Experts explained what measures can be used to “save” gasoline prices: “A lot of fun”
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Although there is no talk of a shortage of motor fuel in Russia yet, the government, it seems, wanted to insure against unpleasant surprises: in addition to schemes for importing gasoline, the possibility of reducing fuel quality requirements is being considered. For example, from Euro-5 to Euro-4. This is the level of 2016, so it doesn’t seem to be fatal; however, later engines may not like such gasoline. MK found out what a rollback to gasoline from the recent past could mean for motorists.
Reuters reports that the Russian Government is assessing the possibility of temporarily lowering the quality level of automobile fuel from Euro-5 to Euro-4. Such measures may be necessary to put into operation outdated installations to replace those that were out of order due to planned repairs and as a result of sabotage, the agency, whose headquarters is located in London, estimates.
Let us note that, according to official reports from Russian oil companies, fuel shortages are not expected in the country, and in particular at gas station networks. At the same time, according to Rosstat, in March, gasoline production in the country decreased by 12%.
At the same time, the K5 (“Euro-5”) standards for motor gasoline have been in effect in Russia not so long ago – they were introduced in 2016. The main differences in the standards are the ban in K5 of some anti-knock additives – for example, monomethylaniline, “canceled” for toxicity, and a sharp reduction in the permissible level of sulfur content: if K4 gasoline could contain up to 50 mg/kg of sulfur, then in K5 – five times less.
“If such a decision is made, this will be a controversial move,” says used car expert Alexey Ostrovsky. “The fact is that sulfur itself is really harmful to a car engine: its compounds cause the engine oil to quickly degrade and harm the exhaust system. But until recently, engines were designed for this – and in fact, almost all engines can still “digest” Euro-4 gasoline.
According to the expert, those at risk from the point of view of sulfur compounds are the latest European ones with turbocharging and a high compression ratio; as a rule, these are small-volume engines from which manufacturers “remove” significant power to the detriment of their resource. There are not too many such engines in cars officially supplied to Russia until 2022 – the Russian market was considered “conservative” and not ready for innovative engines.
“But those who purchased European cars through parallel imports from the European market need to be more careful,” notes Ostrovsky. — There may indeed be engines that cannot digest Euro-4 gasoline. I have particular concerns about VW turbocharged engines; in recent years, the corporation has been famous for its short-lived engines.
But Japanese and Korean brands – especially those with naturally aspirated engines – should be considered more reliable: the engines there are of a conservative design for today’s times; they have not changed for the most part since 2016.
“If the requirements for the quality of gasoline are really relaxed, a lot of fun may return to our lives,” says Nikolai Kubko, owner of a car service center in St. Petersburg. — For example, there was such a common additive as ferrocene: it was generously poured into 95-octane gasoline at the BP gas station network in the 2000s and early 2010s. The craftsmen unmistakably determined that the car was being refueled with “beeps” by the characteristic red soot on the spark plugs. This carbon deposit is electrically conductive and quickly damages the engine. We ask: why are you refueling there? And at these gas stations, they say, the coffee is good and the pies are…
Ferrocene gasoline should be avoided in any modern engine, Kubko says. But the high sulfur content can be countered by a more attentive attitude to the car. For example, more frequent oil changes: on high-sulfur gasoline, it makes sense to halve the interval. That is, change the oil not every 10–15, but every 5–7.5 thousand kilometers.
The additive monomethylaniline (MMA), according to the serviceman, is also dangerous – with its increased concentration, resinous and varnish deposits are formed, which damage the injectors, valve mechanism and exhaust system.
“And domestic engines are no exception here, although many believe that the Lada will gobble up any fuel,” says Nikolai Kubko. — Maybe carburetor V8s and Zhigulis were like that (in fact, no), but the engines of the current generation are no less gentle than foreign ones. And they don’t like “scorched” gasoline.
According to the owner of the service, several years ago gasoline, over-enriched with MMA, caused the engine of his own Lada to be overhauled: he had to rebuild the engine, replacing piston rings, valve stem seals and bent valves, and thoroughly washed the remaining components with a solvent and cleaned them with a wire brush. The cost of such a repair for the client would be over 60 thousand rubles in 2018 prices.
However, branded gas stations most likely will not sell such “dangerous” gasoline. But changing the oil more often probably won’t hurt. You can also carry a canister of known good fuel with you. Just to dilute the “flammable liquid” poured into an untested gas station.
Newspaper headline:
The gas station will smell of sulfur
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