How does the new E10 fuel affect engine oil? Are there any immediate steps you need to take to ensure proper engine lubrication? Questions related to the new gasoline enriched with a larger amount of biocomponents than before and its impact on engine oil are answered by the head of the Technical Department of TotalEnergies Marketing Polska.
Is it worth changing the oil more often?
„You certainly shouldn't panic. People who are afraid of the negative impact of a larger admixture of biocomponents on engine oil can, of course, take certain remedial steps, but it is important that they are rational. In the context of the reaction of E10 and engine oil, this applies to heavily worn engines, hybrids and cars that are used almost exclusively in the city. In each case, it is enough to shorten the intervals between oil changes.”
Andrzej Husiatyński, head of the Technical Department of TotalEnergies Marketing Polska
Modern TotalEnergies oils are very well prepared to work with biofuels available at our gas stations.
In extreme cases, with poor technical condition of the engine and frequent cold starts, the oil is usually diluted with fuel by approximately 10%. In this case, we always recommend changing the oil more often than usual. But the reason is not so much the addition of biocomponents, but the presence of fuel itself, because the estimated share of ethanol in the volume of the entire oil should not exceed 1% under such assumptions.
The fact that bioethanol is hygroscopic may affect the degradation of calcium or phosphorus-zinc additives, but for such phenomena to occur, the water content must be above 0.1%. Increasing ethanol in the fuel from 5 to 10% plays a smaller role here than, for example, frequent cold starts and driving with an underheated engine, which may occur, for example, in hybrid cars operated in the city, or in cars frequently started and operated on short distances.
From the point of view of degradation of the lubricating properties of the oil, 95 octane E10 fuel does not pose a great threat and therefore there is no need to drastically shorten the oil change intervals. The exceptions are hybrid vehicles used in the city or cars frequently started and operated on short distances. In case of these cars, TotalEnergies has long recommended shortening the intervals between oil changes, and the use of E10 fuel may be an additional argument justifying such action.
Andrzej Husiatyński, head of the Technical Department of TotalEnergies Marketing Polska
About TotalEnergies Marketing Polska:
TotalEnergies Marketing Polska has been operating in Poland since 1992 and has an established position on the engine oil market. It offers products of two well-known brands TotalEnergies and Elf. Since 2008, TotalEnergies also offers bitumen products and is present in the market of industrial special fluids. The company has also been operating on the fuel sales market since 2009. In 2021, TotalEnergies opened the first car washes and launched a project to create a charging network for electric vehicles.
About the TotalEnergies Marketing Services:
TotalEnergies Marketing Services offers its professional and private customers a wide range of energy products and services - petroleum products, biofuels, charging and related services for electric vehicles, road and marine gas - to support their mobility and help them reduce their carbon footprint. Every day, over 8 million customers visit our 16,000 service stations around the world. Number four in the world in lubricants, we design and market high-performance products for the automotive, industrial and marine sectors. In order to best respond to the needs of our B2B customers, we deploy our sales force, our international logistics network and our diverse offer. We operate in 107 countries, where our 31,000 employees are close to all our customers.
About TotalEnergies:
TotalEnergies is a multi-energy concern that produces and sells energy on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gas, renewable energy sources and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to creating ever cheaper, clean, reliable and accessible energy to as many people as possible. Active in over 130 countries, TotalEnergies focuses on sustainable development in all its dimensions, in particular in the area of its projects and business operations, which are to contribute to increasing the quality of life of people around the world.
Contact TotalEnergies:
Bartosz Cyran | bartosz.cyran@proautomotive.pl | +48 662 454 679.
Legal Notice:
The terms „TotalEnergies”, „TotalEnergies Company” or „Company” in this document are used to refer to TotalEnergies SE and consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Similarly, the words „we”, „us” and „our” may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. Entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly holds shares are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE is not responsible for the actions or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a range of economic data and assumptions made in the particular economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove inaccurate in the future and are subject to many risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries undertakes to publicly update any information or forward-looking statements, objectives or trends contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information regarding risk factors that may affect the financial results or operations of TotalEnergies is contained in the most recent Registration Document, the French version of which has been filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and in Form 20-F filed with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
