Be Very Careful, E20 Petrol Attracts Water: Fuel Dealers Warn Vehicle Owners
India’s Ethanol blending program has been sparking debates and worries among buyers. Adding to their anxiety, fuel dealers are now openly warning customers about the adverse effects of Ethanol in blended fuel. The image of one such advisory board has now surfaced online. It says that any water ingress into the fuel tank can cause starting trouble and other performance issues in a car or bike.
An image shared on X (previously Twitter) shows this advisory in detail. It says that according to the government directive, petrol now has 15-20% Ethanol in it. Motorists should exercise care and prevent any form of water ingress. Water should not come in contact with petrol, at all.
Due to its hydrophilic nature, even a small amount of water is enough to attract Ethanol in petrol and separate in a distinct layer. This will then settle down at the bottom of the fuel tank. ‘It will make your vehicle difficult to start or give jerks while driving’- states the advisory, loud and clear!
It further says that ‘petrol dealers are taking extreme care in this regard and the same is advised for our motoring public.’ Now comes the more serious part. ‘Water found in the tank of a Customer's vehicle is his responsibility. Customers may check the quality of Petrol from the nozzle of the retail outlet but we will be unable to guarantee after the vehicle leaves the dealership’.
The warning board has logos of three major state-owned oil and gas corporations- Indian Oil Corporation, HP and Bharat Petroleum. In other words, this advisory seems to be from the government.
Passing responsibility to the consumers seems to be the wildest part. It places the customer in a tricky situation. If a vehicle encounters engine or performance-related issues in the future due to the use of E20 petrol, the vehicle owner and his alleged ‘carelessness’ may have to take the blame!
Small amounts of water may enter the fuel tank during wash sessions or during heavy rains. Vehicle owners usually exercise extra caution to prevent this. Even so, instances of water causing engine misfires and other issues aren’t too rare.
Water ingress into the engine can be a serious issue even with unblended petrol. Water is denser than pure petrol and if mixed in petrol, it settles down at the bottom of the tank. Every vehicle’s fuel pump draws from the bottom of the tank. The water content will get sucked up and be sent straight to the engine. The exact consequences will vary with the amount of water entering the engine. It can range from sputtering to a complete stall.
With E20 petrol, it only gets worse. Ethanol attracts water instantly and undergoes phase separation. The water-ethanol sludge is then sucked into the engine. This sludge can cause violent misfires in the engine and can even cause mechanical failures like hydrolock (engine seizure caused by water ingress). Additionally, the sludge is extremely corrosive to the engine and related components.
In the unfortunate event of water entering your tank filled with E20 petrol, the only fix is to get a professional to completely drain the tank, flush fuel lines and change the fuel filters. Then refill with fresh E20 petrol. Standard fuel dryer additives will not work due to the phase separation involved.