YOG
Well-known member
The following is reproduced by kind permission of Citroen Car Club (CCC).
Two main points to note:
1. The Puma has a metal fuel tank.
2. Although it says "can damage cars registered before 2000", the Puma remained basically the same throughout production.
Sans Plomb 95-EIO
I expect most of you have already been aware of the 95-E10 biofuel addition to pumps in France, but I have to date had 14 e-mails from members asking for clarification. The petrol called '95-E10' is a mixture of regular unleaded fuel and ethanol. It is suitable for new cars, but can damage vehicles registered before the year 2000, motoring bodies have warned. The biofuel sits alongside the commonly used and similarly named unleaded Euro 95 in many garages across France and while a public awareness campaign in the country has avoided confusion amongst the French, British holidaymakers face the prospect of unwittingly picking the wrong pump. Motoring associations, including the RAC, warned those preparing to travel to France to be aware of the biofuel which is 90 per cent regular unleaded and 10 per cent ethanol.
Ethanol is highly corrosive and can wear away the metal fuel tanks common in cars registered before 2000, leading to leaks. Most new cars have plastic tanks and are therefore not affected by corrosion. The E10, which has been gradually distributed across stations in France since 1 April and which the French government has admitted is incompatible with 40 per cent of vehicles on the road, can damage engines of cars registered before the year 2000, according to Holland's national automobile association, the ANWB. Almost one third of cars on the roads in the UK today were registered before 2000. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders there are 9,579,000 cars out of 31,105,988 which pre-date the year 2000.
Filling up just a few tanks of the new biofuel may not lead to serious problems with pipes and connectors but regular use could leave long-lasting damage. A spokeswoman for the RAC said: "There is some concern that some, particularly older vehicles, might have problems - particularly materials compatibility i.e. flexible hoses leaking. If drivers can confuse diesel and petrol at the pumps, as they often do, then they could just as easily confuse ordinary unleaded with unleaded containing 10 per cent ethanol in France, so be more aware as to what is written on the pump. It is always clearly marked. Look for any signage, such as E10, or the letters 'bio' to guide you in making a choice of which fuel to use. The petrol's introduction follows an EU directive relating to the quality of fuels which states that all petrol must include between 5 and 10 per cent of ethanol by 2013.
When I use the various classics I have, I always tend to use 98 fuel anyway, as I have found that even the normal 95 fuel in France doesn't help with smooth running and as yet this isn't affected. In my area particularly and so far where I have travelled of late, I have not had a problem finding the right fuel. It may just take a bit of diligence to make sure you are using the correct pump.
Two main points to note:
1. The Puma has a metal fuel tank.
2. Although it says "can damage cars registered before 2000", the Puma remained basically the same throughout production.
Sans Plomb 95-EIO
I expect most of you have already been aware of the 95-E10 biofuel addition to pumps in France, but I have to date had 14 e-mails from members asking for clarification. The petrol called '95-E10' is a mixture of regular unleaded fuel and ethanol. It is suitable for new cars, but can damage vehicles registered before the year 2000, motoring bodies have warned. The biofuel sits alongside the commonly used and similarly named unleaded Euro 95 in many garages across France and while a public awareness campaign in the country has avoided confusion amongst the French, British holidaymakers face the prospect of unwittingly picking the wrong pump. Motoring associations, including the RAC, warned those preparing to travel to France to be aware of the biofuel which is 90 per cent regular unleaded and 10 per cent ethanol.
Ethanol is highly corrosive and can wear away the metal fuel tanks common in cars registered before 2000, leading to leaks. Most new cars have plastic tanks and are therefore not affected by corrosion. The E10, which has been gradually distributed across stations in France since 1 April and which the French government has admitted is incompatible with 40 per cent of vehicles on the road, can damage engines of cars registered before the year 2000, according to Holland's national automobile association, the ANWB. Almost one third of cars on the roads in the UK today were registered before 2000. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders there are 9,579,000 cars out of 31,105,988 which pre-date the year 2000.
Filling up just a few tanks of the new biofuel may not lead to serious problems with pipes and connectors but regular use could leave long-lasting damage. A spokeswoman for the RAC said: "There is some concern that some, particularly older vehicles, might have problems - particularly materials compatibility i.e. flexible hoses leaking. If drivers can confuse diesel and petrol at the pumps, as they often do, then they could just as easily confuse ordinary unleaded with unleaded containing 10 per cent ethanol in France, so be more aware as to what is written on the pump. It is always clearly marked. Look for any signage, such as E10, or the letters 'bio' to guide you in making a choice of which fuel to use. The petrol's introduction follows an EU directive relating to the quality of fuels which states that all petrol must include between 5 and 10 per cent of ethanol by 2013.
When I use the various classics I have, I always tend to use 98 fuel anyway, as I have found that even the normal 95 fuel in France doesn't help with smooth running and as yet this isn't affected. In my area particularly and so far where I have travelled of late, I have not had a problem finding the right fuel. It may just take a bit of diligence to make sure you are using the correct pump.