Ethanol+Petrol=Trouble?

Does your vehicle break down frequently, especially after servicing? After complaints from angry customers, petroleum dealers have claimed that improper blending of ethanol with petrol by oil marketing companies (OMCs) is causing problems for vehicle users. 

They said ethanol absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and when it comes into contact with the water in petrol tanks, it forms a distinct layer and settles at the bottom. This leads to the vehicles stalling or facing difficulty while starting. Uday Lodh, president of the Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealer’s Association (FAMPEDA) said, “Two layers of petrol and ethanol are visible in ethanol-blended petrol.” 

Stating this happens largely after monsoon or servicing when water has entered the fuel tank, he demanded that the OMC’s launch an awareness campaign for the customers. He added that after vehicles were detected with problems, customers blamed petrol pump owners for adulterating petrol with water, even when the two were unmixable. Ravi Shinde of the Petrol Dealers Association said condensation in petrol tanks and water ingress led to these issues. “Earlier, water would only settle at the bottom of the tank, but it is now reacting with ethanol, leading to vehicles stalling. This can be dangerous on highways,” he added. Though the blending is being done since 2015, Lodh said complaints had begun now because the availability of ethanol was seasonal and not through the year. 

An anonymous OMC official denied the charges and claimed that the problem happened if petrol dealers did not follow the standard operating processes (SOP) or if water entered the fuel tank while washing the vehicle. “It is scientifically proven that up to 10% of ethanol in petrol is perfectly safe,” he said, adding that ethanol blending happened even in tropical countries like Brazil and was validated by automobile associations. “The dealer should check for water in the fuel tank through a water-finding scale,” the official stressed.The OMC official said that the Centre had decided on the ethanol-petrol blending to save foreign exchange and reduce pollution.

Transport sector activist AV Shenoy said before taking the decision, the Centre should have discussed the issue with automobile manufacturers to test if their engine designs were compatible with the blended petrol. 

PRECAUTIONS

• Close the petrol tank properly so that water cannot enter
   
• Take extra care while washing the vehicle and during the monsoon months