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Originally Posted by Big Block Ford
I've never used it before and didn't realise there was such a drop in performance.
Some of the info I have seen suggested there was an increase in power and torque from using it but that sounds wrong from what you guys have experianced.
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I agree with you - I tried a tank in the ZC and thought it had more power and ran cooler too...
Mind you, the ignition timing setting was a bit advanced for standard unleaded (pinging) - with the E10, no pinging, more power, cooler running...
I think E10 has a 98 RON Octane rating...
Today Tonight ran a test on 4 different fuels with interesting results:
Passing the petrol test
REPORTER: Laura Sparkes
BROADCAST DATE: October 3, 2005
Passing the petrol test
The rising price of fuel has forced many Australians to look at what really goes into the tank. We put unleaded petrol to the test against ethanol blends.
There has never been a better time to find out exactly which fuel lasts the longest.
With petrol prices hitting $1.40 per litre and the federal government's new push for ethanol, we decided to put ethanol blends E10 and E5 to the test against unleaded and premium.
Professional motoring expert Ian Luff and his personal driver trainers helped set up the test. He made sure the test was fair.
"They're identical cars, same weight, we had a mechanic come out this morning to drain the fuel tanks bone dry, they were pumped out, all the tyre pressures were exactly set the same," Mr Luff said.
"The only difference was a bit of driver weight, but that was minimal anyway."
We bought exactly five litres of each fuel type: E10, E5, premium unleaded and unleaded. To check the amount was correct, we poured it into a can to measure exactly five litres.
The test involved driving around the flat skid pan at Sydney's Oran Park.
Certified mechanic and senior manager with the Motor Traders Association David Smith said many in the industry believed ethanol gave less mileage, but he was adamant ethanol at 10 per cent would not ruin fuel lines and seals.
Surprisingly, the car using premium unleaded ran out of fuel first. Second to break down was the unleaded. Of the ethanol blends, the E5 conked out first, with the E10 victorious 40 minutes after the premium unleaded car pulled over.
Ian Luff said he was surprised because many people had said ethanol-based fuels were not efficient.
"Today the tests have shown, particularly in the vehicle I was in, the E10 went the distance, so a lot of the skeptics have to look at the rule books again," Mr Luff said.
If these results were applied to an average Australian tank of 60 litres, at current prices premium unleaded would cost about $84 to fill and drive you 758km. The unleaded car would drive 839km and cost $80 at $1.33 per litre.
The E5 - not yet on the market - was estimated to cost about $1.30 per litre and on a 60 litre tank it would drive you 974km under the Oran Park test conditions and cost $78 to fill. E10 proved the best value, costing $76.80 to fill a tank and driving an estimated 1,145km under the test conditions.
Ron Bowden from the Service Station Association said experts who claimed E10 had 2-3 per cent less mileage than unleaded might have to rewrite the rule book after more serious testing.
"I'm a little surprised," Mr Bowden said. "On the other hand, if we saw a lab test, I'd be a little happier I guess."
"That 2-3 per cent isn't really challenged," Mr Bowden said. "What we're not sure about is when you put that with petrol, you throw in the octane benefits, the benefits of the car engine, then is something we're yet to see how it goes," he said.
The Federal Government recently agreed 5 per cent ethanol blends were safe enough to be sold without any labelling. If oil companies adopted the Government's pro-ethanol policy and blended 5 per cent ethanol into their petrol, the Prime Minister himself promised to pass on the savings to consumers.
Some oil companies have begun offering E10 at service stations, but selling it for the same price as unleaded petrol.
http://seven.com.au/todaytonight/story/?id=24813
