Hi there,

I need some advice from the pros. My wife is currently driving a 4 year old Suzuki Carribian Sporty and she has been told by the Suzuki dealer here in Phuket that the car can only run on benzine 91. As more and more gas station start to not offer the 91 anymore, she went to ask the chief mecanician of the Suzuki dealer from where we bought the car if she could fill in gasohol 95. The answer was NO because the engine will somehow run too dry!!?? The only way would be to add some stuff to the engine motor oil which will cost 3,000.-baht a bottle and need to be added every 30,000 km? it sound a bit funny to me?

Now that the news are that the 91 is going to be completely out of the market (not sold anymore), my wife start to worry and ask me if we should sell the car. Can any body enlight me about this please, does her little Suzuki will be running fine on gasohol 95?

I run my Caribian for one year with gasohol 95, without any problem. Now 've sold it but is one year still running good with the new owner.

Thanks a lot for your answer Angiud.

Thanks a lot for your answer Angiud.

I'd go with the suzuki dealer's suggestion even though I don't get the meaning. you pay 10satangs per km, thats roughly 1 baht more per litre. u'd still be saving 4-5bhats per litre.

Cars not designed to run on alcohol better not be, unless its been tested well enough to prove otherwise.

Q. Can the new gasohol fuel be used in motorbikes?

A. Gasohol can be used in all car engines manufactured in Thailand since 1995. However, we do not recommend it be used in motorcycles. The reason for this is that cars made in Thailand in the past 10 years are all equipped with fuel injectors, not carburetors.

The Fuel Research Department of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) researched the use of gasohol only in fuel-injected engines. We are therefore not sure whether the seals in carburetors - as in pre-1995 cars and as still fitted to most motorcycles - can handle the burning of ethanol. Carburetors contain plastic parts. If these are damaged and leak, an engine fire could result.

Carburetor-aspirated engines will work on gasohol but, for the reason stated, we cannot recommend its use in these engines.

( - Vichitpong Cheanthongsub, PTT Phuket Oil Depot Manager)

The manufacturer will probably not support this statement, but I am guessing that the Sporty is out of warranty in any case. There will be a small loss in power and mileage from its use, which will of course make the cost the same as regular 91, but you will be saving a dinosaur.

I run my Suzy SJ413 (Caribbean) on gasohol 91 no problem.