Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

Dear Members

I am new to this forum and own a 1997 Rover 216SE Cabriolet. After 14 years SORN in the garage I have finally got it back on the road (with help) and plan to bring to the meetings this year.

Does anyone know if it will run on E5 unleaded or stick to the more expensive E10? I have only filled up once so far and used the more expensive unleaded. I believe it has a rover k-series engine.

Many thanks

The K-series should run on either, however I use the more expensive E5 (Tesco Momentum, Esso Synergy, V-Power etc.). The lower ethanol is probably better for the tank and various hoses and seals, and it's likely to absorb less moisture if left for a while. The other factor is that the ethanol adds oxygen to the fuel which original unleaded didn't have. So, the air-fuel mixture will not be quite right compared to the original 95 RON. You don't really notice the difference when driving but it may be a hotter burn. My car doesn't have a catalyst, but yours will. Does anybody have thoughts on that aspect?

Hugh

I would agree with Hugh's response. The car will run on E10 but E5 is preferable. I also find I get slightly better fuel economy from E5 and definitely better performance and assuming that your mileage is fairly low, the cost difference is negligible.

As others have said use E5 if the mileage is low and cost isn't an issue. I've never put anything else in my Rovers or my MG. It definitely made the MG go quicker

Many thanks everyone for the advice - I appreciate. I will follow your suggestions and stick with E5.

Look forward to meeting some of you at coming events.

I concur with everybody else here and use E5. Before we started importing ethanol from the States Tesco Momentum had no ethanol, now it does, so I've swapped back to Shell V Power.

Boiler House Garage on YouTube runs Ethanol testing from various forecourt samples and is worth a watch!
Ethanol is an octane improver and once it's separated out there have been some very poor octane results from the residual fuel.

I noticed a collapse in my fuel economy some time ago from a D16 running on E10, that was possibly before I changed the spark plugs, which hadn't covered 24k miles I should add.

Thanks for pointing us to the YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az2u3-GLl1o I didn't know any of this or seen this test. I use Momentum as it's the nearest, though occasionally V-Power also quite close. I'd heard that Esso Supreme was low in ethanol but seems to be less good overall. I'm not concerned with performance, more to keep the ethanol level low.

Hugh

I use E10 in my VVC Coupe, and id say it has a slightly improved MPG because of it

K Series cars (like you cabriolet) will have absolutely no issue with E10.

MG Rover designed these cars to run in markets where ethanol is more prevalent. Mexico for example. It stands to reason that the k series and ancillaries are designed with this in mind.

For extra reassurance, Land Rover certified the 1.8 freelander (that has a K series) as suitable for E10.