Petrol

[les]

It’s such a long time since I bought petrol for my van, now I’m going to use it, I took a can to fill up but best I could find at the nearest garage was unleaded E5, quite high octane, is this one for the Minor now ? I’m sure I used to buy unleaded ‘Super’

[KeithL]

We always use E5 in our Traveller (and indeed in the XK8 and the MX5 as well), usually ESSO or Shell as they are the closest. There are a few things in the fuel system that will degrade with E10.

[les]

Thanks Keith, that’ll do me then.

[svenedin]

Yes use E5. Even my lawnmower hates E10 (it seems to eat the aluminium alloy of the carburettor).

Esso Supreme used to contain no ethanol at all even though it was labelled as E5 (may contain up to 5% ethanol) but unfortunately that petrol now does have ethanol in it I believe. E10 is actually OK if you use the car every day but not if the petrol sits around in the fuel system on a regular basis. I will probably use E10 on my European trip because we will just burn tank fulls of it in a matter of days.


Stephen

[Bill_qaz]

I think you will find E5 is readily available in most service stations in France and sometimes in two octane ratings 95 and 98

[svenedin]

I think you will find E5 is readily available in most service stations in France and sometimes in two octane ratings 95 and 98

Good but I might just be a cheapskate seeing as it is going to get used so quickly!

[Bill_qaz]

https://autotraveler.ru/en/spravka/fuel ... urope.html

Useful link, enjoy your trip

[svenedin]

https://autotraveler.ru/en/spravka/fuel ... urope.html

Useful link, enjoy your trip

Very interesting thank you.

Last year there was a break down in Holland. The chap who broke down had filled his Morris in Rotterdam with what he thought was E5 petrol (and he had a receipt that proved this is what he had paid for). A few miles down the road the engine started to cough and splutter and then cut out. It turned out that he had filled the car with diesel. He had to drain the tank and then another Morris driver had to go off in his car to get actual petrol. No harm was done.

In Holland we were close to the border with Germany where petrol is considerably cheaper. We drove over the border to fill up every time.

Stephen

[Bill_qaz]

Spent lots of time back and forth to Netherlands as worked for a dutch company but ,luckily never had an issue with fuel. I think sometimes people grab a pump by familiar colour but don't check pump, black for diesel in UK same as Netherlands but commonly yellow in France.

[Mr Spigot]

I had a problem with fuel in Holland last year. Filled up with E5 ( I did carefully check and the receipt proved it) and the car spluttered within a few miles and then stopped. After a lot of head scratching by me and a great Dutch mechanic, we narrowed it down to the fuel. Everything was working fine, sparks, wet plugs (petrol, not diesel) but no combustion. Finally after draining the tank and putting in fresh fuel, it fired up.
It seems a random occurrence and is the last thing you expect. In over 40 years of driving, it is the first time it has happened to me.