E10 Petrol

[david painter]

Today got this email from one of trade magazines on behalf of Liquid Molly its an interesting read
Dave


Mitigating the drawbacks of E10 petrol
E10 petrol is intended to make fuel more environmently-friendly, but it also has a number of special features. “Since the fuel differs from ethanol-free petrol in some respects, we have developed our E10 Additive especially for this purpose,” explains David Kaiser, Head of Research & Development at LIQUI MOLY.

The designation E10 means the petrol contains up to 10% bioethanol. This is intended to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. However, E10 also has some technical features. First of all, ethanol has a calorific value that is almost one third lower than petrol. The more ethanol in the fuel, the lower its energy content. "This increases fuel consumption. It can also have a negative impact on engine performance," says David. The second point: ethanol is hygroscopic, so it attracts water. This can cause corrosion in the tank and fuel system.

The E10 Additive by LIQUI MOLY prevents this from happening. “It improves combustion, thereby ensuring better acceleration, particularly in the partial load range,” says David. This compensates for the power loss to some extent. The petrol additive also contains highly effective corrosion protection, so it prevents damage to the tank or fuel system resulting from the higher water content. The E10 Additive by LIQUI MOLY is also suitable for two-stroke engines and for motorcycles and scooters.

“This makes it a good choice for any motorist who doesn't want to have to deal with the disadvantages of E10,” says David. However, there is one problem where this additive has its limitations, too – namely material tolerance. Ethanol can attack seals and hoses on some older vehicles. David continued: “Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be influenced by an additive.”

[trunnions ftw]

I reckon the issue with hygroscopic ethanol shouldn't be too much of a bother if the fuel is only in regular use transit as at least any moisture is absorbed into the ethanol then is taken into the engine than with normal fuel where its hanging around the bottom as coalesced droplets. , however for stuff that's kept off the road for long periods then just drain the tank and float bowl out imo

[ScreamingLordStokes]

Some interesting information there David. There are a few additives on the market now that are supposed to deal with the issues caused by E10 fuel. I'm going to stick with E5 97 or 99 octane for the next five years or as long as possible. I have to say though i'm always drawn to the additives, like Castrol Valvemaster Plus, that enable a specific amount to be measured and added to the tank depending on how much fuel is put in, rather than the "one whole bottle treats one full tank" variety.

[balmy]

I found the other weekend when I did 2000 miles in four days, the times when I couldn’t get E5 petrol, the car started pinking and was down on power and idled lower than normal.
With no time to alter to suit it was just wait and hope the next petrol station had E5.

[david painter]

I cant personally say I have tried any E10 in either Marina or MGB as both still have E5 and are now tucked up for winter Same goes for my mower. Suspect will have to fiddle with Timing/Mixture next year then
Dave

[ScreamingLordStokes]

I cant personally say I have tried any E10 in either Marina or MGB as both still have E5 and are now tucked up for winter Same goes for my mower. Suspect will have to fiddle with Timing/Mixture next year then
Dave

Definitely David, you don't want the mower to be down on power!

[lock1506]

I've been running my Ital van on E10 with an additive and haven't noticed any difference in performance or consumption. It still pulls really well when loaded up.

[ScreamingLordStokes]

Just as a matter of interest what additive are you using? I assume it has an octane booster.

[lock1506]

Ethomix, I get it from Frost Restoration.