Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

The Federation of Historic British Vehicle Clubs has published the following press release:

https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/news/article/fb ... cle-owners

"After an extensive consultation process, the Department for Transport has announced that they will legislate to introduce E10 petrol as the standard 95-octane petrol grade by 1 September 2021. They will also require the higher-octane 97+ ‘Super’ grades to remain E5 to provide protection for owners of older vehicles. This product will be designated as the ‘Protection’ grade."

There is a lot more supporting information in the press release I have linked to, so please read it before speculating

I followed a link to a Gov.uk vehicle compatibility checker, where you can check by manufacturer if your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol.
Entering 'Rover' results in an answer of "no data available because the manufacturer no longer trades" although data is available for SAAB!
A search on 'Land Rover' results in "all models from 1996 are compatible", so can we assume that it includes K-series powered Freelanders and therefore any car with a K-series engine may be compatible? Or should we consider that materials used in the fuel hoses etc on pre-1996 vehicles may not be E10-compatible?

IMHO with E5 or E10 every Rover car should be safe after 1990 around.
My 3 Rovers are fuelled with E85: 75 & 25 since 2017, 214 cab since 2019.
As the 25 needed a full gasket swap since new (2002), my mechanic took off the whole block and noticed that everything was safe, clean & close to the condition when new. Spark plugs were a nice creamy colour neither too light nor too dark.
Ethanol in such proportions (E65 to E85) is an efficient cleaner but all hoses are as supple as they were years ago.
Within nearly 4 years and tenth of thousands km, no damage at all and even another benefit: the engine is more responsive and has more oomph in the low revs because it's octane 105.
Just changed the fuel filter in the 25 & the 214, just in case some old rubbish may arrive up to the injectors. But as the filter is hard to take off in the 75, it's still the same as before and nothing wrong happened so far since nearly 4 years. Same observation in the V6 2.5: sensible benefit with an heavy foot or kick down. A very bliss!
So E5/E10 is actually a no brainer. Enjoy!

I feel it is a bit much that the DoT does not provide information on their website for Rover "because the manufacturer does not exist". Surely they should accommodate older vehicles as part of their service to motorists irrespective of how old our vehicles are. It is not our fault that petrol is changing but we are left in some considerable doubt as to the efficacy of the new grades in relation to our vehicles.

What grade fuel can I, with a 1996 Cabriolet with a K Series engine, use after September 2021? There is no clear and unambiguous answer at the moment. Different fuels may affect different individual engines in different ways and we are being left to "suck it and see". It could prove expensive if the fuel reacts oddly with an individual engine.

Can anyone give me a definitive answer regarding a 1996 216 Cabriolet? I look forward to your answers.

It's going to be another factor to worry about when considering the internal condition of any
R8 we might consider buying in the future.

crepello wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:56 pm It's going to be another factor to worry about when considering the internal condition of any
R8 we might consider buying in the future.

Good point, never thought about that.

Liverpoolman1 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:44 pm Can anyone give me a definitive answer regarding a 1996 216 Cabriolet? I look forward to your answers.

I told you above: my 1994 214 cabriolet (K engine) is working fine and safe with anything between E65 (Winter) and E85 (Summer).
Absolutely no damage at all anywhere under the bonnet and elsewhere. 90s engines without carburettors are safe with ethanol.
My 3 Rovers are passing our MOT every 2 years without the faintest problem.
Moreover the exhaust exam gets 20/20 with very eco-friendly emissions, I should say they are perfect. It's essential for our planet.
Anyway it's everybody's choice to keep fearing in front of scaremongery.

I've used Shell V Power (or the BP equivalent) in my original 1.8 VVC Tomcat for years, with no obvious ill effects. And the emissions at MOT time are always very good, so I have no worries at the moment. It may be more expensive, but I'm happy to pay the extra, given the low annual mileages.

Incidentally, I only put premium diesel in the 75 as well.

The E10 is unlikely to affect the running of your engine. The issue is that the rubberized fuel lines are not designed to accept E10 and they have shown to rot the rubber causing fuel leaks and potentially causing a fire. The 97Ron super unleaded will remain as E5 so will have no adverse effect on your car but may have a small adverse effect on your wallet! Most people running our cars now are travelling fairly low mileages so the extra cost of the fuel shouldn't be too much of an issue.

The real problem comes when you are buying a vehicle because you won't know what fuel has been used and you may feel it necessary to replace the fuel hoses "just in case".

So it’s E5 petrol for my 216 Cabriolet and E10 for my wife’s Volvo - she always has the snarling power monsters!

Liverpoolman1 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:46 pm So it’s E5 petrol for my 216 Cabriolet and E10 for my wife’s Volvo - she always has the snarling power monsters!

Your driveway sounds like my driveway!