new petrol changes

M

mad4slalom

Senior member
was reading that the eurocrats have ordered that the current 5% ethanol in petrol is to be increased next month to 10% , this has the effect of reducing mpg so increasing the price of fuel even further. I was wondering if there is any damage caused to the engine or fuel system components on our high performance engines, because the crats wont care a bit in their relentless drive to force us into fuckin G wizz's. would it help to add an octane booster to the fuel, as we are told to use 98 ron petrol, i thought btw that octane levels stopped at 100, race fuels, apparently the schnieder trophy seaplanes used fuels of up to 150 octane :?
 
Most petrols in the USA have this already. I've not noticed anything in my car, or heard of any issues.
 
The petrol I've used For the life of my Z4M has always had 10% ethanol in it. Ethanol is a natural octane enhancer, 100% ethanol has an octane rating of 109 RON. The petrol I use (Petro Canada Ultra) is 101 RON (AKI 94) with it's 10% ethanol content.
 
Bioethanol is more corrosive to your engine than petrol alone and it's up to the engine manufacturer as to whether your engine is suitable or not. It shouldn't be a worry to any modern BMW (i.e. made after about 1980) as the engine is made to run on up to 10% bioethanol.

Although the octane rating (that's its resistance to damaging engine 'knock' or pinking) of ethanol is higher than petrol – so engine performance may be better, the energy content is lower so vehicles which run on E85 (the bioethanol mix) will do fewer miles to the gallon. Although the claim is that the reduced duty on 'biofuels' (if passed on to the customer) would balance this out.

Don't forget that since 2010 fuel (petrol & diesel) in the UK is already allowed to have up to 5% bioethanol without having to declare this at the pump.
 
If the government put a minimum price on the sale of alcohol and they start increasing the bioethanol content in petrol, there'll soon be a point when it'll be worthwhile distilling your petrol to get the alcohol out. :thumbsup: :drinkwine: Any one like another BP Sauvignon? :drinkwine:
 
What's the %ethanol content of Tesco 99 RON? My Z seems to run badly on that.
 
carl said:
What's the %ethanol content of Tesco 99 RON? My Z seems to run badly on that.
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You surprised ,heavens knows what is in it .
We are talking Tesco here :rofl:

They will say it is to increase your horse power
 
Pretty much spot on mmm-five. The Ethanol is corrosive. Although it's only corrosive to rubber components in the fuel system. Almost every car made in the last 20 years can burn it.

Also. While the Ethanol does resist detonation. To make more power with it. You (or an ECU remap) need to advance the ignition timing. And pump more of the Ethanol into the engine due to the lower BTU per volume of Ethanol.

The rather large problem with alcohols. Is that they are energy negative. I.E. It takes a lot of petrol/fertilizer via farming just to get the grain crop needed. Then it has to be transported to the refinery. The distillation process consumes mass quantities of energy and water to process the grain into alcohol. In fact. It is a known fact that it takes more energy to make the alcohol than it will produce when you burn it. It also competes with the supply of grain to make food or feed for animals.
 
When out in New Zealand a few years back, the local V8 Ford and Holden owners used to pull up at the airport AVGAS pumps on the apron next to Cessnas and Robins, and fill up their tanks with AVGAS. From memory it was 105 octane out there. Anyone know of any relaxed airfields in the UK we can pull up on? :D
 
Sloth said:
When out in New Zealand a few years back, the local V8 Ford and Holden owners used to pull up at the airport AVGAS pumps on the apron next to Cessnas and Robins, and fill up their tanks with AVGAS. From memory it was 105 octane out there. Anyone know of any relaxed airfields in the UK we can pull up on? :D
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Avgas 100 octane and above is still leaded, so it will destroy your catalyst and oxygen sensors.
 
Mine has been running on 93 octane with 10% ethanal since day 1, never a problem. Car just turned 9 years old with 43,000 miles.
 
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