Can my car use E10 ethanol fuel?

Can your car run on E5 or E10 ethanol blended petrol? (image credit: BP)

Tom White Deputy News Editor

14 Mar 2019 Comment

You should always check if your car is suitable for E10 before using it.

E10 fuel contains ten per cent ethanol by volume, the maximum allowed by the Australian government in standard fuels. At many petrol stations E10 is now the base fuel, occasionally marketed as 94 RON.

As a general rule, most cars post-1986 can run on E10, whereas most cars that once ran on leaded fuel or are carburetted cannot.

This is due to the ethanol component in E10 carrying more water by volume. The water present in this fuel can cause corrosion on engine or fuel system parts, and can cause a build up of engine residues.

Some cars that are compatible with 5 per cent ethanol are not necessarily also compatible with E10, so caution must be taken when referring to the car's fuel requirements. Many European vehicles, turbocharged, or performance vehicles require a minimum octane rating of 95 or 98 and should not be refuled with E10, 91 or 94 fuel grades.

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The following table lists vehicle models the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries says are able to run on E5 or E10 ethanol blended petrol. This list is a general guide and not comprehensive of every single model on sale in Australia. If you are in doubt you should always check the minimum octane rating inside of your vehicle's fuel cap or in the owner's manual.

Brand	Model(s)	E5	E10
Alfa Romeo	All models post 1998
	All models pre 1998
Audi	Audi A3 1.8-litre (engine code 'APG' 2000 onwards) Audi A4 2.0-litre (engine code 'ALT' 2001 onwards)
	All models post 1986 except above
Bentley	All models post 1990
BMW	All models post 1986
Citroen	All models post 1998
Chrysler	All models post 1986
Daihatsu	Charade (Sept 2004 onwards); Terios (Sept 2004 onwards); Copen (Oct 2004 onwards); Sirion (Nov 2004 onwards)
Dodge	All models post 1986
Fiat	Punto
Ford	Focus (2002-2004), F-series (1986-1992), Ka (All), Maverick (all), Transit (1996 - 2004)
	Mondeo (prior to 2007)
	Capri (all), Courier 2.0-litre & 2.6-litre (all), Econovan (pre-2002), Festiva (all), Laser 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6-litre (all), Raider (all), Telstar (all)
	All models post 1986 except above
Daewoo	All models
Holden	Apollo (1987 - 1989), Nova (1989 - 1994), Barina (1985 - 1994), Drover (1985 - 1986), Scurry (1985 - 1986), Astra (1984 - 1989)
	Astra SRi 2.2-litre (2006-onwards); Astra 2.2-litre Convertible (2006-onwards)
	All models post 1986 except above
Honda	Insight - 2004 onwards; Civic range (including Civic Hybrid) - 2004 onwards; S2000 - 2004 onwards; CRV - 2003 onwards; MD-X - 2003 onwards; Accord & Accord Euro - 2003 onwards; Integra – 2002 onwards; Odyssey – 2004 onwards; Jazz – 2004 onwards; Legend – 2006 onwards
Hyundai	All models post October 2003
Infiniti	All models post 2004
Jaguar	All models post 1986
Jeep	All models post 1986
Kia	All models post 1996
Land Rover	All models post 1986
Lexus	IS200 pre May 2002
	All models post 1986 except above
Lotus	Elan (1989-1991); Esprit (4 cyl – 1987-1999); Elise (Rover engine – 1996-2004); 340R; Exige (Rover engine – 2001, 2002 & 2004); Europa (2006 onwards)
	Esprit (V8 – 1998-2004); Exige (Toyota engine – 2004 onwards); Elise (Toyota engine – 2004 onwards)
Mazda	Mazda2 - May 2005 build onwards, Mazda3, Mazda6, RX-8, MX-5 – July 2005 build onwards, Tribute - April 2006 onwards, CX-7, CX-9, CX-5, CX-3
	All models except above
Mercedes-Benz	All models post 1986
MG	All models
Mini	All models
Mitsubishi	All fuel injected models post 1986
Nissan	All models post 2004
Peugeot	306 (XU engine only)
	All models post July 1997 except above
Porsche	All models pre MY2007
	All models post MY2007
Proton	All models
Rover	All models
Renault	All models post 2001
Rolls-Royce	All models between 1990 and 2002
Saab	All models post 1986
Ssangyong	Rexton, Stavic & Chairman with 3.2-litre petrol engine
Subaru	All Subarus before 1990, Subaru Liberty B4 (2002 - 2003), Subaru Liberty GT (2004 - 2006) Impreza WRX STI (1999 - 2005)
	All models post MY1990 except above
Suzuki	All pre-2008 Alto, Mighty Boy, Wagon R+, Swift/Cino, Sierra, Stockman, Vitara, X-90, Jimny (SOHC), Super Carry, Suzuki Baleno and Baleno GTX
	All models except above
Toyota	Camry with carburettor engines pre July 1989 and Corolla pre July 1994; Supra - pre May 1993, Cressida - pre Feb 1993, Paseo - pre Aug 1995, Starlet - pre July 1999, Land Cruiser - pre Aug 1992, Coaster - pre Jan 1993, Dyna - pre May 1995, Tarago - pre Oct 1996, Hilux , Hiace, & 4 Runner - pre Aug 1997, Townace - pre Dec 1998
	All models except above
Volkswagen	All fuel injected models post 1986
Volvo	All models post 1986

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

Do you use E10 in your daily commute? Tell us your experience in the comments below.

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Tom White

Deputy News Editor

Tom’s way into motoring journalism was anything but straightforward despite annoying his parents to no end as a child by identifying makes and models with ease, and acquiring a large…

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