Will the gas station smell of sulfur
Although there is no talk of a shortage of automobile fuel in Russia yet, the government, it seems, wanted to insure against unpleasant surprises: in addition to gasoline import schemes, 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 how a rollback to gasoline from the recent past could turn out for motorists.
The fact that the Russian Government is assessing the possibility of temporarily lowering the quality standard for automobile fuel from Euro-5 to Euro 4, reports Reuters. Such measures may be necessary to put into operation outdated installations to replace those that were out of order due to planned repairs and as a result of sabotage, the agency, whose headquarters is located in London,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 in Russia have been in effect not so long ago — they were introduced in 2016. The main differences in the standards are the ban on certain anti-knock additives in K5 — for example, monomethylaniline, “canceled” for toxicity, and a sharp decrease in the permissible level of sulfur content: if K4 gasoline could contain up to 50 mg/kg of sulfur, then K5 — five times less.
— If such a decision is made, it 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 motors can still “digest” gasoline «Euro-4».
According to the expert, at risk from the point of view of sulfur compounds — The newest European ones with turbocharging and a high compression ratio are, as a rule, small-volume engines, from which manufacturers “remove” them to the detriment of their service life. significant power. There are not too many such engines in cars officially supplied to Russia until 2022 — The Russian market was recognized as “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, — Ostrovsky notes. — There really can be motors that “can’t digest” them. Euro-4 gasolines. I have particular concerns — Regarding VW turbocharged engines, the corporation has been famous for its short-lived engines in recent years.
But Japanese and Korean brands — especially with naturally aspirated engines — should be considered more reliable: the engines there are of a conservative design for these 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 technicians unmistakably determined that the car was being refueled with “beeps” by the characteristic red soot on the spark plugs. This deposit is electrically conductive and quickly damages the engine. We ask: why are you refueling there? And at these gas stations, they say, there is good coffee and pies…
Ferrocene gasoline should be avoided in any modern engine, Kubko says. But high sulfur content can be “parried” by a more attentive attitude towards 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.
— Moreover, domestic engines are no exception here, although many believe that the Lada will gobble up any fuel, — Nikolay Kubko says. — Maybe carburetor «eights» and «Zhiguli» were like that (actually not), but the engines of the current generation are no less gentle than foreign ones. And they don’t like “scorched” food. gasoline.
According to the owner of the service, several years ago gasoline, over-enriched with MMA, brought the engine of his own Lada under overhaul: he had to rebuild the engine, replacing piston rings, valve stem seals and bent valves, and other components rinsing thoroughly with solvent and cleaning with a wire brush. The cost of such a repair for the client would be over 60 thousand rubles in 2018 prices.
However, at branded gas stations, most likely, such “dangerous” gas will not be available for sale. 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.