We all have heard people complaining about E20 petrol (20 percent ethanol-mixed petrol currently available across the country) causing issues to the fuel systems of older cars. Well, recently a video has been shared online in which a brand-new Land Rover Defender 110 worth over Rs 1.2 crore, which is E20 compliant, is suffering from fuel pump issues. The owner states that as Power petrol was not available, he had to use standard E20 petrol, which caused these issues in his SUV.
The video in which the owner highlights the issues faced by his Land Rover Defender during a mountain road trip has been shared on Instagram by Deepak Sharma on their page. In this short video, the owner highlights that he has a Land Rover Defender 110 petrol that has been loaded onto a flatbed and will be taken to Delhi for repair under the company warranty.
He then explains that they dreamed of reaching Adi Kailash in Uttarakhand in their new Defender. However, this dream will now not be fulfilled. The reason behind this, as he explains, is that as they started driving on the mountain roads after arriving from Jaipur, Rajasthan, they did not find Power petrol (higher-octane petrol which comes with additives). As a result, they had to opt for standard E20. But soon after refueling, the vehicle started suffering from issues, and they had to stop.
The owner continues and mentions that the vehicle thankfully broke down very near a fuel station and a hotel, so he and his family, including the kids, all slept without any issues. Following this, he called, and his Toyota Fortuner Legender came all the way from Jaipur, Rajasthan, so that they could continue their journey.
Following the explanation of the situation, the owner alleged that there is a scam taking place across the country. He highlighted that fuel pump owners are mixing more than 20 percent ethanol in standard petrol, which caused his vehicle to break down.
He then warned all other petrol vehicle owners to be careful while using standard E20 petrol. The owner also suggested that they only drive to places where they can find Power petrol or other types of petrol which have lower ethanol blending.
The current-generation Land Rover Defender 110 petrol sold in India is fully E20 compliant, as highlighted by the company. This SUV comes powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and it has been designed to run on fuel containing up to 20 percent ethanol as per the latest government regulations. So this means that under normal circumstances, using standard E20 petrol should not cause any major mechanical issues or fuel system failures in the vehicle.
However, as of now, there is no official statement from Land Rover India which can explain what happened in this particular instance. Also, it has to be mentioned that currently there is no evidence to prove that excess ethanol content in the fuel was responsible for the failure. The exact cause can only be determined after a detailed inspection by the company's service technicians.
If the ethanol content in petrol does exceed the level for which a vehicle has been designed, then it can potentially create issues over a long period. As we all know, higher ethanol concentrations can affect fuel pumps, fuel injectors, rubber seals, hoses, and other components of the fuel system. This is particularly seen in older vehicles that were not engineered for ethanol-blended fuels.
What happens is that excess ethanol can also absorb more moisture, which can then lead to corrosion and fuel contamination under certain conditions. However, modern E20-compliant vehicles are specifically designed with upgraded fuel system components. And the engines are calibrated to handle up to 20 percent ethanol blending safely. But if the fuel has more ethanol content than 20 percent, there could be issues with the vehicle.