Unleaded fuel spec' change. UK

[Zebster]

I strongly suggest that anyone reading this thread should seek credible advice before adding random stuff (such as methanol?) to their fuel tank... but hopefully it is blindingly obvious to most people that potential problems caused by the ethanol content of E10 petrol can never be solved by following misplaced advice to add even more ethanol (which is what methylated spirits mostly consists of).

[Deck1ng]

This thread got my juices going so I googled” how to get rid of water in my fuel tank”. An article written in 2014 popped up by the “AutoExpert.com.au”.
Having read the article it states that very small amounts of water can be absorbed by adding mentholated spirits. Meths mixes with both water and petrol or diesel, but water alone will not mix with petrol or diesel . So make of that what you want.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Zebster

I strongly suggest that anyone reading this thread should seek credible advice before adding random stuff (such as methanol?) to their fuel tank... but hopefully it is blindingly obvious to most people that potential problems caused by the ethanol content of E10 petrol can never be solved by following misplaced advice to add even more ethanol (which is what methylated spirits mostly consists of).

That suggestion might be more credible if you hadn't used a link to a USA description of methylated spirits.

Adding methylated spirits to fuel tanks has been proven over generations to remove unwanted condensation, borne out by Deck1ngs post above and countless other people around the planet to my knowledge.

I'm not omnicognisant and neither are you - just because you've not had it happen doesn't make it untrue or impossible.

Along similar lines, one statement about my fuel consumption does NOT constitute "a history of wild claims".

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

That suggestion might be more credible if you hadn't used a link to a USA description of methylated spirits.

Adding methylated spirits to fuel tanks has been proven over generations to remove unwanted condensation, borne out by Deck1ngs post above and countless other people around the planet to my knowledge.

I'm not omnicognisant and neither are you - just because you've not had it happen doesn't make it untrue or impossible.

Along similar lines, one statement about my fuel consumption does NOT constitute "a history of wild claims".

God, you're getting desperate, it was actually the link that YOU provided (in post #6) that claimed the ethanol content of methylated spirits to be >95%. Which was an Australian link... my link was to the English language version of Wikipedia (referencing the UK, amongst other countries). Are you deliberately trying to cause confusion?

Only an idiot would add methylated spirits to their fuel tank merely on your say so. Or - to be fair - merely on my say so. Can you really not understand that?

Let's not forget that the OP was raising the issue of potential problems caused by increasing amounts of (bio)ethanol being added to UK petrol... now is it reasonable to suggest that this problem could be overcome by adding MORE ethanol? I don't think so!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Zebster

Are you deliberately trying to cause confusion?

No, you're managing that all by yourself and neither am i getting desperate! I know adding meths to a petrol tank will remove excess condensation, as i've pointed out many times over the years, it has been used for decades for this purpose.

As for the suggestions of incompetence, unsubstantiated suggestions etc and trying to demean and belittle me, those are generally the tactics of a bully who doesn't actually know what's going on.

In view of that i won't be revisiting this thread so any reply you may come up with won't be read - at least not by me.

[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.

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Deck1ng

This thread got my juices going so I googled” how to get rid of water in my fuel tank”. An article written in 2014 popped up by the “AutoExpert.com.au”.
Having read the article it states that very small amounts of water can be absorbed by adding mentholated spirits. Meths mixes with both water and petrol or diesel, but water alone will not mix with petrol or diesel . So make of that what you want.

Yes, methylated spirits (being mostly ethanol) will absorb water and mix with fuel. I don't think that anybody is arguing that?

But that won't cure the potential problem of E10 petrol containing a greater amount of ethanol than the previous versions of petrol.

[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?