Drivers warned over mixing E10 petrol as shortages continue – it ‘may cause harm’

AA President Edmund King discusses fuel shortages

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There have been thousands of instances of drivers filling up with the wrong fuel given the chaos of the petrol crisis over the last week. The AA said it had experienced an increase in breakdown calls from drivers who had put petrol in diesel cars, or vice versa.

While the number of calls they would usually receive for such mishaps in any given weekend would be in the tens, last weekend they received 250.

Edmund King, President of the AA, said there had been a “dramatic increase” in instances of misfuelling.

In addition to this, many drivers were questioning whether mixing unleaded and super unleaded was safe for their car. 

Unleaded petrol, or E10, has an octane rating of 95, while super unleaded has a 98 rating.

Super unleaded is designed to be more fuel efficient with a smoother engine operation.

Combining the two in equal parts in your tank gives you a mixed grade petrol of around 96 octane rating.

This is unlikely to cause any major damage to your car, with an expert from the AA saying: “Mixing the 95 and 98 octane fuels will not cause any problems.”

However, the RAC suggests sticking to the octane recommended for your vehicle.

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A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said what to do if drivers put E10 into a non-compatible vehicle.

They said: “Simply fill up with E5 (‘97+ octane) petrol next time.

“Using a single tank of E10 petrol in a vehicle that is not compatible should not be a major problem.

“Just make sure you fill up with the correct E5 (‘97+ octane) petrol grade next time.

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