Has Anyone Used E10 in a 95 RON Engine

[Amalgam]

Hi All,

E10 95 RON has just been released in Perth.

My question is has anyone used it on their 95 RON TSI cars??

My parents have a Golf and would like to switch if it is safe as it is 2cpl cheaper than regular 91 RON ULP and 13 cpl cheaper than 95 RON.

Thanks

George

[vdubmotorworx]

Dont do it... TSI engines hate poor fuel.. its not worth saving that extra 2c. Even 95 / 98 RON fuel in Australia is poor at times and can cause issues. You might find that on the E10 mix fuel you wont save anyway as the car wont be running as well actually causing it to use more fuel than before and you might feel it running not so smooth whilst sat in the car. Stick to 95 at least. Remember to check the fuel filler flap and use only what it recommends on the sticker on there especially when the cars in warranty .VDUB.

[Ryan_R]

Have used 98-RON since before I owned my Golf. In my old Corolla (30L tank) I would get about 320kms per tank with normal 91RON and almost 400kms with 98, plus slightly better performance.

Agreed with the warning, never go below 95RON - the engine will suffer and VW will refuse to honour the warranty when they see the signs of cheap fuel.

[Diesel_vert]

There is nothing wrong with cheap fuel - I've yet to meet anyone who likes paying for fuel. Rather, it's a matter of using fuel that's suitable for the vehicle - using the correct fuel is generally the best way to minimise running costs.

You can only use regular unleaded (E10 or otherwise) if the sticker on the fuel flap states, '95/91 RON' or something to that effect.

If the stickers states, 'min. 95 RON' or '98/95 RON' or something to that effect, you must use premium unleaded (E10 or otherwise).

...

The European Standard for automotive petrol fuel ( EN 228 ) states a minimum RON of 95 and a minimum MON of 85.

In Australia, only premium unleaded (E10 or otherwise) is guaranteed to meet those two specifications. Regular unleaded has a minimum RON of 91 and a minimum MON of 81. Regular unleaded E10 has a typical RON of 93-95 and a typical MON of 81-83.

Premium unleaded is also a cleaner fuel because it has less sulphur.

Link to Australian fuel standards if you're really interested: Fuel Quality in Australia - Petrol Fuel Quality Standard

[Amalgam]

From Unleaded E10

What is Unleaded E10?

Unleaded E10 is a new higher octane (95) unleaded fuel enhanced with up to 10% ethanol (E10).



It seems to pass all the requirements of 95 RON and VW are E10 compatible.

My parents haven't used any yet and that is the reason for this post as E10 is new to Perth but has been available on the east coast for some time.

Thanks

[Diesel_vert]

For reasons I've already stated, I do not recommend using regular unleaded E10 in any vehicle that requires premium unleaded.

I will say this - it is possible for a Golf 1.4 TSI to run on regular unleaded E10 - but you asked if using regular unleaded E10 in such a car is safe. So the only safe recommendation I can make is to use premium unleaded or premium unleaded E10.

United Petroleum's 'Unleaded E10' would be classified as regular unleaded E10 fuel. It is not a premium unleaded or premium unleaded E10 fuel because it wouldn't meet the requirements (refer to the Australian fuel standards link in my previous post).

It would be fine if you were using your own car to experiment with regular unleaded E10 and being prepared to accept any potential consequences, but it's your parent's car and should something go wrong, I (nor you I imagine) would not want to be held responsible for giving out any advice contrary to that of the manufacturer.

Your call.

[Amalgam]

It would be fine if you were using your own car to experiment with regular unleaded E10 and being prepared to accept any potential consequences, but it's your parent's car and should something go wrong, I (nor you I imagine) would not want to be held responsible for giving out any advice contrary to that of the manufacturer.

Point taken. I have advised the parents to continue using standard PULP.

Thanks for the advice.

[brad]

I'd actually recommend they use 98ron

[Golf Loon]

I have cleaned out plenty of fuel systems where tight arses have tried to save a dollar. E10 eats the plastic lines and puts slurry into the filter and injectors. Doesn't work out cheaper when you factor in the repairs.

98 octane is the answer more bang for your buck. It costs $3 more at the pump and you go 50 ks further and car accelerates faster. Surely that's a no brainer.

If you want really cheap fuel buy an LPG ex taxi. If you want a perky fast well engineered car, buy a Vw and then put good fuel in it.

[wai]

The issue with E10 is to do with the combustion chemistry.

Firstly, Ethanol has something like 30% less calorific value than petrol. With a 10% blend, this immediately equates to a 3% loss of economy.

Next, the ethanol molecule contains oxygen. When it combusts, this oxygen is released and has the effect of leaning out the mixture. The effect is generally outside the scope of the ECU to adjust so you end up with an engine running lean. This sees high combustion temperatures and while better for unburnt HC and CO/CO2, it has the effect of almost tripling the NOx.

If you tune the engine for E10 and then cannot get E10, using straight petrol will see it run rich and emit even more pollutants.

The result is that you end up burning roughly 10% more E10 than petrol, so it completely negates the 10% substitution. You burn as much petrol as you would straight petrol, PLUS you burn 10% ethanol. This does not take into account the emissions from the growing, and husbandry of the crop and production of ethanol.

Then there are the chemical effects ethanol which result in corrosion, and the fact that ethanol is hygroscopic. All up, not a good idea.

While we are on bio-fuels, ever wonder how you get oil out of seed crops? After all, when you crush a seed you never see a drop of oil.

The fact is that to extract the oil, you crush the seed and then have to heat the "meal" to get the oil to flow. This sees you actually use as much (and more) energy to release the oil than you get from the resulting oil to produce bio-diesel. You then need various catalysts that have to be manufactured, and there are the waste by-products.

Bio-diesel is only viable when it is waste oil that is used. There is simply not enough waste oil to make any significant dent on fuel usage or emissions, and the energy balance is questionable.