October 2021

OCTOBER 2021 AFTERMARKET 11 become more acidic as it ages, corrosion inhibitors provide extra protection against attack by the aggressive ethanol, while detergent and dispersant chemicals remove existing deposits and guard against future growth. Lubricity improvers in JLM's E10 fuel additive provide additional lubrication to combat the increased wear and lower level of lubrication of ethanol fuels.” For more information on E10 additives visit: www.jlmlubricants.com Protection While some drivers are probably still oblivious to the changeover, many had already taken on board the potential impact and acted accordingly. As sales of its engine protection additive Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner soared by over 400% in July and August, the US additive and lubricants manufacturer Lucas Oil told Aftermarket that it was a sales boom fuelled by garages, motor factors and consumers who were racing to prepare for the switch to the new petrol standard. “The switchover is part of the UK’s drive to reduce CO2 emission levels in response to climate change,” said Dan Morgan, Sales and Operations director at Lucas Oil Products UK. “Environmental benefits include reduction in CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year, and estimated savings in emissions equivalent to output from 350,000 cars The UK government’s information campaign has been advising that cars registered prior to 2011 may be at risk, In the US, E10 is already widely available. Our experience suggests that the problems will run much deeper.” Without protection, older original hoses, found in the fuel systems of classic cars for example, will have problems. For some time, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu has been taking steps to protect its treasured vehicles from E5. “If the National Motor Museum uses any vehicle that runs on normal petrol, we ensure that we add Ethanol Fuel Conditioner on every occasion,” added museum manager Doug Hill. The new E10 standard makes protection measures for such vehicles even more critical, but it’s a myth that only older cars are at risk. The negative issues include that fact that Ethanol is hygroscopic and pulls water from air, as we have discussed earlier. It is also less stable fuel that inhibits ignition of infrequently driven cars. It dries-out rubber hoses, that may swell and rupture. Meanwhile, sulphates and copper content promote gum and carbon deposits on injectors. Seals, plastics and metals likely to be adversely affected, and E10 has no lubrication properties. When enough water contaminates the petrol, phase separation occurs, forming two distinct layers in the tank. On top is petrol. At the bottom is an ethanol/water mix. This layer promotes metal corrosion and other problems. Dan Morgan continued: “Lucas Oil thinks most UK car owners ought to protect their cars. Leisure craft, such as ATVs and boats, as well as items of petrol-driven garden machinery will also be ensnared.” He recently told a conference of A1 retailers that although incompatible cars will continue to run on E10 rated fuel, the problems are long-term. He listed the main combative measures as regular smaller fills discourage phase separation, as well as more frequent oil changes. He also said drivers should consolidate small trips into fewer longer journeys, while garages should monitor air intakes and EGR systems for increased deposits. Lastly, according to Dan, additives as a preventive measure. He added: “Use of a fuel additive like Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner is the best preventative measure. It also represents revenue opportunities for automotive distributors, retailers and garages to supply consumers with the products that offer protection against E10 problems.” Final thoughts It’s always best to be prepared. The result of the switch to E10 will not be as dramatic as the shift over to unleaded petrol in 1993, and any problems drivers experience are likely to take some time to appear. Consider this however; While the switch to electric vehicles has led to endless articles in a host of magazines, including Aftermarket, the number of actual vehicles on the road remains small. Conversely, In the last issue, we reported that recent SMMT used car figures showed that just 12.7% of the second-hand vehicles sold in the second quarter of 2021 were under three years old. With the pandemic being pointed to as a motivator for people buying second hand cars in order to avoid public transport, are we going to see a host of older vehicles with new owners, who do not realise their new motor is not E10- compatible? If any of your customers have concerns about whether their vehicle can run on E10, you should direct them to the government’s official free E10 checker: www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol There will be more information regarding E10 fuel in upcoming issues of Aftermarket. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 )4 -*/)+ *-3. /,324 -.-*/)+ /0/2 /*-)//. ) Y AWA + /30/23 //-3 3 23 23 / // */) 432 03 /0*.) . 23/.2/23 3/)**2/ /,/0 , 23-* , 4 , 2/ .- 3 +*)) ('&%$ #"' '!& -,3 *).0/ 3 / )0) 2. *- 3