10 (it will) Problems only arise when the car is not used much. A tank of E10, if left unused for any length of time, the Ethanol absorbs water which then sinks to the bottom of the tank. Eventually it mixes with fuel and turn into a white gunk which blocks fuel filters and can cause all sorts of problems. If you are filling up regularly and turning over tanks of fuel regularly- no problem. But if you leave your car parked up for months on end unused is when it absorbs water..... I ran a V8 petrol powerboat in the US for years- leaving it unused for 5 months at a time whilst I was back in England. Leaving it standing unused with E10 in the tank for months on end was disastrous. Anecdotally ethanol can also damage fuel lines and seals......
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
I have been pondering this and doing some reading.

Ethanol does absorb water, but I personally am not too concerned as there is little opportunity for it to do so. The tanks on our cars are sealed and have a carbon canister to capture vapours so the only ingress can be of air, through the tip over valve as the tank drains. At most I would say 80 litres of air could enter on each cycle. If it was at 50% humidity and 30 deg C, that air would contain 11 grams of air per kilogram and the 80 litres of air admitted would have 0.011 grams of water in it. In volume terms, that is 0.011 millilitres. If the tank had an open breather, then I would be more worried as vapour pressure would drive in more moisture once it had been absorbed.

Ethanol’s corrosive properties on things like solder on carburettor floats and certain rubbers would be a concern, but in the case of later cars and ours particularly, this isn’t an issue.

I am concerned about separation of ethanol from the petrol in storage, so I will be using a stabiliser when storing my car.
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
21,010
Esso Supreme 99 bought in the south is your friend.

Finding an Esso filling station is a bit hard at times, though.
 

Doctor Houx

Member
Messages
791
Other than the “gunk”problem, what the govt don’t point out is that E10 has significantly Less energy per litre. If you use E10 in a older vehicle that cannot sense what fuel you have put in,it will run a weak mixture. EFI cars can sense the fuel has lower calorific content, and it will automatically add more fuel via the injection system.E10 will therefore INCREASE fuel consumption. How does using more petrol help the environment. More govt hypocrisy.

As mentioned. 98/99 octane has 5pc or less and is safer, plus the additional cost is offset by more energy and thus MPG.
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,651
A lot of the Tesco Expresses are Esso.
That might be deliberately vague but how do you know this, and then how can you make that determination when at the pump, given they are enforced to carry homegenised labeling regardless of its being incorrect respect Esso...?

First time use of the Esso app lead me to the nearest Esso filling station, which turned out to be Shell. Bl00ming marvelous....
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,069
That might be deliberately vague but how do you know this, and then how can you make that determination when at the pump, given they are enforced to carry homegenised labeling regardless of its being incorrect respect Esso...?

First time use of the Esso app lead me to the nearest Esso filling station, which turned out to be Shell. Bl00ming marvelous....

They say Esso on the pump.

I’m not talking about Tesco supermarkets. It’s specifically Tesco Expresses, the petrol stations with a shop attached.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Other than the “gunk”problem, what the govt don’t point out is that E10 has significantly Less energy per litre. If you use E10 in a older vehicle that cannot sense what fuel you have put in,it will run a weak mixture. EFI cars can sense the fuel has lower calorific content, and it will automatically add more fuel via the injection system.E10 will therefore INCREASE fuel consumption. How does using more petrol help the environment. More govt hypocrisy.

As mentioned. 98/99 octane has 5pc or less and is safer, plus the additional cost is offset by more energy and thus MPG.

Well, it’s about 3.3% less than straight petrol, and 1.65% worse than E5. Certainly enough to turn 20 mpg into 19.7 mpg,
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,069
DOH !
:rolleyes:
Good 2 know, though...!

There’s one up the road from me and until this E10 thing started I’d never noticed it was an Esso. Because Tesco is red white and blue too the Esso bit just blends in.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Not too happy about this E10, thought I would check my 2000 GDI Pinin and it's a fat no from the UK Gov Web site and also Mitsubishi UK.
Apparently the GDI high pressure fuel pump isn't compatable. Also effects a few Volvo's that used Mitsubishi engines up to 2007.
Cost a bloody fortune running it on super unleaded it is not that fuel efficient at the best of times!
 

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,958
I'll just put it in and see what happens down the line, same as I did before for the previous changes, even to unleaded. Deal with the issues if and when they arrive.