thedeester1

Does anyone know if the engine has to be modified to run bio fuel? Valve seats Etc?...ive heard that the Bio fuel on sale / to be on sale will be the same as 110 Ron......ill give that puppy a home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

funkyspider

What Is Bioethanol

"
The most common blend is 10% ethanol and 90% petrol (E10).

Vehicle engines require no modifications to run on E10 and vehicle warranties are unaffected also. Only flexible fuel vehicles can run on up to 85% ethanol and 15% petrol blends (E85)."

funkyspider

"The availability of BioEthanol E85 on the first UK forecourts has been timed to coincide with the first customer deliveries of the Saab 9-5 BioPower, which was officially launched in the UK in November 2005. Saab is leading the premium sector in being the first manufacturer to offer this innovative solution. Saab BioPower technology enables its cars to run on either the potent yet environmentally-friendly fuel BioEthanol E85, which is a blend of 85% BioEthanol and 15% petrol, or on pure petrol, without any adjustment required by the driver. When running on BioEthanol E85, the fossil CO2 emissions of the Saab 9-5 BioPower are typically between 50-70% cleaner than when running on petrol. Furthermore, as its name suggests, the Saab 9-5 BioPower not only offers purer power, but more of it. Because Saab’s turbocharging technology and engine management systems make it possible to take advantage of bioethanol’s higher octane rating, an impressive 20 per cent gain in brake horse power and 16 per cent growth in torque can be enjoyed when the car runs on BioEthanol E85 compared to when running on regular unleaded petrol."
Morrisons Supermarket - Morrisons opens the UK's first bioethanol E85 fuel pump

It seems that the E85 variant is higher RON, but needs a modified engine. Not seen any RON figures for E10

Bendalyn

It's not just the engine that needs updates. The fuel pump needs to be changed as do injectors; the oxygen in the fuel allows these components to oxidise causing premature failure. Higher flow injectors are required too as the quantity of fuel required is greater. the good news is that it's about 110 RON and grow on trees (well in fields...).

Shark Man

It's not all about RON values and ignition retard You will need to remap to run on fuel with higher than E10. As, being an oxygenated fuel your car will not have the correct fueling maps, especially in closed loop mode as teh ECU can't componesate correctly
.
Also issues with degradation of rubber fuel system components causing preamture failure. Also formation of volatile acids in the crankcase are a concern with engine longevity if extended service intervals are used.

thedeester1

most of the down sides sound like propaganda from oil companies.....What on earth is oxidated fuel? The basic principle is the making of alchohol....I wonder cause i know some beetle nuts....The best beetles in the world come from brazil. Brazil has been using bio fuel distilled (refined in fuel language) from sugar alcohol for years and people bring beetles here and run them without modification (as far as I know)

funkyspider

"the oxygen in the fuel"... 'oxidated' fuel.

I haven't heard any downsides. It appears to burn cleaner, can give better performance, is manufactured from a renewable source (assuming we can continue growing things), and we (as in europe) can become less reliant on the major oil producing countries in the middle east. So what downsides.

Seems like a no-brainer to me for the future.