Urgent Tech Question. WORST DAY EVER!!

[Nickm]

Hi guys, you know I'm on the euro trip as we speak.....was motoring along fine, 600 miles in and on my 3rd tank of fuel, I have filled up with 95 RON each time apart from the last, which is a lower grade. The engine warning light is on and limp home mode activated. Luckily didn't fill with diesel....but do you know if it is just a case of emptying the tank and filling up with higher grade unleaded?

Silly mistake I know....

Breakdown are on there way....

Thanks

[Maniac]

I'd expect refilling with the correct grade will be ok.. I believe the car should run down to 91 Ron however.. What did you fill up with?

[Nickm]

No idea def green nosle thought...BMW tech guy said the same thing, that it wold do the trick. So waiting for them to come out and drain it for me.....and then super unleaded going in right away!!

[Maniac]

A quick search around on the net and theres a little confusion in the ratings. BMW say 89AKI which is around 93RON. So if you filled with 91 or less that might be the reason. Stick with 95 or higher. 91 should be ok to run in limp for a few hundred feet etc. lower RON than that could damage the engine.

[lacroupade]

Hi guys, yokow I'm on the euro trip as we speak.....was motoring along fine, 600 miles in and on my 3rd tank of fuel, I have filled up with 95 RON each time apart from the last, which is a lower grade. The engine warning light is on and limp home mode activated. Luckily didn't fill with diesel....but do you know if it is just a case of emptying the tank and filling up with higher grade unleaded?

Silly mistake I know....

Breakdown are on there way....

Thanks

As Maniac says, what did you fill up with? I thought the lowest RON currently available in the UK is 95??????

For our US cousins, worth knowing, if you didn't already, that not only are US gallons different, but so is fuel RON (typically UK 95RON would be 91RON in the US - same fuel, they just calculate the octane value differently......see the very bottom paragraph of this link.

http://www.fuelsaving.info/fuels.htm

I don't see how using lower grade fuel - certainly not the sort of variation found across Europe - would be that big a deal. The Z4 has knock sensors which preclude pre-ignition (or 'pinking') and this car is made for a large number of geographies with often disparate fuel quality.....usually compensated for by the ECU in some way or other.

I'd be suspecting a dodgy batch of fuel; it happens.

[Nickm]

You're right, turns out it is not the fuel, as the rating of the one I used is within parameters. So my options

Car, whatever happens has to go to BMW tomorrow.
I can either wait for a hire car and continue my trip and stop back in Germany on my way back and pick the car up.... Or

I can stay in Germany with my car and cancel the trip and head home when it's fixed.

I have told BMW, depending on what car it is (if it's a Mondeo I'm not doing it!!) I will decide what to do.

What a shite day.....was making good progress and endured a very very long drive, 700 miles in one stint...

I am not sure now whether I will get my money back on hotels I have booked and paid for, petrol costs, 3 fill ups so far.....2 packets of cheese and onion crisps!!

[Maniac]

That's really bad luck.. Common issues with this engine are injector failure or hpfp. Hopefully a quick fix whatever...

[Stuart Truman]

Hope it works out Nick. Let us know what it was, you've had the engine light on a few times now. Maybe I should withdraw my "I want first refusal" offer on your car!

I'd stay on and try and catch them up somewhere, maybe head towards intersecting them on the return leg. Look on the bright side, you're in Germany with a fast car where it's legal to use it

[Maniac]

Hope it works out Nick. Let us know what it was, you've had the engine light on a few times now. Maybe I should withdraw my "I want first refusal" offer on your car!

I'd stay on and try and catch them up somewhere, maybe head towards intersecting them on the return leg. Look on the bright side, you're in Germany with a fast car where it's legal to use it

Stick with your first refusal.. Let nick fix everything before you buy it lol

[Stuart Truman]

He drives it hard, like it's meant to be, but I've seen the care he lavishes on it. Verging on OCD over keeping it clean

[Adamski]

Sorry to hear that Nick. Keep us updated

[andysat]

Sorry to hear that Nick. Keep us updated

+1

[duncan-m-w]

Sorry to hear that Nick. Keep us updated

+1

+2

Saw the car on Fri night and I can beleive the OCD cleaning comment based on our short conversation.

Did you get the grills fitted?

[pvr]

Please put petrol in the car it deserves ... low(er) grades are just not worth it, super plus the only way to guarantee a decent running engine. Just to ensure that whatever problem you have with the car, at least you don't have to worry that you might have caused it.

[Bing]

Nickm, hope it works out for you

Hopefully they will give you a shiny new Z to drive around in... Without a mileage limit

As for hotels, surely you can get the money back on any that are booked more than 24hrs before you decide not to stay there, but hopefully not going to be necessary.