Using E10 will not cause immediate damage to your car, so putting a tank through by accident is no big deal. However, prolonged use can cause long-term problems because ethanol is a solvent and can cause degradation of rubber and plastic components, such as seals, fuel lines and filters.
CAN I MIX E10 AND REGULAR UNLEADED? Not like diesel and petrol, you can refuel with E10, regular or premium unleaded without any damage to the fuel system or engine.
Most petrol vehicles built after 2000 are compatible with E10. If your car is E10 compatible you can replace your unleaded petrol with E10 when you fill up. It's ok to switch back and forth between E10 and other unleaded fuel types, where your manufacturer has advised these fuels are suitable for your vehicle.
In turn, the majority of petrol engines designed for RON 91 are compatible with E10. If the manufacturer has recommended that you use premium unleaded in the vehicle, this means you should fill the tank with either RON 95 or RON 98.
Answered by CarsGuide
No, you'll end up with an octane rating somewhere between the two fuels depending on how much of each you used.
Mixing the grades to get 91 or so shouldn't hurt, but it probably isn't saving you much money. Using anything higher than your manual recommends probably won't help your car's performance – but using lower might save you a few bucks, Leroux says. If you notice knocking, you should switch back.
As mentioned above, all vehicles made after 2010 can run on E10 fuel and the majority of cars built between 2002 and 2010 will also be compatible. However, there are some exceptions, including certain models from brands like Ford, Renault, Toyota, Lexus, Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes.
Shell Unleaded E10, which contains up to 10% ethanol, has a minimum 94 octane rating.
Most, but not all, modern cars can use E10, so it's important you check first before filling up with E10 fuel. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says some E10 unleaded petrol blends are marketed as 94 RON. That means they do not meet the fuel standards for cars recommended to use 95 or 98 premium fuels.
Although E10 is cheaper at the pump, it will burn quicker than your premium fuels. This is due to the higher octane rating of premium fuel (Unleaded 98) compared to E10 (Unleaded 91/94).
Therefore, if your classic is not used for a while, it is advisable to refuel a premium gasoline with the lowest possible alcohol content (Super 98, V-Power, Excellium, etc.). Some suppliers are offering additives for E10, specially designed to counteract the harmful effects on our classics.
Premium, 98 Unleaded Petrol
Otherwise known as Ultra-Premium by some brands, 98 is the highest-octane fuel currently available in Australia. Unleaded 98 provides higher engine power and overall performance in comparison to 91 and 95. It is also responsible for less pollution, according to providers.
Super-unleaded fuel is mostly used by performance cars but is fine for any petrol car, unlike the new E10 fuel. When you pull up at the petrol station you're often faced with two types of petrol: unleaded and super-unleaded.
If 91 is used in cars requiring higher octane fuel, you run the risk of pre-igniting or "knocking". This occurs when the petrol combusts early and pushes down against a piston while it is still moving upwards during the compression stroke.
A modern engine designed for 91 will even deliver a very small amount of additional power if fed 95 or 98 because it will advance the timing a little more than with 91. The improvement will be very minor. So minor you probably won't notice it.
Mixing the 95 and 98 octane fuels will not cause any problems.
Premium unleaded 98 octane petrol: This petrol is designed specifically for high performance engines. This will definitely work if your car needs premium fuel, and may offer better mileage over 95 octane fuel. E10 fuel: This blend of ethanol and unleaded fuel is cheaper than 98 octane and has an RON of 105.
E10 is the cheapest and most widely available but not all cars can use it. Premium 95 and Premium 98 fuel are more expensive but can offer better performance and fuel efficiency, particularly in newer or high-performance cars.
E10 petrol, or SP95-E10, is unleaded 95 enriched with 10% bioethanol.
According to NRMA motoring expert Jack Haley, on average 95 RON can give around 4 per cent lower fuel consumption than 91, assuming the engine computer adjusts to take advantage of the octane difference. Using 98 might give 3 per cent reduction over 95, again assuming the computer adjusts the engine parameters.
When it comes to the different fuel types, it's the number that really matters – 91, 95 and 98. These numbers are called the 'octane-rating', and are an indication of how well the fuel resists burning too early inside the car's engine. Standard petrol is given a 91 rating, while premium unleaded is both 95 and 98.
95 RON ULP
Put simply, 95 RON is a just a little more 'stable' than 91 RON and resists pinging longer, allowing the engine to do its thing properly.
A problem with ethanol is that it binds moisture. This means that the amount of water in the E10 petrol can increase over time, which can cause corrosion in machines that are inactive for a few months at a time. This corrosion damages the carburetor and often leads to engine failure. The mixture deteriorates.
All new cars manufactured since 2011 are compatible with E10 petrol, and most cars and motorcycles manufactured since the late 1990s are also approved by manufacturers to use E10. The following vehicles, however, may not be compatible with E10 petrol: classic, cherished and older vehicles.
But using E10 petrol in an incompatible vehicle will, over time, cause problems in the fuel system. Carburettor corrosion, fuel hose degradation, fuel filter blockage and damaged fuel pumps are all likely if you use E10 regularly in vehicles that shouldn't take it.