[Jn_DK]

Hi, I am new member, but have been visiting the site for quite a long time. I just want to share a ”terrible” experience…

Having driven BMW 1602 (40 years ago) and ALL 3-series up to F30, I picked my brand new 520i up at my BMW dealer (I live in Denmark. Denmark means high taxes and ”small” engines) July 9.

After 111 km on the clock I filled it up with 65 liters of gasoline, and I got a yellow engine alarm. Back to the workshop, where a gasoline valve was changed. Everything OK for the next 70 km. Engine alarm again. Back to workshop. In the meantime the workshop have had a number of BMWs with similar problems.

It turned up, that several gas stations sold gasoline with way too much ethanol. Finally the car is OK. The gasoline tank and supply was drained/cleaned.

The costs for my car, to be paid by the gasoline company, will probably be approx. 1,500 USD!

Does anyone know, if that will harm the engine in the long run?

Thanks

Jn_DK

BTW: It is not a LCI model, but it has the new dashboard, iDrive 7, etc.

[runbuh]

Sounds like your car went less than 100km on this "gas"?

As your car was designed to use ethanol as an additive, I tend to doubt there has been any significant damage, but it's worth asking your workshop (or BMW directly) about the impact.

Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that ethanol raises octane, so there shouldn't be any damage from running too low of an octane.

[AP]

Do you know how much more? It may vary by market but thought at least for the EU anything up to E10 was allowed. (It's currently E5 here in the U.K. with mumblings about going to E10)

[Jn_DK]

Hi, thanks both for your answers, I don't know how much ethanol was 'added', I'll ask the workshop if they know. Since I mixed 2.5 liters of 'good' gasoline with 65 liters of 'bad', it should be quite easy to calculate.

Rgds

[SteveinArizona]

This is a ten year old article but it does suggest that there could be problems:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ethano...h-is-too-much/

[Jn_DK]

Thanks for the link, I have asked the Danish FDM (like AAA in US), if they have any concerns with regard to a "huge" amount of ethanol in the gasoline.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

This is a ten year old article but it does suggest that there could be problems:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ethano...h-is-too-much/

I agree.

For the US, Vehicles that can handle large amounts of Ethanol in their engines are "Flex Fuel" vehicles where they can take E85 (85% Ethanol and 15% gas). BMW doesn't list the 5-Series has having a Flexible Fuel variant and the manual notes a max of E25 (25% Ethanol, 75% gas).