Worried that E20 could cut mileage or cause problems in older petrol vehicles, motorists are turning to Instagram recipes that suggest mixing regular E20 with expensive 100-octane petrol to recreate E10, and to D2C brands selling “E20 enhancer” additives promising better mileage and protection.
Both tap genuine concerns over cars and two-wheelers not designed around the fuel now sold at pumps, but neither is a shortcut that motorists should experiment with, says Randheer Singh, former Director, Electric Mobility and Clean Energy at NITI Aayog and Founder and CEO of ForeSee Advisors.
“It’s not the simple blending that you mix this and that and the blending happens,” Singh said during a bl.Conversations webinar hosted by businessline.
The Instagram workaround appears deceptively simple: dilute E20 with premium petrol and bring down the ethanol concentration towards E10. But doing that consistently requires knowing what fuel is already in the tank, the ethanol content of what is being added and the quantities of each.
Get that mix wrong from one refill to the next and the vehicle could repeatedly receive different ethanol concentrations.
“Sometimes you are providing your vehicle E10, sometimes E5, sometimes E15, sometimes E20,” Singh said. “How will you keep a tab on your vehicle itself, and as to what type of fuel you are putting in your vehicle?”
It also becomes harder to establish whether a subsequent mileage drop, misfire or other problem is caused by the fuel, the improvised mixture or an unrelated mechanical fault.
The second workaround comes from D2C brands selling additives promoted as “E20 enhancers” or ethanol cures, with claims around mileage, performance and fuel-system protection.
Singh said motorists should use only additives recommended by the vehicle manufacturer or validated for fuel compatibility.
“Don’t unload chemistry into a BS-6 fuel and emission system,” he warned. “That’s really going to create a problem.”
For an older car or two-wheeler, Singh advised owners to first check the fuel-lid label, owner’s manual and the manufacturer’s latest guidance for that particular model and year. If compatibility remains unclear, ask the manufacturer.
Owners of vehicles used infrequently should avoid leaving them sitting with old petrol for months. Because ethanol attracts moisture, Singh advised keeping the tank reasonably full, around 60 per cent or more, when the vehicle is going to remain parked, reducing the empty space in which condensation can form. Fuel caps and seals should be kept in good condition and any fuel smell or seepage investigated promptly.
“One bad tankful is not ethanol damage,” Singh said. Water contamination, a tired fuel pump, clogged filter or ignition fault can produce similar symptoms. But if a change from the vehicle’s normal behaviour persists across several tanksful, owners should have it diagnosed at an authorised workshop.
The safer response to E20 anxiety, therefore, is not homemade E10 or an unverified cure bought online: establish what the manufacturer recommends, watch for persistent symptoms and diagnose the problem before trying to fix it yourself, Randheer said as part of bl.conversation.
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