motorcycles

E10 PETROL On 24th February last year the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan announced the move to E10 as the standard grade of petrol supplied by pumps right across Ireland. Increasing the percentage of ethanol in our petrol from 5% to 10% (hence, E10) is part of the Government’s ‘Climate Action Plan 2023’ designed to reduce the country’s transport emissions by 51% by the end of this decade. Since 2009, E10 petrol has been rolled out across 15 European countries, as well as other countries around the world such as the US and Australia. The measure will also align the current petrol we use here with that now standard in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. E10 and Historic Cars Speaking to Peter of Wexford-based Liquid Technology Ltd, suppliers of lubricants, coolants and special additives, we asked what the introduction of E10 means to owners of historic cars. “Up to this point in Ireland petrol contained 5% ethanol, but is now changing to 10%. This level of ethanol will seriously damage any older engine,” said Peter. “It will corrode all traditional fuel lines made of brass, copper or rubber, unless the rubber has been upgraded to deal with unleaded fuels. It also degrades aluminium in carburettors and pistons. “This is because ethanol is hygroscopic. That’s a fancy way of saying it easily absorbs water. In fact, ethanol is so attracted to water it absorbs water vapour in the form of humidity from the air. This water leads to condensation in fuel tanks, fuel lines and carburettor fuel bowls. The high content of water in E10 fuel will also swell the paper filter media found in fuel filters not designed especially for flex-fuel operation. “Water in fuel systems also leads to water contamination and/or fuel phase separation,” adds Peter. If contaminated or separated fuel gets into the engine, serious and sometime irreparable harm can occur. Ethanol is highly corrosive; it helps rust to form wherever air meets metal once submerged in it.