E10 unleaded petrol and the middle-aged car

[cuttlefishgame]

Has anyone else noticed a lack of oomph and a drop in performance from their car now they'e switched to this new fuel? Mine doesn't like it all that much - its get up and go has got up and gone. At first I thought it was in need of a service, until one day I thought it might be a fuel issue so I put some of the super E5 in instead. Car back to its enthusiastic moderate self.

There have been reports that fuel consumption goes up with the use of E10, and that it can damage the engines of older vehicles.

How are you finding it?

Definitely noticed fuel consumption is up, hadn't thought of the link to the new petrol though.
08 plate nissan here.

Yes, fuel consumption down and I also had an intermittent engine fault light which I read it's likely to be related to it too.

I am now using E5 and the engine fault light hasn't appeared for while (c.500 miles).

10 plate Vauxhal here. The fuel consumption on this E10 is shocking. Runs through like water!!

I'm waiting for this tank to empty, which won't be long and I'll be going back to the E5.

It's worth the extra 2pence to have a full tank last 2 weeks rather than 8days!!

Glad it's not just me. At the moment I'm alternating the one with the other.

My seven year old car wouldn't start on E10 and my husband's three year old car was struggling to start. Both are in good condition and are well maintained, serviced etc.

We've switched to E5 and have had no further problems.

Dh reckons E10 is a ploy to get people to get rid of their older cars as E5 is more expensive. How long before that gets phased out? How on earth can a three year old car struggle on E10? It's literal shite. I'm really angry about it.

Yeah I'm getting through a ton of petrol now, 13 plate here ..

This is being done to force people into electric cars. Those damn things are too expensive and, as usual, poorer people will be adversely affected. How do they expect people like home carers to run their cars to get from job to job when the piss poor fuel doesn't last? They can't just dob out and buy a bloody Tesla can they?

Unbelievable!

I’ve got an 11 plate Kia Soul and I’ve not noticed any difference on the new fuel , still getting between 41-47 mpg depending on where I’m driving .

My 05 Subaru seems fine but it's not exactly efficient normally. It's well within the lot that should be ok for Subaru's though...

Ive definitely noticed it with my 11 plate ford focus. I used to fill up once every 3-4 weeks or so with E5 and im now getting through 1/4 of a tank in like 3-4 days. Not doing anymore driving than I would normally. Im thinking of swapping back to E5.

I used to get around 420 miles per tank and now getting around 280. Not sure how much longer I can actually afford to run a car with the price per litre so high too. My car is 13 years old

How are you using e5 - are you using the performance/premium unleaded? I tried that last week and for a tenner more let tank it didn't actually make any difference in mpg to the e10

@bestcattoyintheworld

This is being done to force people into electric cars. Those damn things are too expensive and, as usual, poorer people will be adversely affected. How do they expect people like home carers to run their cars to get from job to job when the piss poor fuel doesn't last? They can't just dob out and buy a bloody Tesla can they?

Unbelievable!

I have a community support role. I support vulnerable people on the community take them to appointments, take them out for a coffee, visit their homes for support sessions.

And I genuinely feel like I'm being forced to buy an electric car, but I can't afford to. If I did I wouldn't be driving around in 10plate Vauxhal Astra that had 5 previous owners before me 🤦🏻‍♀️

And I genuinely feel like I'm being forced to buy an electric car, but I can't afford to. If I did I wouldn't be driving around in 10plate Vauxhal Astra that had 5 previous owners before me

I really feel for you. Electric cars are so expensive. If they stop selling E5 I don't know what we'll do. Dh says there are additives you can buy which will help address the problem, but they're £15 a bottle which will treat around 50 litres of their fake petrol. More expense.

@liveforsummer

How are you using e5 - are you using the performance/premium unleaded? I tried that last week and for a tenner more let tank it didn't actually make any difference in mpg to the e10

The main issue for me is the reduction in the power of the engine. When you put your foot down, you expect a car to speed up and at the moment it feels like I'm getting 0-60 in about five minutes. It's particularly noticeable when I drive up a fairly steep slip road to get onto a dual carriageway every day. By the time I get to the top of it to join the other traffic I'm lucky if I can get the car up to 45mph.

So I'm not using E5 to improve mileage, I'm using it to put the guts back in the car.

Yes, I've a new BMW 1 series so should be ok on the new fuel but it feels so gutless. Noticed a drop in consumption too. Not loving it at all so I'll pay for e5

06 Citroën. Not noticed any difference but I'm just doing short journeys round town

I've never heard of E5 or E10?
If I buy regular (not the more expensive version), is that E10?

JM, it will be in the small print on the pump, at filling station.

www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol

This is so interesting! I drive an 07 golf and drive roughly the same no of miles per week. I've gone from filling up every 12 days to filling up every 7 days. I hadn't even considered that this was because of E10, I thought there must be something wrong with my car .

Also engine warning light has come on saying something about exhaust recirculating gasses. Car had full mega service and flew through MOT just 4 weeks ago. I know it's an older car and things do go wrong with them but this plus increased fuel consumption plus drop in performance (car just feels lacking in oomph - nothing specific just not as nippy as it was) and I'm now wondering about the E10.

Think I'll fill up with supreme next time and see if it helps.

^just to clarify drop in performance and increased fuel usage happened prior to engine light coming on (that only happened yesterday)

E10 petrol’s higher bioethanol content is corrosive to rubber parts, gaskets, seals, metals and plastics, which causes engine damage, so it could dislodge deposits in older engines and fuel systems, causing blockages. It should only be used with expert advice, which means pretty much never.

What owners of vulnerable cars can do is source replacement engine components made with ethanol-compatible materials. Otherwise, the quick fix is to use the higher-octane 97-99 Ron ‘super unleaded’ E5 petrol, which is expected to remain available at most fuel stations after E10 comes into use.

Well that's worrying if true. Taken from www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-cars/e10-petrol-how-will-switch-affect-your-car

Yes we've found E10 to be awful - not sure how environmentally friendly it is if you have to fill up far more often. But no doubt somebody's profiting out of pretending to be green.

We have a 2005 Vauxhall and I haven't noticed any difference to power levels and the engine light hasn't come on.

Not sure about fuel usage. I don't keep a record of that and I've had a couple of long journeys recently so mileage has been higher than usual. Price of refilling the car has definitely gone up!