Esso's new fuel
- Thread starter Jasonn
- Start date
Very devisive as ever this question. For me if it's remapped on the good stuff stick with that. Beyond that I go off what ever the fuel flap or handbook says. If the manufacturer thinks it's should be drinking 97/98 then 97/98 it is. That's the case with my E85 3.0i M54 and my E89 N20 20i. But anyone moving from the normal 95 and expecting an instant reaction your in for a disappointment. It does take a good few tanks fills for the management to fully adapt and even then it's not like a remap on an turbo.
Like I said my Indy recommended Super Plus for both my cars, and it seems he's right now I've bothered to RFTM! :lol:
My 330i has an N52 engine like many Z4s. The book says the engine is rated to run on 98 RON. It CAN be run on 95 RON, and the minimum permissible grade is 91 RON.
The manual for my MC says pretty much the same, except the minimum permissible grade is 95 RON.
So they'll both keep getting Momentum, or V-Power, etc. if I need to fill up away from home.
My 330i has an N52 engine like many Z4s. The book says the engine is rated to run on 98 RON. It CAN be run on 95 RON, and the minimum permissible grade is 91 RON.
The manual for my MC says pretty much the same, except the minimum permissible grade is 95 RON.
So they'll both keep getting Momentum, or V-Power, etc. if I need to fill up away from home.
Danglesberries
Member
What page number in your book does it tell you to run a 330i, N52 engine on 98RON?
My book says it CAN be run on 98 RON although 95 RON is standard and PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE.
91 RON is the absolute minimum you can use and ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY when nothing else is available.
My book says it CAN be run on 98 RON although 95 RON is standard and PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE.
91 RON is the absolute minimum you can use and ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY when nothing else is available.
OK, I'll admit my 35iS chugs a bit on RON's 95, especially up hills. Mind you, it's only been running on 5 cylinders since last lockdown. But I look at it this way ... 5 is one more than most folk have anyway, so you could say I've still got one spare. And what with the money I've saved on not having the missing one fixed and on only having to 'feed' 5 with petrol instead of 6 and with only using RON's 95, I'm quids in.
warmasice said:
Can you share those *kof* 100% performance increase figures perhaps? That 3/10ths of a second quicker to the next set of lights time?
:lol:
I don’t get it tbh, not just you but everyone who claims their car goes faster on super/98RON. It must be such a marginal gain for owners willing to spend the extra on premium fuel, what with all the speed cameras on UK roads preventing owners from exploiting all that ‘extra’ performance and most owners not racing or tracking to be tricked by the brand marketeers into a real placebo.
No offence, I’m all for and believe in the power of placebo speaking from first-hand experience, it works! But that’s the single biggest factor that the brands utilise and would have you fall prey to. Unless you’re running an engine specifically designed to run on higher octane fuel, with the appropriate cmpression there’s really no point otherwise.
I cite in other threads like these the case of our mechanic Dave tuning our Atom for 100RON racing fuel usually Sunoco FR as I recall,l and it making not a blind bit of difference to our ‘ring laptimes, apart from our thinning wallets that is.
Yes we may have been faster in some places, in certain gears at certain parts of the rev range but overall, no real or significant increase in performance due to downforce and gear ratios on the straights and that’s from driving a car at 10/10ths.....all the time!
Carry on spending on super though, if it makes you feel the car has more zing, why not?
I've tried several fuels on my 23i. I now just stick to good quality unleaded. Local Shell for convenience.
Weather conditions seem to have the most effect, i'm sure we have all felt the performance gain on those cold misty mornings.
Apparently higher octane fuels burn slower so some goes down the exhaust. Mine certainly pops more on the super unleaded.
Any power gain quickly becomes unnoticeable, if any, just don't use cheap Asda unleaded.
Weather conditions seem to have the most effect, i'm sure we have all felt the performance gain on those cold misty mornings.
Apparently higher octane fuels burn slower so some goes down the exhaust. Mine certainly pops more on the super unleaded.
Any power gain quickly becomes unnoticeable, if any, just don't use cheap Asda unleaded.
john-e89 said:R.E92 said:
Point taken. So what in your opinion or professional opinion is the point of higher octane fuel...? Genuine question, not a sarcastic post as it may seem to be given it’s through a keyboard and not face to face.
Not an expert, just an anorak
I can only talk with certainty about the N54 and it's sensitivity to octane. Premium fuels often claim superior cleaning due to additive packages as far as I know they all put additives in and I've not seen any evidence to show any variable performance of cleaning agents, this just tends to be all about marketing.
With the octane rating there's actually a measurable difference that the engine will notice. With the N54 there's two modes by which the engine can reduce power in relation to fuel (and none to increase power). There's an instantaneous reading from the knock sensors where the engine computer can detect knock and as a result will retard ignition timing in that cylinder for a couple of seconds. Then there's a long-term adaptation value which is constantly calculated as a result of the noise in the cylinder. This long-term value is used to proportionally reduce the engines targeted load (essentially boost). If the car has ignition problems as picked up by the knock sensors then it will gradually reduce the boost. This is a gradual process that takes place across hours rather than seconds and is probably intended to protect the engine in countries where real bad fuel exists and not western Europe. California for example has terrible standard fuel as a result of its war on ICE vehicles so people there either have to run ethanol fuels or stay away from tuning.
Bad fuel isn't the only reason for knock though. It could be a problem with spark plugs, injectors, fuel pressure, coils, battery/ground or air supply issues such as intake valve coking.
Bad fuel doesn't exist in the UK as far as I'm concerned. Any perceived differences when filling up are psychological, likely a manifestation of years of clever advertising from fuel companies. It's possible that an engine may have ignition issues as a result of any previously mentioned factors and that a slight increase in octane rating is the difference between a smooth idle and a rough idle but that would be quite the coincidence.
I use whatever unleaded is cheapest at the supermarket. I cannot discern any tangible improvement by sticking in these premium fuels nor does the knock change. I used to only ever put in V-power but I think it is a placebo effect and a marketing gimmick appealing to enthusiasts that will pay more. 90% of the time it is Morrison's unleaded I use and the car runs perfectly.
The proper parts and good oil, absolutely.
The proper parts and good oil, absolutely.
Busterboo said:Mr Tidy wrote: ↑Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:46 pm
Here's a copy of the 2005 manual for all petrol E90s - it's on pages 108 & 109 and says to fill up with 98 whenever possible.
Fair enough, you obviously know better than the manufacturer!
No, I just drive an E89.Mr Tidy said:Fair enough, you obviously know better than the manufacturer!Busterboo said:Mr Tidy wrote: ↑Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:46 pm
Here's a copy of the 2005 manual for all petrol E90s - it's on pages 108 & 109 and says to fill up with 98 whenever possible.
