French Petrol

[Dave Larnder]

Hi All

Here we are in France again, so I went to my local garage in Nimes where I used to get 95 x E5 fuel only to find they now only have E10 fuel, so I went to my next known supplier and was lucky that time so I filled up. Good job I did too because the next known supplier was E10 only. Since I have only seen this E10 horrible stuff on sale at most places, so I have to ask the obvious question to you all.

Would it be O:K. to mix Super 98 with ordinary 95 E10 in 50% proportions? so that the super 98 would dilute the E10 content, and vice versa, to lower the octane value of the super 98, as my car does not like the higher octane alone, which causes it to spit and fart and blow back with it in. I don´t want to adjust the carbs etc. as when I get back to Spain it is 95E5 that is sold everywhere and have yet to see 95E10 anywhere there.

Dave

[Peter Cobbold]

Normally there'd be no reason not to mix higher RON into 95. But 98 shouldn't cause misfiring when 95/E5 doesn't - unless the 98 uses lots of butane gas to get the RON up. I'd avoid the 98 and brave the E10

 

In UK E5 will all be E10 by 2020.

 

Peter

Edited September 30, 2017 by Peter Cobbold

[Ben Freer]

Hi Dave

I wouldn't! We did a 50:50 mix by accident in June with "Super 10" and had a very grumpy car until that tank was gone and we refilled with 98 octane. Geoffrey's engine has been modified so may be more sensitive than yours and the temperature was mid-30's which probably made a difference.

I'd keep hunting out the 5% ethanol or less fuel if I were you.

[Alec Pringle]

I managed, in error, to subject the Jag to French 95 E10 en route to Spa . . . . . bad move, it's cr*p fuel.

 

The 98 E5 isn't much better, still cr*p fuel, just not as cr*p.

 

But then on a previous visit I found the French supermarket bio diesel also to be cr*p fuel, Panzer hated the stuff and objected audibly.

 

Even the Rover, which is more tolerant of fuel mixes generally, doesn't like Froggie bio p*ss.

 

All of which presumably explains why Belgian rally competitors tend to take their own personal supply of Belgian petrol with them when rallying in France.

 

Avoid Napoleon's revenge is the simple answer I'd guess . . . tow your own tanker ?

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Guest ntc]

Modern ecu adjust as needed

[Alec Pringle]

Pull the other leg, it's got bells on !!

 

An ecu isn't unlimited in its capabilities, sure it can cover a t*rd in glitter but it can't polish it . . . . .

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Guest ntc]

You need to ask your mates or read a modern handbook in the car

[mike ellis]

My experience of French petrol is somewhat different. I have been twice in my TR3A recently and have not had any problems, making sure to avoid E10 and only use 98 which has never been a problem to find.

 

Last year we were in a group of seven TRs of various types and so far as I am aware none of them had problems either.

 

Before that I had been in two different BMWs, both over twenty years old, and they were fine as well.

[james christie]

Thanks Mike, the French bashing on here begins to get a bit irksome after a bit. Heaven knows who they will have a go at after Brexit.

By the way, I always use 98 octane, which as you say is very readily available, but my car (not me) doesn't like Englush 95 which I sometimes have to use cos of the scarcity of 97 in Britain.

As for diesel , I.ve been running diesel cars for 30 years and never had a problem.

 

James

.

[Guest ntc]

Thanks Mike, the French bashing on here begins to get a bit irksome after a bit. Heaven knows who they will have a go at after Brexit.

By the way, I always use 98 octane, which as you say is very readily available, but my car (not me) doesn't like Englush 95 which I sometimes have to use cos of the scarcity of 97 in Britain.

As for diesel , I.ve been running diesel cars for 30 years and never had a problem.

 

James

.

Spot on James I have never had an issue ever.They must make cars just for the French

Edited October 1, 2017 by ntc

[alan57]

TR6 here always runs on readily available 98 - no problems

[Ben Freer]

It's E10 that's the problem not the country!

[Dave Larnder]

Hi Ben and all

As Peter says by 2020 you will get E10 in U.K. as well, so you can only blame the French for being first to use it- trust them!

I agree 98 is freely available at all French filling stations, but that is my problem with the reaction I got when I had to use it once, but fortunately I haven´t found it necessary to buy it again, but for how long can we all hold out.

Well, I am 1000 miles from home and have obtained E5 in some funny places in France, but when I do I make sure that I fill up even if the tank is half full, or is it half empty. When we leave Morges and fill up locally, we can get to Bollene, where we can still get E5, and on a fill up there we can get back to Spain on that tankful.

Bloody cold here today, and yesterday my 3A found out what rain is, when parked up over night.

 

Dave

[ChrisR-4A]

Hi Dave, you say you used 98 only once with problems. It could have been a bad lot, was it a large garage or small village which could have a low turnover and possible water ingress. I have been using 98 for over 15 years of French trips with the occasional 1/4 tank of E10 when nothing else available and never had any probs in the 4A

Chris

[Dave Larnder]

Hi Chris

 

I can´t remember, but as a rule I use Supermarket petrol for that very reason, and likewise this time round but found two with E5 and never had any trouble with that in the tank at any time and any place.

 

Dave

[jean]

In Belgium 95 is E10 since the 1st of January2017. Since I drive TRs I never go below 98.

 

Last year I found in a boat shop in S of France a product used by boat owners. As you know recreational boats with 4 stroke engines suffer of the same problems as our cars, not used daily and in addition located in a damp area.

 

It's a fuel stabilizer based on enzyme technology, it avoids Phase separation of ethanol and keeps fuel stable for 2 years.

I use it for about a year now without any problems, just did 800 miles in France and the engine runs like a dream .The whole trip was around 1000 miles and the TR6 did it on 30mpg, a data I never reached before and no burned piston...

Everyone his choice I would say, take it or leave it.

 

P.s. the name is Star Tron..

[mike3md]

This sort of thing?:

 

http://www.boatingmag.com/gear/boatinglab-tests-fuel-stabilizers

 

[stillp]

This stuff Jean? http://www.force4.co.uk/starbrite-startron-petrol-additive-500ml.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6rXyhcvS1gIVorztCh21YQnwEAQYAyABEgKuz_D_BwE#.WdKH42iPK70

[roy53]

All i can say is that i did a tour of 1500 miles in France last year in my 5 which has all the Lucas PI standard equipment fitted and never gave the petrol a thought. Just filled up and enjoyed a trouble free holiday.

May be i was lucky.

 

Roy

[Kevo_6]

I’ve been going to France at least 6 times a year for the last 20 years and I’ve never had a problem with petrol for the TR or diesel for the beemers. Must admit that I’ve always steered clear of the E10 since it’s been available.

[Chris59]

Funny replies, especially the one from Alec, who play his usual role, ie " if it's French, it's crap".

 

Strangely, the guy usually do not sing the same song when in front of me, as a few weeks ago : Alec, I would be very happy to hear some of your explanations if you ask me to spent another evening with me, next year.

 

If millions of kilomètres spent on French roads with cars who drink french petrol is an experience worth sharing : I've never add any problem with our petrol, except twice during my life, with some water in the petrol station tank.

 

I always use 98 petrol in my old cars (and I have plenty of these...), rarely use 95, never 95 E10. Work perfectly in all my cars, Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars, TVRs, etc....

 

No availablity problem, where ever I go : okay, 98 is more rare than 95, but ABSOLUTLY NOT impossible to find, far from this ! I my area, about 80% of the petrol stations sell "98" petrol.

 

I won't say the same about english petrol : during my 12 rallies around British Islands, we (me and others European entrants) have, more that often, problems with this petrol : poor runnig, peacking, misfiring....

 

Even the British diesel in my VW Transporter or Mitisubishi Pajero, after an average 5 000 KIlomètres a year in your country can be a problem, causing low performances.

 

A friend of mine made 120 000 Km (about 80K Miles) in a Spitfire, using the petrol that he can find, but most of the time using 95, and he never add any problem.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Chris59

[jean]

It's the one displayed low down in Mike's message and Stillp showed the shortcut to the product.

My holiday place is located in a marina in S of France. I have no boat myself but I use to have a look around in shops selling marine products.

You find very interesting things from shoes, jackets to electrical stuff, fishing rods to fully equipped life boats.

 

As I mentioned recreational boat owners have the same problems as we have with our cars that are often layed up during the winter.Just wanted to give this specific product it a try.

 

Must admit that in over 20 years visiting U.K. with the TR only their fuels are creating problems with the setup on my TR6 and it runs on EFI.

This mostly occurs in warm weather and under load, but I don't want to recalibrate the ECU just for U.K.

[Nick Jones]

Only problem with French petrol I've had was E10 95 with a rather high water content. Poor old Vitesse rattled and knocked all the way up the Col de la Bonette after filling up at the bottom. My fault for filling up at a small rural station which sells little petrol as most of the locals are smart enough to drive diesels...... Not that I had any choice - it was that or walk! I bought it some 98 at the next opportunity and it recovered.

 

Did have an issue with my A6 TDI a few years back after filling up with (gloriously cheap) French supermarche gazoil with bio content. Always a bit of a smoker (we don't call it the sootmonster for nothing) this had it "rolling coal" for about 25 miles if I gave it more than a sniff of throttle, but after that it cleared up and ran beautifully so I can only assume the bio content gave it a good clear-out.

 

Fuel quality definitely varies whichever country you are in.

 

Nick

[Dave Larnder]

Jean

I feel the same about 98 fuel. I don´t use it in Spain so like you I don´t want to reset my carbs for that super fuel while in France.

I have come up from Spain, through France to Switzerland and Italy for the last 5 years and 95E5 has always been available except that one time when I had to put in 98 as I was almost out of fuel, and that is why my car would not run until I was about 80kms down the road when I filled up with 95E5 and Hey Presto she began to purr again. So what I was saying when I opened this thread is that 95E5 is far less readily available in France than it has been in the past. So now I must look out for service stations that still sell it and note the position on my Garmin for future GPS directions. Having said that it was at Nimes that I first put that garage up on my favourites but this year I had to go to Bollene the second place on the Garmin for my type of fuel.

Thinking about it, when our sidescreens were designed and built, 98 fuel was not made as far as I remember, but Roger will tell us when 4 star was available and I think that may have been the equivalent of 98. So why is it so mighty important to run our Sidescreens on anything more than 95?

Dave

[Chris59]

The fact that you used once 98 instead of 95E5 can't be connected to the problems you had.

 

Your problem was, for sure, connected to the fact that you nearly run out of fuel, so catch some crap in the bottom of your tank.

 

for average Joe, it's absolutly unnecessary to "reset" carbs for 98 if they are "adjusted" for 95, because the RON or MON variations in fuel are not related to carb adjustement, but ignition timing.