Technical E10 petrol - views & advice

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Technical E10 petrol - views & advice

RichT1

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Apr 22, 2021
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Hi All

On a trip to fill up the Seicento today, I noticed that my local garage has started to sell the new E10 petrol. This has sort of passed me by so far so having read a little bit about it on various forums I understand it is coming in in a couple weeks time.

Would appreciate some advice. Can this be used in the 2001 version of the Seicento. The government website is not overly helpful as it says it should be fine from 2001 onwards.....however, I am assuming a 2001 registered car has an earlier engine....

I understand the engine will still run ok with out change, however the extra ethanol will put strain on the rubber components and seals over a period of time? Otherwise is it worth switching to super unleaded which will still be E5 rated. I have never used the super unleaded, high octane fuel in the Seicento before, but do use in my daily driver - as this is a modern higher performance engine.....
 
According to my local Shell station it will be kicking in from 1 September though some stations are already getting E10 supplies as you've found out. Like you I won't be running it in my older cars for fear of it damaging rubber and plastic components.

The solution as you say is to buy premium fuel which will stay as E5. Running premium won't harm our cars, it will harm our pockets though! :)

A tip: if you are going to buy premium you might as well seek out your local Esso station for their Synergy Supreme+ Plus 99. Despite it saying E5 on the pump (legal requirement) it actually contains zero ethanol unless you live in particular regions of the UK:

https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels/petrol

If it costs about the same as "regular" premium from elsewhere, then us classic car owners might as well support Esso so that they continue providing us with this useful option (y)
 
In France the E10 has been around for a very long time.

We even have the E85 since 2007/2008.

I have been running my 98 seicento abarth with E85 for 4 years (I do my own programming). I also have a fiat 20v turbo coupe from 1998 which I have been running since 2009 at E85.(my own program too )

The seicento has 150,000km and the 20vt 225,000km. I have absolutely nothing to change it and it works wonderfully.

At the E10 the ecu will adapt after a few kilometers with self-learning.
With E85, self-learning will not be able to compensate.

The ideal is to drive with increased ignition feeds to take full advantage of the ethanol.
 
The compatibility lists are based on stock parts, like if your car rolled out the factory with lesser-grade fuel lines, brass-floated carburettors, mechanical fuel pumps with membranes that are likely to disintegrate and timing systems that would need to be compensated.

In the 'centos you've got an ECU and fuel injection, none of the above to worry about except the fuel lines. So just replace them with SAE R9 grade hoses and boom, sorted.
 
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