I have just filled my car up this morning for the first time (knowingly) with E10 petrol, which is being introduced to replace E5 over the summer/autumn. My son sent me a Tiktok video the other week concerned that E10 would damage his car. The guy in the video was asserting that E10 has been introduced to remove older cars from the road or damage them so that people will have to go electric. I was horrified at this misrepresentation of something I thought was being done to help emissions and green things up a bit. Whether growing stuff to distil it and put it in our cars is any better than using fossil fuels, I'm not sure... I gather E10 has been used in the USA for quite some time, and I don't see a tsunami of wrecked engines or outrage across the 'states. All our cars seem to be OK on the UK Gov checker, other than the family MG Midget, which will have to be run on higher grade fuel like VPower as it will remain E5. It also runs with a lead replacement additive, as the head hasn't been redone with hardened valve seats. Anyone seen any appreciable evidence of damage or problems?
My car says E10 inside the filler cap Regarding the MG Midget, you can easily remove the ethanol with water, a shot of lead replacement additive / octane booster will get it back up to standard. I see it more of an issue for lawnmowers that cars?
Only issue will be some mowers an small petrol engines, easy to sort though I know with diesels they went to B7, which has slightly less dinosaurs and vitamins than B6 but it runs the same.
Stated government policy is that E5 will continue to be sold alongside E10 but, the price is apparently likely to rise. Our little Japanese car needs to continue to run on E5 (I checked with the official importer), so I hope E5 availability doesn't become a problem.
I have a similar issue - low-octane fuel was already an issue for the car I drive, and E5 is apparently worse. I am therefore very hopeful that my two fuels of choice will remain available!
It kills rubber. It rusts metal tanks. It gums up carbs. It swells plastic tanks. I will not knowingly allow it within 100 feet of my motorcycle. Sure it doesn't do any harm to engines (that I've read about) but everything connected to that engine is in for a hard shorter life
Is there any known difference in performance? I notice a dip in power and poorer fuel economy from filling up in the local supermarket vs Shell/BP garages. Never actually thought to check what E rating was on the pump.
I'll stick to premium E5 like Jinqs said and run with that for the moment. We have just gone to a battery mower (arrived today) having given up on the petrol one a couple of years ago, and used a cored electric one. That's what I understood, just need to keep an eye on it not being taken away any time soon. Are you still running a super rapid estate car?? Yes, this is definitely a worry. We're a boating family, and E10 is probably not going to be great with outboard motors. Over to premium E5 again for those I guess.
I've noticed that too! My Astra has much better performance when I buy fuel from shell. Being a diesel is even worse, I used to fill up at the closest station which was Asda, plus it was the cheapest fuel by about 4p. Last year I noticed my DPF regen started coming on every 10 to 15 miles and would blow out a ton of white ash (from burning away the soot) and filling up my rearview(admittedly that was quite fun to see ), but eventually my emissions light came on saying there was a blockage all the time. Spoke to my usual garage and was told it's just the fuel, put some stuff in my tank to clear the light, which worked, and only use branded fuel from now on as they put in additives to help the diesel burn properly where supermarkets don't which probably is why you get less performance. Since then, my DPF now comes on after roughly 250 miles and there is no white ash when it does. Plus there is no more burning diesel smell from the exhaust. I'm betting the quality of supermarket petrol is as bad as their diesel. As for E10 fuel, well, if it breaks my other car I don't really care, it's only a 15 year old micra that I use for deliveries anyway.
Interesting, I had heard that cheaper supermarket fuels were missing some additives. I swap between supermarket and Shell mostly.
Just about everything build in the last 30 years will be absolutely fine with E10, and further back anything that's had refurbished components within that period as well. The whole thing is a storm in a teacup imho. Even the cars that manufacturers haven't said are compatible usually are (e.g. MX5s), they just don't have the will to check the materials. ETA: Different fuel brands use different additive packs, but most are identical base stock. The exceptions (iirc) are Shell V-power and BP Ultimate, which use slightly different base blends to their standard fuels.
Its a farce. we have to import the ethanol so the carbon footprint of that will be bigger. Better way to stop emissions is not have half the countries road blocked off for no reason and keep traffic moving. I am now buying my first ever diesel and bollocks to it. Also before anyone gives me crap about the environment, I have not spawned any junior GaryP's (my partner has kids hence being a grandad) so my carbon footprint finishes when I snuff it, so being overweight, diabetic and knackered kidneys my footprint is going to be how many miles I do in a 3 litre diesel until I croak it which in all probably won't end with me receiving a telegram from the King in 50 years. I had someone lecture me at the track the other week about a car I am looking at (for more room for grandchildren and safety), so I said how many kids do you have.... when the reply came back (which I knew the answer to anyway ) as 'four' I told them to '**** off', ironically as in go forth and multiply, which they really don't need any encouragement.
My Dad used to be a pump engineer working for both Tokhiem and Dresser Wayne in his time. He said that the best diesel from a Supermarket outlet was Sainsbury as they use a subsidised version of BP fuel. Whether that fuel has less additives or not is another question.
Knowing a few mechanics and old AA hands, I've always been told the perceived difference between "garage" field and "supermarket" fuel s psychosomatic. It's not like they each have their own refineries and the additional cost of asking refineries to produce multiple different mixtures of fuel and additives for each providers would be ridiculous. It's much the same as how all British super markets use only a small handful of national suppliers but have different packaging. Although it's still hilarious every time they mix up the packets...I still remember the great Waitrose/Aldo scandal
Agree. I've had a raft of older motors and on all of them I have replaced any rubber fuel lines - the notable ones were my VW camper and MK2 Granada, both of these were severely perished internally, however externally looked okay. Replaced with R9 grade fuel hose which is rated for E10. It also eats older metal carb float valves, which will lead to slowly filling and hydro-locking your engine with petrol whilst on a weekend away camping.....
