Ethanol (E10) in a Marine Engine
Ethanol-blended petrol (E10) is hard on marine engines. Ethanol attracts water, and in the damp environment of a boat tank it can "phase-separate" — the ethanol and water drop out as a corrosive layer at the bottom of the tank, right where the pickup sits. Older outboards with rubber fuel lines and fibreglass tanks are especially vulnerable. EEK drains the separated fuel and flushes the system.
Call Now: 0800 769 00024/7 marine fuel recovery — nationwide
What to Look For
Engine bogging down or stalling, especially after sitting
A distinct layer visible in a clear filter bowl
Gummy deposits in the carburettor or on the filter
Deteriorating rubber fuel lines or primer bulb
Common Causes
Phase separation
Ethanol absorbs water until it separates out as a damaging water-ethanol layer.
Long lay-up
Boats sit for weeks between trips, giving ethanol time to attract moisture.
What to Do — and What Not to Do
Do
- Stop running the engine
- Avoid topping up with more E10
- Call 0800 769 000 for a drain and flush
Don't
- Start, crank, or run the engine
- Attempt to burn off contaminated fuel by running it
- Top up the oil or fuel before the system is assessed
- Motor the vessel back to the ramp under its own power
- Pump contaminated fuel overboard — it is an environmental offence