Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Drive train, fuel, suspension, steering & brakes => Topic started by: BobH on August 26, 2021, 15:17:24
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Hello all
E10 fuel is now available on all forecourts in the UK, not sure what the position is in the rest of the world. I've always put super unleaded 97 + octane in my car, and i guess i'll carry on using this, while it's still available
What is everyone else using in the UK and around the world?
Thanks
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Bob,
What you call "E10" is what we call gasoline. For years, many years, in fact, with the exception of aviation fuels, marine fuels, and racing fuels, all normal "on the road gas" typically is ~10% ethanol. Not going to start a debate on the intelligence or politics of it all, just stating a fact.
Here in NC, racing country (most of the NASCAR teams are here) many stations have (some are high octane), ethanol free fuel available, but you have to seek it out. Some marinas carry it too, but the prices are considerably higher and I'm not certain if the "dock pumps" charge road fuel tax. You cannot put aviation fuel into a car since the FBOs won't sell it except when dispensed into an airplane.
It is what it is. Though I cannot attribute it specifically to the E10 I've been using for 20 years in my Pagoda, I did have one fuel line leak a couple of years back; the one that connects from the rear fuel pump to the hard line at the back of the car. It was a $20 part, and a quick replacement.
Just as a curiosity, one of our cars is a "flex fuel vehicle" and because it was available and cheap this summer, I tried a tank of E85. I was expecting to get much poorer gas mileage, but I did not--I was pleasantly surprised that the mileage (according to the onboard calculator) was pretty much the same as with E10.
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The biggest issues with an Ethanol fuels are: They attract moisture which causes rust/corrosion on bare metal parts exposed to fuel, the fuel deteriorates and "gums up" over time, and the fuel destroys certain plastic and rubber components. I am just going through a recall on my BMW K1600 for a fuel pump replacement due to ethanol damage.