Additive to protect classic cars from E5 & E10 fuel

[NJS5]

I have two MGs & have for a while been using Classic Valvemaster Plus a petrol additive which protects against valve seat recession and contains Etha-Guard an ethanol stabiliser which combats harmful effects of ethanol fuel, and prevents corrosion in fuel system & acidity in ethanol fuel.

I have no complaints about Classic Valvemaster Plus but wonder what experience others have with similar products.

I should add the RAC says:-

Quote:​

Some 600,000 car owners could be affected by the new blend [E10], and as a general rule cars built before 2002 should stick to E5 (which will gradually be phased out on forecourts over the next five years).

NJSS

 

[LostKiwi]

If you don't need lead additives then super unleaded will allow older cars to bypass any E10 issues.

 

[NJS5]

I agree entirely, but as each month passes it appears that there are fewer pumps dispensing super unleaded, and I now carry Classic Valvemaster Plus to use when I have to resort to E5 fuel. To date, thankfully, I have managed to avoid E10 all together.

NJSS

 

[Chrishazle]

Have you seen the extortionate price of E5 these days? Used to be 5p/l more than regular, these days it's closer to 20p/l! Thankfully I no longer have the 968 that needed E5, the SLK is OK on E10. From necessity I had to put BP Premium Diesel in the S204 last week - £1.60/l, and that was not a motorway of major road petrol station, it was the one close to Ashford Station!

 

[LostKiwi]

I never use the stuff so not been following the prices.
Use it in the Smart but that needs a timing chain so is on holiday in France till I can be bothered (rear subframe out to gain access).

 

[Doug1234]

If you want the ethanol out then plenty of videos on Youtube showing how … you mix water with the petrol .. water then goes straight to the bottom of the container as water cannot mix with petrol, but ethanol can … you then tip the petrol out etc.
I have used petrol for years to dewater veg oil to put in a w124 and a w210 , now that takes a few days to work but ethanol removal takes just a few minutes.

 

[NJS5]

I have been doing some on-line research regarding E5 availability.


Shell

Shell V-Power will be the company's "protection grade" fuel - meaning it will remain as E5.

It will be available to the "vast majority" of Shell's around 1,000 UK forecourts.

BP

BP's Premium Ultimate grade will continue to be E5 and will remain available at BP sites that carry two grades of petrol. This is the "great majority" of BP garages.

Esso

Around 200 of Esso's 1,200 branded service stations in the UK will no longer sell E5 petrol.

The remaining 1,000 sites will continue to sell E5 as Synergy Supreme+ 99 premium petrol much of which contains no ethanol at all.

The only exceptions are in Devon, Cornwall, North Wales, North England and Scotland "where for technical supply reasons it may contain up to 5% ethanol".

Texaco

E5 will continue to be available at many forecourts in Texaco Supreme Unleaded, the company said in its guidance to customers.

Petrol will be clearly labelled as either E10 or E5 to avoid confusion.

Sainsbury's

Most of its more than 300 sites will continue to sell E5.

Tesco

Tesco will offer E5 petrol at around 90% of its 600 garages.

Asda

None of Asda's 320 forecourts will offer E5 petrol !!

NJSS

 

[ioweddie]

What about petrol mowers?

 

[Chrishazle]

From what I've seen and read, run them on E10 for the summer when being used but leave the tank empty over winter! No way am I going to pay E5 prices for herself to mow the lawn - 30 minutes every 10 days now we've downsized. If we still had the old house which involved both of us, herself with that same mower and me with a 16HP tractor mower for a full day every 10 days, my reaction would be the same but more intense!!

 

[LostKiwi]

We have always used E10 in our petrol gardening equipment often leaving it for 6 months over the winter without any use and we have yet to have issues. The only piece of kit that gets a little cranky is the 2 stroke chainsaw but that's temperamental at the best of times!