E10 fueling speculation

Have a natter here.
Post Reply
custardbomb
EVW Addict
Posts:273
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 pm
E10 fueling speculation

Post by custardbomb » Fri Jun 13, 2014 8:22 pm

I received the following link in a newsletter from VW Heritage: http://www.vwheritage.com/blog/2014/05/ ... eculation/

I will be switching to high octane to avoid the risk, but many of the rubber components in my engine have been changed within the last couple of years so I expect these will be ok.

Roland, I know Germany is already running E5 and E10 as you provided advice before I visited last year, is this as much of an issue as the blog article makes out and should the advice be followed?

User avatar
Dubmatix
Site Admin
Posts:1431
Joined:Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:37 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by Dubmatix » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:42 pm

We already have E5 Unleaded (from what i heard) so i switched to Super last summer but it will all be E10 eventually. The old mechanical fuelpumps won't like it and there's brass jets in the carbs that won't like it either and the float valves etc etc...
Maybe there will be lines of alternative material components for carb rebuilds as it rolls on.

John

custardbomb
EVW Addict
Posts:273
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by custardbomb » Mon Jun 16, 2014 6:32 pm

Thanks John, I wasn't aware that other components could suffer to. I'll be making the switch to super, but have always run 95 until now so I hope the introduction hasn't been too widespread given that I have not seen any pumps advertise themselves as containing Ethanol; I asked an attendant at Texaco yesterday and they didn't know.

Do you think I should consider changing any components or given the short timescale not worry too much.

custardbomb
EVW Addict
Posts:273
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by custardbomb » Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:19 pm

John,

I spoke to a tanker driver when I was filling up this afternoon at Texaco. He said that the super they supply from Hamble is the same as BP ultimate and is a very good fuel which doesn't currently contain any ethanol, the rest of their fuels are E5 although not advertised. He also said that there are no other super fuels in the area where I live which are ethanol free so my choice is limited to only fuelling and Texaco as I don't have a local BP.

So caution must be taken even when filling with super as some may already contain ethanol.

Chris

User avatar
Dubmatix
Site Admin
Posts:1431
Joined:Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:37 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by Dubmatix » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:01 pm

Thanks Chris, info noted! I will stop using the Shell stuff then as there is a Texaco on my route to work so i can take the bus on a round trip to fill it up. On longer trips though you are at the mercy of whatever is nearby! Still better to go for Super i reckon as it has better anti knock properties which will help if running hotter.

This is a useful thread and one which we should try to keep updated as time goes on!

What's the fuel situation in Germany?

The TR club has this comprehensive article which is of use including a slightly out of date guide on fuel suppliers in the UK (though this seems to correlate with Chris's recent info. http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wes ... pdate.html

custardbomb
EVW Addict
Posts:273
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by custardbomb » Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:24 pm

John,

That's an excellent article that thoroughly explains the issues which is much more extensive than I first thought.

I forgot to add to my last post that the irony was the driver of the tanker was also explaining how the fuels were damaging all the rubber seals used to connect up to the transfer pipes for unloading.

User avatar
Dubmatix
Site Admin
Posts:1431
Joined:Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:37 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by Dubmatix » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:05 pm

Chris
I guess they are feeling the effects too, though you would think some of their chemists/engineers might have thought of that already! []<O

It may be an idea if we start to update the info...
TOTAL UK
I contacted Total this week and they say that they currently make E5 for normal unleaded and E0 for super so super is the one to go for! However as they sold all oftheir stations off, one could presume that they are selling to independants and supermarkets only. The response was rapid and extremely helpful. 8-)

And did you notice a certain reference in the TR article that should be making us think about changing our filler neck rubbers, fuel hoses and breathers for materials that can cope with Ethanol...
"Starting at the beginning where the fuel is added to the vehicle…the filler neck of the fuel tank is attacked. In older vehicles this often has a rubber connection. Natural rubber is quickly broken down by Ethanol. A well-known motoring organisation noticed a worrying trend involving the filler neck of a certain popular air-cooled German camper vehicle. The rubber pipe would perish allowing fuel to leak during re-fuelling and petrol smells emanating from the vehicle. When a new pipe was fitted it also would perish within six Months. "

custardbomb
EVW Addict
Posts:273
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:04 pm

Re: E10 fueling speculation

Post by custardbomb » Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:05 pm

Good evening,

I have follow on from your lead John and emailed all the supermarkets and fuel companies I could think of last night.

Supermarkets
Sainsbury's - Maximum ethanol content E5
Morrison. - No E0 fuels
Waitrose. - Supplied by Shell, see below
Tesco. - Maximum ethanol content E5

Fuel companies
Marco. - Super E comtent varies by location subject to supplying terminal, so there are somewithout.
Texaco. - Super and premium are E5, this contradicts my recent discussion with a tanker driver who advised Super is E0. Only Super fuel to local stations from Humble terminal is E0.
Total. - Sold off forecourts so no guarantee of E0 on sites that remain branded, manufacturers Super as E0 so are likely to be the source of some E0 on forecourts.
Q8. - No longer sell fuel in the UK
Esso. - Petrol (grade 95) marketed by Esso contains an ethanol content of up to 5% by volume everywhere in the UK. Esso Supreme (grade 97) petrol is largely ethanol free with the exception Scotland, the North eastern corner of England and the far South West. In these areas our premium unleaded has an ethanol content of up to 5% by volume.
Shell - All fuel is E5
BP. - The content of bioethanol in our BP Ultimate Unleaded gasoline will never be more than 5% by volume until 1st January 2017 at the earliest.

Waiting for responses;
ASDA

I will update this post as responses are received.

So far Esso within England Supreme 97 RON and Hamble terminal Super fuels are E0.

Post Reply