Hi guys,

For anyone that doesn't know (like me until this morning) Esso have just released a 99 Ron fuel, was a nice surprise but didn't realise until after I'd put in octane booster...

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

The local shell garage shut down recently and the nearest garage that does 99ron is about 20 miles away. Hopefully it'll be as good as optimax...

Chris.

 

Says it has the friction modifiers, i bet it's the same product.

 

Most likely, it'll be very similar anyway, at least it's another place to get 99 from rather than use additives etc

 

What additives do you usually use and in what ratio? I've just booked a trip to France for next year and am wondering if it's better to use adds or get a map tweak for the trip...

 

I tend to only use additives as a last resort, but I've used millers petrol power ecomax (only with 97 ron fuel to raise to 99) before without any issues.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-60223-m...saAhHgEALw_wcB

I'm sure there's better ones around but this one is easy to get hold of and treats 500l of fuel so you don't need loads of bottles rattling around the boot.

France seem to do 95 and 98, if you're looking to use 95 then you'll need a different additive as the above only raises octane 2 points.

Chris.

 

It's all Shell near me and work, plus the Shell app tells me nearest garage etc. Esso used to be the daddy, I hardly see an Esso anymore....

I wonder if Esso reward their drivers with more than a packet of polo mints and £1 off fuel after 20 visits lol
Jeez, I will never overfill my tank again, ever! First click stop now for me every time.

Fuel pouring out the filler neck, down the drain hole....a puddle of VPower growing rapidly on the floor and heading towards a stonking hot exhaust. Pushed the car off the pump...and stuffed a load of paper towels behind the fuel flap.

Seriously thought she was going to go up....scary time that was, learnt the hard way there.

 

Esso super used to be ethanol free at many outlets. Website still implies it is, hopefully it will remain so.

Ideal for old car/bike owners that don’t have ethanol friendly barrier fuel hose and copper/brass/steel in the fuel system. Itwas the only stuff that would stop the carbs blocking with corrosion on my Kawasaki H1. It also rots/hardens the diaphragms in the carbs on two stroke trimmers/leaf blowers if left with fuel in over winter.

Hope they won’t start using Ethanol additive. Which is an **** for me and any old/vintage car/bike owners.

 

Was there some government mandate to raise the ethanol content in fuel thats why its E5 across the board now

 

went to esso lastnight and the 99ron is E5. It was also 139.99 compared to v power at 144.00

 

Only for 95ron which is made to a European (EN228) standard where politicians made it mandatory to have ethanol for air quality/emissions reduction.

Shell vPower used to be ethanol free too. But they put ethanol in it too (which coincided with my Kawasaki carb float chambers turning into a soup of corroded gunk if left standing for more than three months).


It’s important to note that UK ‘superfuels’ aren’t made to the same standard. Which is why they vary in advertised octane; Its 97Ron minimum and isn’t specific on its ingredients. Even if it advertises as being 99Ron, it only needs to be 97ron at point of delivery and can still be legally sold, which is why I always point out to be wary of stale fuel that could be lurking under a forecourt and filling a car that requires a octane higher than 97Ron.

Politicians (or should I say lobby groups funded by biofuel producers ) are pushing for E10 (10% ethanol) fuel, how that affects super unleaded remains to be seen. It was supposed to happen sometime this year but its probably all on hold until covid and brexit get sorted.

 

Good information there. Whats the benefit to the politicians if we have more ethanol and is it really better for the environment. Don't know too much about it.

 

Politics and ethanol that’s a topic that could go on and on.

Ethanol being an oxygenate (like octane boosters). It lowers emissions as it adds extra oxygen into the combustion process, as well as a cooling effect. This means less co2 less Nox, Co HC etc. All good really so long as the car is tuned and made for it and you grow it in fields. Politicians like it as it ticks boxes. Agriculture likes it, as like oil, it has a huge and lucrative global market potential, especially with third world economies. Add some big corporations into the mix funding lobby groups and there we have it; E5 with pressure to go to E10. So there is a strong case for it on cars designed for it...But there are negatives. From older cars that aren’t made to run on it, intensive farming, deforestation etc. As well as containing less energy (so you need to burn more to make the same power) and being hydroscopic it’s also prone bacterial growth causing corrosive acids (The problem with my Kawasaki).

Being honest, I don’t care so long as there is a choice.

 

It could all be placebo but I've put £30 in and although performace doesn't feel any different I feel it fires up a fraction quicker.

Also the fumes smell more plastic like compared to V power. Slightly chemically like.

 

When E85 was available in Germany (back in 2012 or so, they have stopped doing it now), a friend used to run his Colt CZT on it. The exhaust smelled like wine and his car went like the clappers.
I used a tank on it in a 205 GTi with an Emerald M3D and an AFR gauge fitted playing with mixtures and the car went well.
The HG blew a few thousand miles later, not sure whether this was coincidental or the E85 had anything to do with it (the car had never overheated).

 

Having a look at E85 it is massive in parts of the USA and Australia. It burns quicker than our usual petrol so you will get less MPG. But it does have cooling properties so you can push the car more and get better performance. To me that seems like you get all the benefits of Meth without any of the drawbacks. Me personally I wouldn't want to mess with Methanal because it burns flameless and is dangerous. The issue with E85 vs petrol is it tends to eat up fuel lines etc. But they can be replaced ahead.

 

Ethanol burns slower.

You get less MPG because the calorific content of the fuel is lower.

E85 needs 42% more fuel flow for the same Lambda.

You can add a small amount of additive to Methanol to make it burn with a flame, mandatory in MSA race events where Methanol is used.

 

Labelling rules for unleaded fuel mandate an E5 sticker, even when the fuel is ethanol free. The new Esso fuel is ethanol free.
The sticker just means it's possible to have a max of 5%.

It's a stupid labelling system as it's not telling the buyer what the fuel really is, just what it could be.

The labelling is a result of an EU directive where there is no E0 label available. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres.../en/IP_18_6101

 

Glad to hear that as I thought they started putting ethanol in. As you say daft labelling system, quite confusing in France and spain as some pumps dispense various grades without clear grading of which is what. But all say its E5 or B5

 

They don't have a choice, EU regs for you.

 

Hey Robert, thanks for getting in touch. Our new Synergy Supreme+ 99 is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland). We would therefore advise anyone who has concerns about the presence of ethanol in petrol to use Synergy Supreme+ – providing they do not fill up in Devon or Cornwall, the Teesside area or Scotland. The European standard BS EN228 covers the requirements for 0-5% ethanol unleaded petrol, the labelling requirement for zero % ethanol is E5 (as is up to 5%), a E0 label doesn’t exist. We understand that this is confusing if you are looking for zero % ethanol fuel, but as advised we can confirm that our Supreme Unleaded fuel supplied in areas except those listed (Devon, Cornwall, Teeside & Scotland) is ethanol free. Thanks, Esso GB.

So zero ethanol. Does that mean it's better than V power?

 

Good that you got a reply from Esso.
Without an AFR gauge it would be difficult to see if a fuel with 5% ethanol runs significantly leaner under open loop to cause a problem, I wouldn't think so.
I'll fill with Esso Supreme+ in my next fill up and see if I notice any difference.

 

I stand corrected thanks for pointing that out

I'm in now way an expert and I'm just trying to expand my knowledge so double check what I say lol. Not my field at all lol.


Guys check this video I found on Youtube seems to be really in depth


So with the different ethanol content is it work moving to a flexfuel setup.