1.3 2004 T Spirit loss of power

[sproutdreamer]

My daughter is using my wife's Yaris to avoid using public transport for a while. She has had a licence about 10 years but has not driven much until recently and she is inexperienced and a bit over cautious. She thinks the car loses power sometimes, this may just be her reluctance to put down her foot when going uphill so not a real fault or it may be losing power. However her general comments about the car being low powered when I find it respectably nippy about town make me wonder if it is her over conservative driving style.

However I have ordered Techstream to run some diagnostics but in the meantime I wondered whether there is any inspired insight into this possible problem. I briefly drove it and ascertained there were no hot discs or drums so not sticking pads or shoes. The fuel cap gave a reassuring whoosh release of pressure when released  (I understand it is a pressurized system. No loose plug leads and no sparking and arcing in the dark under the bonnet, I will probably change the plugs anyway but would not expect a plug breaking down to be intermittent.

I am wondering about petrol as in the past I had the same problems when getting petrol from a particular local outlet.

 

[flash22]

Has your daughter put fuel in it if so was it supermarket fuel - a tank of the good stuff is in order

[sproutdreamer]

She filled up at Tesco so they should be ok with a big turnover -wondering whether to drain, only 3/4 gallons and start afresh and have a look at it or just fill up and dilute the possible crap or wait until Techstream and do the diagnostics. However i am unsure that Techstream would detect dirty fuel?

[Stivino]

Like most people, I’ve used nothing but supermarket fuel for the past 30 years or so.  It is the same base fuel as any other supplier and by law, it has to conform to the same standards.  

[flash22]

Engines do appreciate decent fuel once in a while as additives do help - also supermarket fuels do contain a higher ethanol content that some older engines don't like it's not a case of the fuel being dirty

i don't think tech stream will tell you much tbh

[Stivino]

 

The Ethanol content is the same no matter where you buy your fuel.

https://blog.greenflag.com/2019/cheap-supermarket-fuel/

All fuel that’s sold in the UK must comply with legal standards set nationally and internationally. For example, currently the amount of ethanol in UK petrol is set at 5 per cent.

[stantheman1]

It could just be driver error (poor timing with gear changes etc).

[sproutdreamer]

Thanks for comments:-

It is an auto that when I had driven it has been fine.

I have the impression that due to changes in EC legislation some years ago about underground fuel storage that resulted in most small garages shutting down the local garage with a low turnover of fuel and tanks probably 40 years old and with gunge in the bottom are a thing of the past?

I will run the Techstream just to discount other possibilities, but I might get a surprise!

I will feedback what it turned out to be if anything.

[flash22]

It's not such a big problem as it used to be, even with high turn over stations you still get water/condensate in the fuel, ethanol is hygroscopic whereas petrol is hydrophobic

Autos do tend to perform a bit better with the higher RON fuel, E10 petrol is also a thing now

 

[Madasafish]

Check the air filter is clean..

 

[bathtub tom]

8 hours ago, flash22 said:

E10 petrol is also a thing now

 

I thought that wasn't being introduced until next year.

[Mick F]

Has the car had a good "burn up" up the motorway?

Had a car years ago and it was only used locally for the school run.  I used to be in the Royal Navy, and after getting back home after six months away, and then drove the car, it was sluggish and sort of lethargic.  Not long after getting home, we took it up the A30 to Exeter and back (100miles round trip) and the difference was amazing afterwards.

Basically, giving the engine a good run, had cleaned it out and allowed it breathe.

Mick.

[flash22]

I have seen E10 it in a few stations over the last 18 months it gets rolled out 2021

 

thanks to the hybrid petrol stations are not something I go to much

[rogereld]

On 9/12/2020 at 7:19 PM, Stivino said:

 

The Ethanol content is the same no matter where you buy your fuel.

https://blog.greenflag.com/2019/cheap-supermarket-fuel/

All fuel that’s sold in the UK must comply with legal standards set nationally and internationally. For example, currently the amount of ethanol in UK petrol is set at 5 per cent.

That is not completely correct. The ethanol content of fuel in the UK can vary from zero upwards depending on where it comes from. I believe the labels on the fuel pumps indicate the maximum permitted in the fuel, but not necessarily the actual amount in the fuel.

See Esso website FAQ's   https://www.esso.co.uk/en-gb/fuels-faqs.

"The majority of unleaded 95 Octane petrol sold in the UK contains up to 5% ethanol as required under the Government’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).

There is currently no requirement for renewable fuel (such as ethanol) to be present in super unleaded (97 grade petrol).

Esso super unleaded petrol (Synergy Supreme+ Unleaded 97) is ethanol free (except in Devon, Cornwall, the Teesside area and Scotland)."

 Ethanol free fuel is particularly important for users of classic vehicles where the ethanol content can cause damage to fuel lines and fittings.

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards ethanol content in fuel in the UK, the maximum percentage of ethanol in standard unleaded is being raised to 10% in 2021, with super unleaded staying at 5%.