E10 Fuel

We have had E10 here in Australia for a while. I would NEVER use it in a Ferrari or any other car. I wouldn't even put it in my lawnmower. To start, it has the lowest octane of any available fuel. So you go a shorter distance on a tank full. The lower octane opens the door to detonation...I have friends who have sustained engine damage in newer cars. In 'older' Ferrari's? I think show the car some respect and put in the highest octane you can find. I believe we are soon to go to a system of E10 and premium unleaded, the middle octane is being phased out. I suspect this will happen in your neck of the woods too. If you can afford a Ferrari, budget for the most expensive fuel.

 

I have an 85 308 that I've owned since new. I live in CT. We have had E10 only since about 2005. I don't to anything special, even when I store the car for winter. No additives, no stabilizer. NO PROBLEMS. My experience tells me that the problems people talk about with E10 are highly over exaggerated. I have 5 vehicles. Several of them go undriven for weeks or even months at a time. NO PROBLEMS. They all start and run fine. Nothing rotting and falling off. No accumulation of water in fuel tanks or separation of fuel. Also, lawn mower, snow blower, generator; all sit unused for at least 6 months out of the year. Generator is used infrequently for power outages. Never drain tanks for storage or add stabilizer. All start and run fine. So my experience is with various internal combustion engines, high and low performance autos, injected and carbureted, constant and very limited use, and no special treatment and no problems.

[edit] With regard to octane rating we have 87, 89 and 93 octane E10 available at ever pump at every station.

 

yeah some of us don't have a choice I have no gas stations near me that don't have ethanol in the gas, its aggravating.

 

Me too, 10% in all gas here...

 

FYI, here in Quebec we have Petro-Canada which is 93 but may contain up to 10% ethanol and Shell V-Power 91 which has ZERO ethanol.

I always use Shell 91 and luckily it's available everywhere...

 

We have E10 here in Florida, however we now can buy ethonal free gas now. Costs more than E10. Ethonal can absorb moisture an then cause problems. It made white powder in my Weber carbs and plugged up the idle jets on a Porsche Spyder. It can also do damage to fuel pumps, lines, etc. on some cars and boats.

 

I found that the problems happen when the car sits for a long time. As long as it is used often then that white powder never happens. I guess that as long as you don't let her sit so long the better.

 

Carrefour have committed to have at least one 95 and/or 98 Octane pump without ethanol at all of their service stations in France for the foreseeable future.

They have a very extensive network of service stations in France, admittedly not on the motorway network, but generally virtually every large town & city in France has a Carrefour fuel station.

Now, the debate about supermarket fuel quality is another topic, but at least you know you can currently get fuel 'sans ethanol' if desired.