Examples of reported damage, determined to be caused by E10 fuel.
Ethanol Gasoline - General Problems/Issues:
1. Phase separation (P/S) of gasoline.
2. Water contamination (W/C) of gasoline.
3. Attract, absorb and hold moisture in fuel tank.
4. Increased occurrence of lean, water-diluted fuel.
5. Vapor lock or fuel starvation.
6. Drop in octane (after water absorption, P/S and W/C occurs).
7. Decreased fuel efficiency and mpg.
8. Decreased life cycle of parts and engine.
9. Decreased shelf life of gasoline.
Parts Damage:
1. Wear and damage of internal engine parts.
2. Damage to metal, rubber, and plastic parts of fuel system.
3. Corrosion of metal parts in fuel system and engine.
4. Deterioration of elastomers and plastic parts.
5. Deterioration of non-metallic materials.
6. Fuel permeation through flexible fuel lines.
7. Drying, softening, stretching and/or cracking of rubber hoses,
seals and other rubber components.
8. Oxygen sensor damage.
9. Damage or premature disintegration of fuel pump.
10. Carburetor damage, including clogging.
11. Dirty and clogged fuel filters.
12. Clogging and plugging of fuel injectors.
13. Destruction of certain fiberglass fuel tanks.
14. Removal or fading of paint and varnish (both internal and external
parts of engine).
15. Piston/bore failure through knock/pre-ignition.
16. Piston ring sticking.
17. Unsuitable ignition timing resulting in ignition failure.
18. Gumming-up of fuel injectors, carburetors, etc. due to release of
accumulated deposits in engine from ethanol alcohol's solvent
properties.
E10 Drivability Issues:
1. Engine performance problems. (Lack of power/energy).
2. Hard starting and operating difficulty.
3. Hesitation and lack of acceleration.
4. Stalling, especially at low speeds.
suffer problems with rubber seals and gaskets.
REASONS WHY ETHANOL BLENDED PETROL IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN SOME
OLDER VEHICLES
Introduction
The following information outlines the key reasons why vehicle
manufacturers do not recommend the use of any ethanol/petrol blended
fuels in vehicles made before 1986. This information is also
applicable to post-1986 vehicles listed as unsuitable to use ethanol
blended petrol.
Ethanol has a number of important chemical and physical properties
that need to be considered in a vehicle's design.
Carburettor Equipped Engines
Vehicles made before 1986 vehicles were predominantly equipped with
carburettors and steel fuel tanks.
The use of ethanol blended petrol in engines impacts the air/fuel
ratio because of the additional oxygen molecules within the ethanol's
chemical structure.
Vehicles with carburettor fuel systems may experience hot fuel
handling concerns. This is because the vapour pressure of fuel with
ethanol will be greater (if the base fuel is not chemically adjusted)
and probability of vapour lock or hot restartability problems will be
increased.
As a solvent, ethanol attacks both the metallic and rubber based fuels
lines, and other fuel system components.
Ethanol also has an affinity to water that can result in corrosion of
fuel tanks and fuel lines. Rust resulting from this corrosion can
ultimately block the fuel supply rendering the engine inoperable.
Water in the fuel system can also result in the engine hesitating and
running roughly.
Fuel Injected Engines
In addition to the issues mentioned above for carburettor equipped
engines, the use of ethanol blended petrol in fuel injection systems
will result in early deterioration of components such as injector
seals, delivery pipes, and fuel pump and regulator.
Mechanical fuel injection systems and earlier electronic systems may
not be able to fully compensate for the lean-out effect of ethanol
blended petrol, resulting in hesitation or flat-spots during
acceleration.
Difficulty in starting and engine hesitation after cold start can also result.
Exhaust And Evaporative Emission Levels
Lean-out resulting from the oxygenating effect of ethanol in the fuel
may affect exhaust emissions.
Of more concern is that fuel containing ethanol can increase
permeation emissions from fuel system components, particularly those
that have aged for nearly 20 years. Therefore the increased vapour
pressure of fuel with ethanol (if the base fuel is not chemically
adjusted at the refining stage) will lead to increased evaporative
emissions.
List update in progress 03-2009 - Contact Fuel-testers for more information.
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