A lot of older car owners have been complaining that using 20 percent ethanol-blended petrol in their older cars has been damaging them. However, the Government of India has managed to put this issue under the rug. Recently, a video has been shared online in which a vintage Mercedes-Benz W123 imported from the United Kingdom for a Himalayan expedition broke down due to E20 fuel. The owner explains that “high ethanol-blended fuel” has caused the vehicle to stop working.
The video in which the owner explains the situation of the W123 Mercedes breaking down during a Himalayan road trip has been shared on X by Shiv Rattan Dhillon on their page. This short clip starts off with the owner of this particular Mercedes-Benz W123 S-Class stating that they are currently in the Himalayas with their vintage 1982 W123, which is known as the “million-mile” car and is one of the most reliable and dependable cars.
However, just like humans, if cars are also provided with “rubbish” food (fuel), they can also easily break down. He then elaborates that they have either added contaminated fuel or the vehicle is not compatible with the high ethanol-blended petrol that is available in India. The owner adds that back in the 1980s, mildly leaded fuel was the most pure and helped these cars run for a million miles.
Following this, the owner adds that they will now have to drain the “dodgy” fuel from the car and then fill it with fresh fuel. He also mentions that there is nothing mechanically wrong with the car, as it is not making any unwanted noises. The owner added that they recently replaced the coil packs, spark plugs, and the fuel pump. He concludes by stating that they will change the fuel and hope that the vehicle will be good for another million miles.
A number of vintage and early 2000s car owners have been complaining for months that after the rollout of E20 fuel, their vehicles have been getting damaged. They have highlighted that their cars are suffering from engine damage, fuel pump, fuel line, and fuel tank corrosion.
Additionally, they have also mentioned that the rubber hoses and carburettor seals are deteriorating much faster. Another one of the major complaints from such vehicle owners is that the fuel efficiency has reduced drastically as well. A lot of people have been pressuring the Government of India to introduce non-E20 fuel options as well.
Currently, around 80 percent of cars on Indian roads are not compatible with E20 petrol, and due to this, most of the vehicle owners have been facing various issues mentioned above. Due to this there is an increased demand of E5 and E10 blended fuel and people have been requesting the government to provide fuel buyers with such options.
What is even more worrying is that the Government of India not only has no plans to offer any alternative, but it is also pushing for more ethanol blending. It aims to reach E27, or 27 percent ethanol blending, in the coming period. This will worsen the current situation, and there is nothing that can be done about it. It has also been reported that the sugarcane farmers’ association and ethanol producers are demanding more ethanol blending.