(Glåmdalen): – Can I use the new E10 petrol on my lawnmower?
This is a question we often get these days, says general manager Ulrikke Bråthen at Hage & motor in Eidskogvegen in Kongsvinger.
– I would advise against using that type of petrol on lawnmowers, snowblowers and boat engines – and on chainsaws and clearing saws if you mix petrol and two-stroke oil yourself. If you buy pre-mixed two-stroke petrol, there is no problem – because it is alkylate petrol.
E10 or 95 octane petrol is mixed with between 5 and 10 per cent bioethanol, which means that it is a fresh product that cannot withstand long storage. The ethanol binds moisture and causes the amount of water in the petrol to increase over time. The water can cause corrosion in the engine and carburettor if it is left unused for a few months. Water in the petrol will also cause the engine to run poorly.
In addition, the ethanol will corrode gaskets and petrol hoses over time, they darken and have to be replaced, explains Ulrikke.
Fresh produce
The engine of the lawnmower or snowblower works with E10 petrol, but if you do not use the tool for a while, problems may arise if it is left with this petrol in the tank and in the fuel system. At the start of the next season, it is not certain that all you have to do is pull the rope a couple of times to get started. Many have experienced that they have to take a trip to a workshop before they can “shake” life into the engine.
If you have a petrol tap on the engine, it may be a good idea to close it and let the engine run until it stops so that the petrol in the system is used up. If there is no fuel tap, you should empty the tank before the engine is run empty, but it is a lot of work and a bit impractical.
– When you buy E10 petrol, 95 octane, you should not buy more than what you will use during the next month. The petrol left in the lawnmower tank absorbs moisture. Even a regular petrol can is not tight enough to prevent water from getting into petrol with added ethanol.
Use 98 octane petrol instead, the one marked E5, but even that does not benefit from being stored over the winter. Petrol is a fresh product and should not be used too long after you have bought it, urges the general manager of Hage & motor.
When the machine won’t start
At Hage & motor’s workshop, they have received many mowers and snowblowers on which they have had to change carburettors and petrol hoses after they have been destroyed by the ethanol in the petrol. But old petrol without alcohol also causes problems if it is left for too long.
This does not only apply to old machines, even quite new ones have ended up in workshops because of the “ethanol petrol” and old petrol.
A regular service on a lawnmower, with changing the oil and air filter, as well as sharpening the blade costs well under NOK 1,000. But if the carburettor has to be cleaned or, in the worst case, replaced, the bill will quickly double or more.
The alternative
– An alternative to 98 octane or E5 petrol is alkylate petrol. It is cleaner than regular petrol and is better for both our health and the environment – and the engines. At the workshop, we see a big difference between an engine that has run on alkylate petrol and one that has used regular petrol from the petrol pump. With ordinary petrol, the engine becomes much more sooty compared to one that has run on alkylate petrol, says Ulrikke.
Alkylate petrol is without bioethanol and can be stored for a long time, some brands as long as five years before it deteriorates.
There are two types of alkylate gasoline. A 2% blended biodegradable two-stroke oil for 2-stroke engines and one for 4-stroke engines without added oil, both types have an octane number of 95. The 4-stroke type can also be supplied with an octane number of 98, or 102 which can withstand even stronger compression before it marine antennas, it is used, among other things, on rally cars.
More expensive than regular petrol
The price of alkylate petrol is higher than what you pay when you fill up with regular petrol from the pump at the petrol station. Buying in “loose weight” is always cheaper than when you buy something in 5 or 25 liter jugs.
Alkylate petrol varies in price depending on whether it is for 4-stroke engines or with oil for 2-stroke engines, depending on the quantity you buy and where you buy it. You probably have to settle for paying from just under NOK 35 a liter to almost NOK 60. Some brands of “rally petrol” with 102 octane cost close to NOK 80 per litre.
Although this type of petrol is more expensive, some will think that it is better to use it after all and get away with less trouble and repair bills.
– In the autumn, Aspen will come with its Classic Vehicle Fuel, which is a completely new ethanol-free petrol intended for old car engines. It is storage stable and minimizes the risk of corrosion in the engine. The alkylate petrol for 2- and 4-stroke engines is delivered in 5 and 25 liter jugs, the Classic petrol will probably be delivered in larger quantities, and the price will therefore probably be closer to the pump price of regular petrol than today’s alkylate petrol, Ulrikke in Hage & motor can tell.
Careful
If you have a car that is over twenty years old and need to fill up with petrol, an alarm bell should ring at your place. It is said that cars that are 2001 models or older should not use E10 petrol. If you are in doubt as to whether you can use 95 octane petrol in your car, you should talk to an “adult” who knows how to do it.
The engine will run, but the ethanol will “eat” hoses and gaskets in the fuel system over time. The ethanol also causes more soot and deposits in the engine so that it wears out faster. If you fill up with 98 octane, you should be on the safe side – if you can find a pump that delivers it then.
Most petrol stations today only have 95 octane petrol, marked with E10. A few also have 98 octane labeled E5. And that’s the one you should use on cars from 2001 and older. In addition to vintage cars, outboard engines should also use 98 octane/E5 petrol.
Petrol labeled E5 can contain between 0 and 5% ethanol, also called bioethanol. Bioethanol is a form of alcohol produced from, among other things, potatoes and corn and is thus a non-polluting fossil fuel.
Not sold everywhere
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, the renewable bioethanol is mixed into the petrol to make it more climate-friendly. For environmental reasons, most petrol stations mostly only offer E10 95 octane – petrol with between 5 and 10% mixed alcohol.
But you can still buy E5 98 octane at some stations around. As a rule, it is of the type E0 98 octane, i.e. completely without added ethanol, but the regulations mean that the pump is marked with E5.
To find out where to get E5 / E0 98 octane filled, there are apps that can help you. On the internet you will also find overviews of which stations offer this petrol.
Additives
For those who don’t live near a gas station that sells E5 98 octane, there is still hope. There are many different additives that can be put on the petrol tank to reduce the problems caused by the ethanol.
Alkylatbensin
According to Wikipedia, alkylate petrol is a type of motor fuel that is considered an environmentally friendly fuel. It contains relatively little benzene, aromatics, polyaromatics, alkenes and sulphur.
The method of producing alkylate gasoline was developed when aviation gasoline was produced during the Second World War. The gas formed during the refining of crude oil was taken care of and turned into a much cleaner fuel without as many harmful substances as there are in regular gasoline.
This alkylation process was used by Roland Elmäng when he developed a new type of gasoline for chainsaws.
In the early 1980s, there was a sharp increase in forestry in Sweden. At the time, logging was still a lot of manual work with chainsaws. Several forest workers complained of headaches and fatigue. Many of them also got leukemia or blood cancer after standing and breathing in the exhaust from the chainsaw.
Less harmful to health
Elmäng had experience from the oil industry and worked as a fuel expert at Volvo. The new alkylate petrol he produced was well received by the forest workers and was a success, thus the company Aspen was established. The name Aspen has nothing to do with the USA, the name comes from lake Aspen in Botkyrka municipality in Södermanland. It was beyond that water that Elmäng sat and watched when he tried to come up with a name for the company.
Today, Aspen is headquartered in Hindås outside Gothenburg and develops fuel, oils and accessories for small petrol engines.
Eventually, many other producers of alkylate petrol appeared and it can be bought in many different shops.
2023-07-29 14:08:23
#fill #gas
