MX5Ireland

Here's something I've noticed with two cars and heard about in other cars: Since the E5 petrol was replaced with E10, cars are less responsive when you need to accelerate quickly from a stop / crawl. My Mx5 is 21 years old and I now have to use additive to keep her "zippy", but still the performance is not what it used to be; she needs to stay in 2nd longer if I'm doing quick acceleration on (for example) a main road when some clown suddenly comes out a gate.
It's not just the Mx5. My mother's car is an Opel Corsa, only 11 years old and is even worse. Other people with different makes of car are reporting similar problems on roundabouts and when overtaking.

hmmm... I wonder if playing with the spark timing would help?

I don't know... Gave the car a long drive yesterday and she was like new. The car has a mind of her own at this stage.

This is the stuff I use, supposed to be good and probably is as I haven't noticed much difference since the E10 fuel came out
https://onestopmotorshop.ie/product/lucas-ethanol/

Thanks, I am going to try that. I'm using this at the moment: https://www.theoilstore.ie/store/E10-Fu ... p579459852 and I think the reason the car wasn't acting up yesterday was because I used about twice as much as the recommended amount. My mother didn't use it the last time she topped up her petrol (in the Corsa) and it was stalling a bit too.
Anyway, the Mx5 has another problem now: steering fluid leak and the rubber off the ball joint on the front suspension arm, also the steering rack gaiter. All these problems came up in the NCT but I recently had to top up the steering fluid and I was warned about a small leak after that (when I got a welding job done on her - finally got that rust sorted professionally).

Ya, there's loads of additives available, the bardal brand has been around a long time.
NCT always find some sort of faults but a leak still needs to be fixed, ball joint rubber boots are available in most motor factors and a steering rack boot should be easy enough to get but don't get the plastic y type as they're useless

Reassuring to hear that they're easy to get. I won't be doing any of this work myself.

The cars are great but do need repairs at times, enjoy driving it when it's done

e10 is shit, my lawnmower took an age to start and ran like piss after the winter break, i drained the old fuel out. It a Honda engine and normally runs on first crank.

Re lawnmowers: we had that problem too. I put a drop of the additive in (Bardahl in this case) and it's been working OK since then. Not as good as it used to be though.

wonder if that's why my older strimmer is acting the goat, will try a drop in it.