Great to hear you got sorted @AndyC . Now the drama is over, stop using E10! This stuff is 10% bio-fuel/ethanol and is responsible for degradation of rubber hoses, increased wear on metal components in fuel pumps etc and is hygroscopic so attracts and holds water (an issue if the bus is laid up for a while with it in the tank). It's also not as efficient so the "big" savings at the pump could cost in increased fuel consumption and wear to hoses etc in the long run. It maybe belts & braces (coz as you know I'm that kind of guy) but I use Redex unleaded additive in the tank when travelling abroad.
It's lead replacement. Now I know our buses can run on unleaded but I'm uncomfortable with the way that fuel producers, under the EUs renewable energy directive, have fuel specs that you can literally drive a bus through! The UK has delayed the introduction of E10 due to the amount of vehicles that are not currently compatible but I believe the Govmt. still has an obligation to have a high percentage of bio-fuel going through the pumps by 2020. E10 is widely used on the continent and not always labelled that clearly. The same issue is affecting diesel as well with the addition of FAME which causes similar issues as ethanol. As I say belts & braces coz fuel is not the same as it was when our buses were designed 40 years ago
I agree with what you say but adding a lead substitute doesn’t help, it’s the Ethanol that does the damage, not the lack of lead. I live in France and avoid E10 when I can but I’ll never use an additive in either my Bay or the V8 MGB.
I agree that adding the Redex doesn't help in the case of the E10 so I just avoid using that. However, it can't do any harm when used in "regular unleaded" & it gives me piece of mind that the octane rating is up there especially when I'm not sure what's going in the tank. I was always anti-additive. With the FAME content of diesel and the way it sits in the tanks, unused, on many narrow boats now means that this market at least is more receptive to fuel conditioners. They do seem to work in practice, reducing the incidence of diesel bug but of course may all turn out to be just snake oil... Not everyone will agree so I can only relay my personal experiences, with the boat as well as the bus. The bus runs well with the additive and in over 17k continental miles we have never had a fuel issue. Avoid E10, use a fuel additive if you feel it's appropriate.
