- 1). Check with your manufacturer for recommended fuel type. This is especially important if your car is an older make, pre-1998, with high mileage, lower-priced or in some cases, luxury vehicles. Using E10 in these cars could damage parts and cause performance problems. Most recent makes of cars and boats are designed to be compatible with E10, but make sure.
- 2). Run out or remove old gas before adding E10. Although methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) has been banned at gas pumps, it may still be used as an additive or found in old fuels. You will want to avoid mixing these fuels since the two could react to form a gel that can clog the carburetor in an engine, leading to stalling.
- 3). Test the E10 that you have for the proper level of alcohol. Use an inexpensive fuel test kit to gauge the level of alcohol and water in the fuel. Ethanol levels should not be above 10 percent or it could damage your engine. Many gas pumps do not indicate that alcohol has been added.
- 4). Replace the E10 every two to three weeks. E10 has a short shelf life of only 90 days and should be purchased from stations with high turnover for the freshest fuel.
- 5). Check for two main problems when it comes to using E10 gas: water contamination and phase separation. As ethanol absorbs water to ultimately sink to the bottom of the tank to leave a lower octane gas on top, it can result in fuel starvation that can damage engines. Phase separation occurs when the absorption of water by ethanol causes two distinct solutions to form in the gas tank over time, which can eventually wreck the engine. Optional preventive measures may be installing a water separating fuel filter or a water sensor.
- 6). Replace fuel filters often, especially in the early stages of using E10. E10, acting as a solvent, will remove the gums and resins inside the fuel tank walls. Keep 10 micron filters on hand and replace every 50 to 100 hours.
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