I asked the factory what they thought about it for 900 series engines & fuel systems - here's the reply
Now, the issues that I've heard about are - possible damage to rubber, resulting in leaks, possible reduced lubrication on moving parts (e.g. fuel pumps), possible accelerated wear & corrosion on some metals (e.g. carburettors). There's also an increased tendency for the fuel to separate if kept for prolonged periods and for water to build up in it too (simple solution to that, use the car more! - or add a fuel stabiliser)Neil Turner wrote: Dear Mr Marshall,
Thank you for your e-mail.
Unfortunately, when the 900-series Lotus engines were developed, they were not designed (nor was the fuel system) for E10 fuel. Unfortunately, the short answer is that we would advise against using E10 fuel on our 900-series engined (or Rover engined) products, as it may cause damage to the fuel system and/or engine and cause driveability issues.
I am sorry if this is not the answer you had wished for, but thank you for contacting us.
Yours sincerely,
Neil E. S. Turner
Customer Services, Warranty
& Technical Manager
LOTUS CARS LIMITED
I don't know if Nikasil is affected, yet.
So - the questions is, do any of our resident chemists have any thoughts and do any of our more worldly (Australia ? California ? South America ? ) members have experience of high ethanol content fuels which they can share with us ?
Meanwhile, I'll ask pertinent questions of some other experts in the industry and see if we can collate a near definitive guide on how to survive alcohol poisoning of the car (anything you do to yourself will remain your own problem).