Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[scott_budds]

After all the talk I see in my Frost catalogue which arrived today they sell test kit from Por15 to tell what percentage of Ethanol is in fuel. Anyone used these? Any one know if anybody (here or on any other forums) have done a general test of the different fuel suppliers in the uk to see how they compare with each other?

http://www.frost.co.uk/por15-e-test-kit.html

The fuel companies have decided together not to tell customers what percentage of Ethanol is in their fuels. If the customers knew and started making their choice of who supplied the lowest Ethanol content it might force their hand to reduce ethanol content to low as possible (obviously governed by regulations that apply) and maybe start publishing figures to entice customers.


Buddsy
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Im looking for an Elan plus 2 for my next resto project...if you see one think of me please!!

[Rick]

It certainly was the case that super unleaded, ie higher octane, either doesn't have, or only has the lower dosage, of ethanol in it. Perhaps worth checking up on?

RJ
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[Riley Blue]

I was under the impression that the ethanol content has to be made known. I tend to use Tesco 99 Momentum which, the last time I checked, had none.

[scott_budds]

I dont think thats right. I think they have to contain at least 5% and can use up to 10%...I could be wrong and welcome what the truth is?

Buddsy
_________________
Im looking for an Elan plus 2 for my next resto project...if you see one think of me please!!

[Riley Blue]

Here's an interesting and fairly recent article on the subject:
http://www.groups.tr-register.co.uk/wessex/ethanol-update.html

[baconsdozen]

I thought Tesco had stopped supplying the Momentum stuff.The Tesco store on the outskirts of Lowestoft never has any (it never has any paper for the receipts the pumps are supposed to print either).

[Riley Blue]

Looks like the formula has changed, Momentum99 now contains a maximum of 5% ethanol: http://www.tescopfs.com/momentum99/specifications

[ukdave2002]

I guess the important thing for us is; when does it become a problem? 10% 20% ?, then we can be clear on what we need to do proactively.
D
PS
Sorry I never got or really understood chemistry at school, my GCSE pass in Chemistry was just a memory test .... some advice from members who get this would be gratefully received

[Riley Blue]

Up to 5% is OK, more than that may cause problems - that's my understanding.

[clogs]

Frank in France

Over here Ethanol has been used for a v/long time, as I repair all kind's of engined machinery etc, we have found that Ethanol based fuel eats every thing, and even rots specialized rubber / synthetic fuel lines, makes the nylon type fuel line go brittle......so on long fuel line runs we've gone back to using copper......It's now got so bad that all my petrol based engines run on a weak mixture of two - stoke all the time...this helps with valve cooling, upper cylinder lubricant and weakens the acid like effect of Ethanol......
using a light 2-T mix make no difference to a four stroke in any way......and our old vehicles burns engine oil at a greater rate than the new cars anyway..... BUT BUT BUT do not use the mix if u have a CATALYTIC CONVERTER on ur exhaust....this is for ONLY old style engine's......
incidentally all my petrol engined vehicles and mowers etc are drained and run dry of fuel if left for anything longer than 2 weeks......I've been told by someone who knows that here SW France (temp's. like a good English summer, from March to Nov.) petrol with Ethanol can loose 20 per/cent of it's volatility after 6 week's unused in the tank, unless the vehicle is stored in the cool, where it takes a little longer.....we are always emptying fuel tanks of old fuel, mostly because the fuel has gone stale so quickly...engine just won't start......it's good for business though.......
Longer periods of storage say over winter create more problems.....the fuel ends up like fowl smelling varnish....
I first time I came across this Ethanol cxxp was in the early days in the US....there we used to put in a quart of Diesel fuel into a car's tank when filling up to lessen the problem's of pinking, valve seat wear and the general aggressive nature of the stuff...
BUT now it's in diesel as well.....Notice, pretty much all engine will have had the hardened valve seats fitted by now......even in mowers....
A good friend tells me that Sweden will be stopping the use of Ethanol in it's fuel this year.....
I believe that the main reason for Ethanol is that it's produced here and they don't need to import the same percentage of crude oil.....which is rather a lot....

Ethanol is just bad news all round - by the way it eats glass-fiber and Aluminum....my vintage motorcycle fuel tanks have suffered.....

now were all cheered up...good-bye
Frank

[baconsdozen]

Two questions.
What are the reasons,financial,enviromental or other that the EU have decided we all have to use ethanol and muck our cars up.
and two
Why don't our lilly livered politicians have any balls ?.

[Bitumen Boy]

Call me cynical if you like, but I reckon it's very simple.

1. The EU is owned by the capitalists, who want to muck your old car up so that you have to go and buy a new one for £££££'s, plus continually spending £££'s for servicing and repairing designed-in faults at the main stealers.

2. Our politicians are owned by the capitalists too. Plus, if anyone can't afford £££££'s for a new car and then can't get to work any more, that's OK because then the DWP or its contractors can pimp out these unfortunate souls to big business on one of their manifold slave labour punishment schemes, thus saving the capitalists £££££££'s on their labour costs.

This is a very wicked world we live in, and the only constant seems to be that what they're really doing is worse than you could possibly imagine.

[Roger-hatchy]

You need to read some of the murderous land grabbing that is going on with regards bio fuels.
And governments get w rich reward for using bio-fuels, even though it is being proved bio-fuels are more environmentally unfriendly then the old fuels.

Biofeulwatch website is worth a browse.

Who needs food if we can keep our cars running.

[Rick]

Some interesting first-hand info here, but can we leave the conspiracy theories for other forums please and just stick to the subject of ethanol and its effects on cars please

RJ
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[baconsdozen]

Conspiracy theories?
Just expressing opinions I thought.