[Closed] PSA - E10 Petrol. Check your car is compatible

Thanks this is a very useful PSA! My 1999 golf mk4 petrol 1.8t seems to be fine. Several newer golfs are listed as incompatible which is interesting but they are the more basic non turbo engines.

Select BMW and it says that all petrol BMW's can be run on E10 regardless of year of manufacturer.

Bearing in mind that BMW have been round since 1917. I am sceptical that they have checked all of them.

Without anything to tell you which models have been checked ot how far back they have gone, this is meaningless.

Super unleaded will remain E5 for a good few years yet.

Main issue I think is fuel lines. E10 allows more absorption of water which degrades fuel pipes quicker so eventually they will leak and your car will turn into a ball of flames.

BMW have their own press release online confirming that all their models (bar one or two old exotics) are safe for E10 fuel.

@TheGingerOne - indeed however if you drive a total shed worth a few hundred the thought of having to pay an extra 10p+ per litre is a bit galling.

Note as well this could affect anything with a petrol engine in it; chainsaws, mowers, hedge trimmers etc. As TGO says it's the rubber and the like which E10 eats so it depends on the fuel lines, gaskets and seals in the device as to whether they'll be affected.

Disappointed.

My 1957 motorcycle is not listed!

2002 Nissan here, better go premium then.

I have a couple of older Land Rovers which I already use the more expensive petrol in. As I do very little mileage it’s not a big deal for me.

I thought bioethanol was evil now?

Checks - All Nissan's from 2000 are OK.

Disappointed.

My 1957 motorcycle is not listed!

Nor my 1978 Honda

in my rx8

boo lower milage than my 150 miles to a 55L tank

yay less carbon

Already using super in one car, might have to swap for the other. It's a pain for small engines like mowers and chainsaws too. I already run those on super too.

Thanks, looks like our 2003 volvo s40 gdi is no good with 10% so will be paying a bit extra going forward it seems. Not noticed it in the petrol stations in Glasgow yet.

2001 MX5 (wedding present to ourselves almost 20 years ago) will be going super.

Or getting some sort of conversation I guess.  Any good places to get an E-MX5 conversation?  100 mile range would be plenty.

thanks for the spot OP

Main issue I think is fuel lines. E10 allows more absorption of water which degrades fuel pipes quicker so eventually they will leak and your car will turn into a ball of flames.

Most of it's scaremongering.

Classic car forums are up in arms over the damage it's going to do including:

Rust steel fuel tanks (as if they don't already)
Corrode rubber fuel lines (all 99p's worth as they're generally copper with a short link into the fuel pump/carbs to absorb vibration.
Corrode and dissolve aluminium carb bodies and manifolds (Really???? As if the 100% water in British rain on the outside is somehow different to the fraction that will be dissolved in that extra 5% ethanol).

 It’s a pain for small engines like mowers and chainsaws too. I already run those on super too.

If I make this precautionary change for my Honda, will the lawn get mown 5% faster?

Most of it’s scaremongering.

Classic car forums are up in arms over the damage it’s going to do including:

Rust steel fuel tanks (as if they don’t already)
Corrode rubber fuel lines (all 99p’s worth as they’re generally copper with a short link into the fuel pump/carbs to absorb vibration.
Corrode and dissolve aluminium carb bodies and manifolds (Really???? As if the 100% water in British rain on the outside is somehow different to the fraction that will be dissolved in that extra 5% ethanol).

its not scaremongering. my classic VW has rubber breathers, rubber filler cap and rubber fuel lines. Unless you buy appropriate rubber they wont last 5 mins and youll risk engine fires. so its definately worth raising awareness for.

you cant buy an E10 resistant fuel filler pipe and you have to drop the engine to replace it.

so its good to be aware of these things.

Also manufacturers may say the cars will run (which they will - no prob) but its the parts linking the fuel tanks to the engines which may fail quicker.

My biggest worry at present is will my Briggs & Stratton mower need to go on 'Premium'?

2001 MX5 (wedding present to ourselves almost 20 years ago) will be going super.

Or getting some sort of conversation I guess. Any good places to get an E-MX5 conversation? 100 mile range would be plenty.

by this lot...

I watched all of their conversion videos on YT as well...

My biggest worry at present is will my Briggs & Stratton mower need to go on ‘Premium’?

For balance on my opinion that it's all hot air, I left (E5) fuel in my strimmer over the winter and it knackered the hoses. £3* to fix and I've probably got a lifetimes supply of spare hose leftover.

*I had to buy 3x 1m of 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0mm hose as I couldn't measure the softened original hose.

my classic VW has rubber breathers, rubber filler cap and rubber fuel lines. Unless you buy appropriate rubber they wont last 5 mins and youll risk engine fires. so its definately worth raising awareness for.

R9 hose has been available for how long though?

I'm just not convinced it's as big a deal as it's being made out to be. When all this argument started I checked the hoses on my car and they were R9, and I can't recall changing them in over a decade (I might have done whilst replacing something else), but I've not made a conscious effort to do it.

Beat me to it cookeaa, TBH I already run my 2001 MX5 on Premium as a lot of Japanese cars of that era run better with it.

Porsche always on Premium 🙂

Your mowers we run it, but of you leave fuel in it you'll find you'll need a new diaphragm more often or new carb. The ethanol rots the rubber, it also separates out as a gel if left lung enough to absorb loads of water, and the gel will block jets.
You can add a stabiliser, some (eg startron) claim to combat ethanol problems.

Doesn't list a few manufacturers. My dad has a Morgan, so I'm guessing he'll have to continue to use E5

Well that gov website says my Skoda is fine (handbook even says it can run on E20!) but my Mini is listed as 'We don't have a clue!'. No hardship to run it on Super fuel which I do anyway as it runs smoother. I've no doubt someone will start selling gasket and line kits for the fuel systems on common classics soon enough.

From the numbers, MX5s and late model MGs are probably the common non-classics that might need to check it out? (there's a "top 10 models" list but it's dominated by long running models where early ones may not be E10 safe but modern ones are, like the Golf, but they're all lumped together)

thisisnotaspoon
Full Member

Corrode rubber fuel lines (all 99p’s worth as they’re generally copper with a short link into the fuel pump/carbs to absorb vibration.

You're a bit right there but also wrong. Because if the rubber fuel line needs replaced, what obout the other rubber parts which aren't 99p and might not be available? Carb diaphragms, fuel tank seals, filler tubes.

From the numbers, MX5s and late model MGs are probably the common non-classics that might need to check it out?

From the gov website

Mazda - E10 petrol is cleared for use in all models with petrol engines introduced in and from the year 2002, Mazda6 (GG/GY) and models with petrol engines introduced thereafter.

That seems a little ambiguous..... if a Mazda MX-5 was bought new in 2005, but Mazda had been making/introduced that particular model/engine in 1999, then the car may not necessarily be cleared for E10 use?

Long may my 2004 BMW e46 Touring live! We'll have been together for 16 years in August.

If your running 2 stroke the oil will counter the effects of the ethanol addition, all I'd do is make sure the oil is compatible.

Looks like my '02 Mk4 Golf 1.6 is going on premium.

Thanks OP.

Firing up outboard engines after being laid up with fuel in over winter could be quite entertaining.

I used the online check. Apparently all Vauxhall's are fine. I find that hard to believe given the age of Vauxhall, but it means our 2004 £300 Astra estate should keep on trucking. It does have plastic rather than steel fuel lines though.

My car comes up as a no. I run it on Super anyway. It has nice modern ethonol safe fuel injectors but steel fuel lines, I guess the rust on the outside could meet the rust on the inside eventually. The tank is plastic but I've no idea what plastic, Rubber fuel hoses which handily run over the exhaust manifold, no idea what effect it would have on the fuel pressure regulator, damper, pump and filter(s).

If the doom sayers are to be believed lots of cars may suddenly have petrol spraying out of fuel systems at 3bar. Could be exciting.

Firing up outboard engines after being laid up with fuel in over winter could be quite entertaining.

Run a final tank of Super through it until it's almost empty then drain out what you can, anything left in it will then be E5. It's what I've always done anyway.

As UK is coming very late to the E10 party, surely there's a wealth of experience elsewhere on this?

For chainsaws it's just another reason to use alkylate.

E10 is very common here in Oz. All cars I've had have had a sticker inside the fuel flap that says you can use E10.
General consensus here is that it gives slightly worse economy than even the usual 91 octane cooking petrol so the slightly cheaper cost is negated anyway.

Aprilia aren't listed there at all!

My 90s ones get fed super anyways, as too much ethanol plays havoc with the carburation and swells the fuel tanks.

I had no idea this was happening (like most things, really). Thanks for posting this, much appreciated.

That seems a little ambiguous….. if a Mazda MX-5 was bought new in 2005, but Mazda had been making/introduced that particular model/engine in 1999, then the car may not necessarily be cleared for E10 use?

I thought that, too...

We've a 2002 MX5 NB. I think the GF told me to use Super, but I can't remember. Tend to let her fill it up, anyways....

Run a final tank of Super through it until it’s almost empty then drain out what you can, anything left in it will then be E5. It’s what I’ve always done anyway.

Seeing as my tank is 300L I think running a ”final tank through" is out of the question!
Anyway the water separators will pull the water from the fuel and I can easily replace the fuel lines (which, being American, are E10 compliant already) if needed.

Luckily my Toyota Corolla 2005 is fine with E10 ...