Reply To: Ethanol in Petrol, engine coolant and tyre pressures

Ethanol in fuel can attack “rubber” components in the fuel system.  As Davy suggests, the fuel line is an obvious target but , fortunately, it is easily replaced with something made form a suitable ethanol-resistant compound.  However, I have also heard of fuel pump diaphragms having been affected and that is not so easily fixed because replacements are generally old stock and therefore not designed to be resistant to ethanol.

That said, I regularly drove thousands of miles in France in my Légère and, last year, I did my first 1000 miles in the new beast.  Given the choice, I have always used cheap (supermarket) 95 sans-plomb.  I may be tempting fate by saying so but, so far, I have not experienced fuel pump problems myself.

Antifreeze – I have always used an off-the-peg glycol-based solution.  The only precaution I took was to ensure it was suitable for cast-iron rather than aluminium blocks.  I currently have the same type of mix in the 15/6 but I do intend to change over to a “waterless” fluid in due course – but first I have discovered a small water-pump leak which I need to to sort out before I fill it with liquid gold!

Tyre pressures – I always run mine at least 10% higher than specified, increasing to about 15% if heavily laden or anticipating “faster” roads.

B……….