Motor Sales, dealers for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, has issued a warning on behalf of its parent company that could spell doom for some Mitsubishi deportee owners.

The company said that while products sold by Motor Sales are compatible with E10-90, that mix is not compatible with Mitsubishi's Japan Domestic Market (JDM) expatriates with Gasolene Direct Injection (GDI) engines as they were designed to use only blends containing five per cent ethanol.

E10 has now become the standard in Jamaica.

Local Brand Manager for Volkswagen Etus Collman, in quoting a press release from Wolfsburg, Germany, and dated November 2008, to allay fears about VW compatibility issues with the local ethanol blends, said that, with only a few exceptions, all Volkswagen-brand vehicles can run on the planned E10 fuel.

"For Volkswagen customers, the use of this new fuel, which, according to new legislation, may contain up to 10 per cent ethanol in the future, will present no problem," Collman said. "The new fuel types [87 E10] and [90 E10] are not suitable for vehicles having first-generation Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engines. This affects a few Lupo, Polo, Golf, Bora and Touran models built between 2000 and 2004, and in individual cases to 2006."

The statement quoted incompatibilities in parts which transport fuel, in particular the high-pressure fuel pumps and fuel rails of these engines. The manufacturer said that these parts may fail if the new E10 fuel types are used.

Collman also pointed out that using E10-87 or any fuel grade less than E10-90 in Volkswagen vehicles is strictly forbidden as this may cause damage to the fuel transport system of the vehicle and such damage would not be covered under Volkswagen's warranty.

No comment

Petrojam's Technical Director Winston Watson could not comment on either manufacturer's statement, preferring to first consult with Mitsubishi. He did say, however, that vehicles with GDI engines were not included in the 70 or more vehicles evaluated during the Petrojam E10 pilot programme.

Expensive pump

Both the Volkswagen FSI and Mitsubishi GDI engines introduce gasolene into their combustion chambers at very high pressures, necessitating the use of an expensive pump. These pumps, according to Lynval Llewellyn, Mitsubishi service manager at Motor Sales, are the weak link. He said seals in the pump will over time react negatively to the ethanol blend and cause problems. He also stressed that the GDI engine should not be sold locally as it is not supported by Motor Sales.

Yesterday, Ian Lyn, president of the Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association (JUCDA), said that while the situation facing certain used-car owners was regrettable, the JUCDA endorsed the Government's move to E10 and would be educating dealers as to which products are suitable for the Jamaican market.

mario.james@gleanerjm.com