On Friday last (6th Nov) one of the news items which caught our attention was that PetroJam is now producing only E10 and that it is virtually impossible to obtain any other type of gas at the pumps. On the surface our first reaction is to applaud PetroJam for this excellent move, as indeed our Minister of Energy and Mining has done.
But wait, there’s more to it than that. There are some engines that cannot and should not use ethanol mixed petrol. Most cars made before 1986 as well as many high performance vehicles and more than a few European cars. Nissan cars made before 2004 will not operate properly, that means me. Please check your car manual if you’re not sure or do some online research. I had posted a .pdf list on my website some months ago. Wheels Jamaica has some information as do many Australian automotive websites.
One and two stroke engines don’t operate properly either. What does that mean: lawnmowers, chainsaws and other gas powered tools as well as most motorcycles. E10 should not be used in marine engines as it attracts water.
E10 does not have a shelf life of more than a few weeks and should not be stored for more than three months under any circumstances as it tends to break down and attract moisture. If you store gas for your generator it doesn’t matter as generators shouldn’t use it either.
However, before we condemn ethanol based gas altogether remember one important thing. E10 contains less contaminants, burns more efficiently and significantly reduces the production of greenhouses gases.
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Most cars on our roads can effectively use the ethanol mixture but we cannot decree that henceforth only E10 will be available in our pumps. We must work towards producing other forms of petrol/alternates which will allow us to operate our lawnmowers, generators, fishing boats and old jalopies in a cleaner, more efficient manner.
Read more about Jamaica at Jamaica-Allspice.com
- Tags: E10 gasoline, Environment, Interesting Facts, Jamaica
Richard Black
November 14th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Good post as always, Betty. The debate over the Govt’s. decision to produce only E10 is now really heating up. In my opinion, I believe that this Government has demonstrated gross irresponsibility and shown a total disregard to the overwhelming majority of vehicle owners in Jamaica, whose vehicles fall into the category which cannot use E10 without damage and consequent additional expense.
As you know, our vehicle cannot use E10 and after filling up once with it, we are now seeing some signs of engine problems. I believe that all Jamaican motorists whose vehicles have started to develop problems after using the gas, should join together in a suit against the GoJ for this nonsense. I know that I intend to do just that (even if I lose), should I have serious problems with my engine.
Richard.
Fuel-Testers
November 17th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
The reality is that most who have experienced problems with E10 is solely because the gas was contaminated at time of purchase (E.G. Over-blending above 10% or water contamination). This is completely avoidable by visualizing and testing gas at time of purchase. For engines not designed for ethanol blends (E.G. marine and/or when prolonged storage necessary) many stations in the U.S. have started offering what they call “Recreational Fuel” without ethanol. As for the limited number of engines that forbid use of gas with ethanol (check your owners manual and warranty statement) this certainly would justify a class action lawsuit if it is “completely impossible” to purchase non-ethanol fuel anywhere. Do the laws in Jamaica actually forbid sale of non-ethanol gas or has it just become harder to find it?
Jamaicafest
November 17th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Thanks for this valuable information. Our policy makers clearly introduced E10 without proper research.
BettyB
November 18th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
It is nothing to do with law. What has happened is that the local refinery now produces only E10 and no other type of petrol is available in local gas stations as of last week.
saf
November 25th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Be careful about the information being banded about.It is not true that most cars made after 1986 can use E10 safely.The information from an Australian site is also misleading.The site is referring to vehicles manufactured in Australia for that market and vehicles manufactured overseas for export to Australia.It does not speak to the Japanese Domestic Vehicles which are in the majority in Jamaica.Many of them are only able to safely use E3 as this is the blend available in Japan.Toyota New Zealand gives a good indication of the export vehicles and domestic vehicles which are able to use various ethanol blends.Here is the link:
http://www.toyota.co.nz/AboutUs/Corporate+Profile/Biofuels+FAQs.htm
BettyB
November 26th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Thanks so much for the additional information. I have used Australia as a reference as they, like us, drive on the left and the Japanese imports to both countries, as well as New Zealand, are mostly the same. However, the “deportees” are a mix of these cars and second hand domestic Japanese models. No expert has done a Jamaica specific list and the Australian and New Zealand references are closer than US and European. I am seriously thinking about starting an online petition of people with cars which have the potential for damage, as well as owners of motorcycles, boats, etc.
saf
December 8th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
BettyB,
I would be very happy if you did start this petition.I have written to almost every body about this including the Public defender and have hardly gotten a response.I am not sure why the authorities are in such haste to force us to use E10. In Europe for example it is being phased in,with 2013 being a tentative date for its full implementation.
http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/news/1074/bulletin/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5795480/British-tourists-warned-over-damaging-French-fuel.html
saf.