Unleaded fuel spec' change. UK

[Mick787]

For those members who's cars use unleaded fuel, this may be something to be aware of. Especially those who own older models. I heard about this just the other day. Recall the fun and games when they stopped 4 star!

Hope the link works.

https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/li...change-3104048

[GaryP]

The article links to a PDF. Read the PDF and it says everything Volvo made after '76 except the 1.8 GDI engines from the mid '90s will work just fine with E10.

[Deck1ng]

Originally Posted by GaryP

The article links to a PDF. Read the PDF and it says everything Volvo made after '76 except the 1.8 GDI engines from the mid '90s will work just fine with E10.

But only on model s/V40

[Laird Scooby]

In many countries, E5/E10 fuel has been around for decades. Many of those countries produced/still produce cars so check to see when they first ued E5/E10 fuels and if you own a car made by that country after that time you should be ok unless someone has changed the fuel lines in that time.

Also anything exported to the USA where they've had it since the early 70s will run happily enough on fuels with ethanol.

However, it has a higher water content and can cause excess condensation in the tank - this will show as rough running after being sat for a while (in traffic for example) and/or poor cold starting accompanied by rough running for a while.
Add methanol (methylated spirits) in a ratio of 1:10 (1L of meths to 10 of petrol) will remove the condensation - easiest way is wait until the tank contents are down to ~1/4 tank then add 2L of meths, Toolstation sell it for about a tenner for 2L (cheapest place to get it i've found), then drive it normally. Only add more petrol when you're close to running out (1/4 tank is NOT close to running out! ) so as to not "dilute" the meths.

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

...Add methanol (methylated spirits) in a ratio of 1:10 (1L of meths to 10 of petrol) will remove the condensation - easiest way is wait until the tank contents are down to ~1/4 tank then add 2L of meths, Toolstation sell it for about a tenner for 2L (cheapest place to get it i've found), then drive it normally. Only add more petrol when you're close to running out (1/4 tank is NOT close to running out! ) so as to not "dilute" the meths.

Do you have a link to a credible source for this 'advice'?

In particular I'd point out that while methylated spirits does contain methanol the percentage can be quite low and the major proportion is actually ethanol...so you'd likely be making the potential problem much worse!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Zebster

Do you have a link to a credible source for this 'advice'?

In particular I'd point out that while methylated spirits does contain methanol the percentage can be quite low and the major proportion is actually ethanol...so you'd likely be making the potential problem much worse!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol

It's a long time since i did my Chemistry "O" level but it's something i learned back then.

"Miscible in water and hydrocarbon solvents"

......from :

http://www.customchem.com.au/wp-cont...Info-Sheet.pdf

Miscable is a difficult word to explain, basically it forms an emulsion with the condensation in the tank and because the meths will burn, allows the water to "burn" off during normal combustion - this is a simplified explanation but the tip was given to me 30+ years ago by someone who got the tip from someone else 30+ years before that. It's been used over many decades successfully and i've used it myself many times successfully.
I've also recommended it many times on her and other car fora as a "first step" to removing condensation in petrol tanks all with positive results.

It won't exacerbate the problem as you suggest as the ethanol in the fuel has already given up its water content as condensation, not to mention the moisture from the atmosphere in the tank, none of which are now mixed with the petrol but sit underneath it when settled.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Mick787

For those members who's cars use unleaded fuel, this may be something to be aware of. Especially those who own older models. I heard about this just the other day. Recall the fun and games when they stopped 4 star!

Hope the link works.

https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/li...change-3104048

All volvos cars from 1988 have been unleaded compatible ..

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Clan

All volvos cars from 1988 have been unleaded compatible ..

It's not about unleaded, it's about the increased amount of ethanol being added to petrol. This can - on some older vehicles - cause problems by affecting rubber/plastic parts on the fuel system. There is also the additional issue of ethanol absorbing any water content.

[Mick787]

Wow, the thread has provoked some heated discussion, I posted it just to let members know about the change. My Volvo is a diesel, so I dont really care and our second car is a small Toyota which can run on almost anything.
This news about the fuel spec change was the first I'd heard about it and felt it had been 'slipped in' to use within the UK during the latest news events by the 'powers that be'. I put it up because there may be other users of the forum who didn't know about the change like myself. I have one friend who is currently restoring a classic Jenson, he didn't know about this change in fuel spec'.
Thankfully it appears most Volvo's are OK, it just may be the case that we had a couple of members who own classic's who may not have known. Perhaps the thread should have been put under 'General chat'.
So what will happen to Super Unleaded as we know it today? My understanding is that it will become 'normal' unleaded. Thankfully I don't drive a Ferrari or similar!

To try and lighten the post, on a side note, ethanol has been used by a certain brewery to 'fortify' one of their beers. It resulted in legal action being taken by a rival brewery in a claim that one had produced a beer with a higher abv than another. The rival brewery claimed the beer had not been fermented to achieve its strength and as such should be referred to as 'fortified beer' and not 'beer'! It resulted in labelling having to be changed.

I wonder how many drivers will notice the change in the numbers on fuel nozzles!

[Whyman]

I can remember something from the past about Carling I think who have reduced the alcohol content from 4.0 to 3.7 abv but are still allowed to advertise it as 4.0 on rounding up.

Nothing to do with the £20m they saved in excise duty?