Which type of petrol SHOULD we use?

[dtjames 0]

I am using standard RON95 unleaded at the moment - it says in the manual to use RON98 - What will this gain me? (other than bigger numbers on my fuel bills !!)

 

LOL

[Jim 1]

On the VR you can use 95RON stuff.. but as the book says, it prefers to run on Super U/L or Optimax. You will definately notice a performance increase, and generally much smoother performance. Plus (supposedly) prolonged engine life.

 

Give it a try and see if you notice the difference. If you don't, don't use it any more.. all it cost you was a couple of quid more than your usual fill up :)

[joebrent 0]

I always use Optimax, its worth that little bit extra, compared to all the other money you will have to spend if the engine dies!!!

[dr_mat 0]

You wouldn't buy a £10k hifi and play the new Westlife CD would ya????

 

So don't put crap petrol in your sports car!!! ;)

[Henny 0]

You wouldn't buy a £10k hifi and play the new Westlife CD would ya????

 

So don't put crap petrol in your sports car!!! ;)

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: PMSL :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I can't say I notice any difference using Optimax but that's probably because the engine hasn't been 100% recently!

 

Kev

[Danger Mouse 0]

iv changed to using optimax about two weeks ago and totally notice a difference, it is indeed smoother and the acceleration is also slightly quicker.

 

DM

[Banana Man 0]

I started using optimax a year or so ago and did notice that after the first couple of fill ups the car felt smoother on acceleratrion and general drivability. I always use it now I think it's probably the best fuel available at the moment, I also occasionally use an octane booster like nitrox hot shots every so often like when I go up the pod and when I want to drive my car hard to bring the octane to over 100 you definately can tell when you've put that stuff in as your car goes like a rocket afterwards :D

[martinibloke 0]

Hi Everyone,

The thing is, with me living in Northern Ireland (which last time I checked was still part of the UK) they don't seem to sell Optimax over here. I checked the Shell website and it states there Optimax avail. UK only. So checked out the local 6 Shell garages and none of them sold it. I had to go to BP and get Woopy Doo Unleaded which is 97RON. Close enough maybe??? Then passing the local car shop i saw a bottle of Wynn's "Octane Booster & Valve Seat Protector" for £4.50. Anybody tried this or should I???

 

Cheers,

Paul

[Jim 1]

I'd say 97RON is good enough.. I don't think you REALLY need the octane booster.

 

Unless like Ant, you are trying to wring every last drop of power out for racing or somethin :)

[chuck 0]

Hey paul,

I live in N. Ireland too, and have been using super plus. You only need to worry about the fuel type on the 1.8 16V as this is the only C engine that doesn't adjust for the fuel type. THe others will all benefit performance-wise with higher octane, but the 1.8 is the only one that won't run right. It'll pink like mad with 95RON, though you can get it adjusted at a garage to use it.

I tried Wynns, but it proved more expensive than just using super plus. BTW I have only found one pump for it around Belfast!!

Wot you drive??

Where you at?? Might have seen you about?

[martinibloke 0]

Hi Paul,

 

Red '92 G60. Couple over her, but i think the other is 2.0 16v.

 

Paul

[MikeVR6 0]

To the N.I. boys....

 

The new Sainsbury's near Holywood does Superunleaded.

79.9p per litre which is 10p cheaper than my local BP in Bangor were doing.

 

Had two fills of it now and it doesn't make the car run any differently than the BP Super.

 

Mike

[pimp 0]

I prefer super+ to optimax. My VR feels alot smoother with super+ in. I won't use anything else if I can avoid it.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Lets see how we get on with BP Ultimate!

 

I don't use Optimax as it makes absolutely no difference.

 

Kev

[Andy T 0]

I noticed on my mk2 that optimax does clean the combustion chambers more effectively. After a few weeks of using it the bores were nice and shiny particulary the back of the valves!

[JT 0]

i use optimax in my 1.8 16v since the day i bought it and it has made a noticable difference in performance on pick up and top end...

[stoner 0]

Super definitely helps my 16v run better, you can feel the extra power, and the engine doesn't pink at idle like it does on regular u/l. Only problem is that local garage charges an extortionate 88p a litre for super, 10p a litre more than regular :shock:

[Sandy 0]

always used super until I could get my hands on some optimax. Normal unleaded is just crap petrol so I will never put the rubish into any car I own. Just like I would never use cheap oil.

 

Sandy G60

[davidwort 0]

s**t :!: :?: if it pinks at idle there is definitely something wrong! :shock:

 

You should only notice pinking when the engine is under load, e.g. driving slowly up a hill with your foot to the floor in 5th, this is where an engine with knock sensors would retard the ignition automatically.

Some 16v's don't pink on UL others do, generally a good quality fuel like Shell regular UL and you'll get away with it.

In short, if your 1.8 16v is OK on UL, you're wasting your money on better fuel as K-jet injection can't adjust the ignition advance to take advantage of it.

 

David.

 

Super definitely helps my 16v run better, you can feel the extra power, and the engine doesn't pink at idle like it does on regular u/l. Only problem is that local garage charges an extortionate 88p a litre for super, 10p a litre more than regular :shock:

[Campaign 0]

You wouldn't buy a £10k hifi and play the new Westlife CD would ya????

 

So don't put crap petrol in your sports car!!! ;)

 

The production on that last Westlife album was amazing 8)

[G60Dan 0]

I am using standard RON95 unleaded at the moment - it says in the manual to use RON98 - What will this gain me? (other than bigger numbers on my fuel bills !!)

 

LOL

Do the right thing & put super/optimax in the car. The last thing you want is to be giving it large amounts of right foot & she starts running lean, & goes bang. If that happens you'll be sick.

[Andy T 0]

But surely a 16v is gonna loose performance on 95 RON UL regardless of wether it pinks or not?

 

granted the k-jet cannot adjust the timing to take advantage of say 99RON oprtimax, but k-jet should get 98RON performance out of it (as it woul of done with the old 98 4 star/98 Super) as opposed to less power on 95RON?

[davidwort 0]

Not quite how I understand it, the 1.8 16v was designed to run on higher octane fuel (high compression engine etc..) but providing the fuel used in it doesn't cause detonation you will get the same power as if you put racing fuel in it, it's just you have a greater resistance to knock from 98, 99 or 100 RON. The mapping in the 1.8's ignition advance ECU is a fixed set of values and provides a good error margin for tolerances and fuel quality, i.e. a set of values that is pretty much a lowest common denominator. This is why you can get a small amount of extra power from a K-star or chip tuning a fully electronic fuel injection system as you can run the fuel a bit richer and with a bit more advance where the engine needs it(or can get away with it) to get the most from one specific engine.

Knock does occur well before you can hear it or really feel it on an engine so it's possible that you could lose a bit of power on regular unleaded even if you think the car doesn't pink.

I've played around with Optimax and Tesco 95 and to be honest with slightly more advance at idle(base setting) than spec I still seem to get the same performance with the cheap stuff and no inking under load, just lucky I guess.

 

David.

 

But surely a 16v is gonna loose performance on 95 RON UL regardless of wether it pinks or not?

 

granted the k-jet cannot adjust the timing to take advantage of say 99RON oprtimax, but k-jet should get 98RON performance out of it (as it woul of done with the old 98 4 star/98 Super) as opposed to less power on 95RON?

[G60 0]

run more RON, run more timing without knock.

 

that said, when i add octane booster my car is much faster... but it could be knocking with normal gas and i don't know about it.