What fuel should I run?

[BlackberryVR6 0]

Hi,

 

I bought a '92 built, '93 registered VR6 corrado and have been running it on regular unleaded. I never had the instruction manual, but have just noticed in the filler hatch that it says in French that it will take up to 98 Octane unleaded. Should I be running the thing on 95 or 98 Octane fuel? VW's can run on butter if need be, but I'd like to be running the right stuff!

 

D

[dinkus 10]

Quite a lot of people use Optimax and it gives noticable performance boost (and a bigger hole in your wallet)

[vr6storm 0]

IIRC the VR can use 95RON though it might be down fractionally in power(though whether you would notice in day-to-day driving is debatable)........over winter i stopped filling up with optimax and just used 95RON.....and tbh......i didn't notice any difference whatsoever :wink:

[dinkus 10]

Yeah sorry I should point out I don't actually have a C (yet) so I'm going on what others have said, so vr6storm prolly knows better :D

[dr_mat 0]

The VR engines are listed as requiring "a minimum of 95 octane", and the recommended fuel is 98 octane. The engine will compensate for the lower octane stuff, but you have to realise it's tuned for use with 98, so it's having to work-around the 95 octane rubbish if that's all it ever sees.

You *will* notice a difference if it's running right with proper 98 vs 95.

[Chaos 0]

personally i wudnt bother finding opticrap garages and id just use normal SUL

 

a lot of scooby boys have found that opticrap degrades over time (both in ur tank AND the garages big one) and it isnt always what its rated at.

[Boola 0]

Its completely your choice. 95 is the minimum the VR6 should be given and it won't cause any damage to your engine. However, 97 gives a noticeable performance increase and 98 gives more so. There isn't much difference between Q8 98 and Shell Optimax (98) in terms of performance, although my friend (who has a VR6) and I have found that Q8 98 gives slightly better fuel economy in winter.

 

Once I filled up with Optimax and then put a ron booster additive into the tank : ) In theory, this made the fuel up to 100 RON. The Corrado sounded really growly and had better low down torque. Power is so hard to judge so I can't comment on that. It cut out twice after slowing down, stopping at lights and putting it in neutral, but it was generally a very enjoyable experience!

 

In germany Shell do V-Power, which is 100 RON. Lucky German B@stards!!!!

[Chaos 0]

taken form another forum

 

I work with petrol companies, so i'll let you into some lesser known secrets.

 

Super unleaded is a fine fuel, but only if purchased from reputable dealers. Esso SUPER, like BP are about the best you can buy. Supermarket stuff is just LRP without the valve addictive, which itself is just 95 unleaded that has been octane boosted. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Supermarket petrol is a very dirty fuel. Any engineer of their pumps will confirm that.

I have seen the results of their filters and you get everything from feathers to god knows what flowing through supermarket fuels. EVEN SAND.

 

All Super by law has to be 97 ron, but where its stable enough to hold higher octane, stations are able to advertise its octane as being higher sometimes.

 

Optimax has a variable octane rating, due to its structure its less stable, but leaves the refinery at 101 octiane.

Thats the equivalent to the old 5 star for those old enough to remember it.

By the time you buy it, its closer to around 97.

This is why its octane isnt always stated.

 

Normal 95 or 97 fuels wont lose octane, whereas optimax does, but used fresh, its the highest octane fuel you can buy.

 

All supermarket fuels come from either the Matex or Purfleit refineries for the south east. These only take oil from the eastern block. They are most definately NOT the same fuels as ESSO and such like.

They also remix contaminations for other companies then sell the fuel on via supermarkets as well.

On average, each 50 litres brought from a supermarket will have 8% contaminates, and 9 grams of grit.

I have got 2 test tubes sitting on my desk at work of both ESSO and Tesco regular 95 for simple comparisons when arguing these points with supermarket buyers.

There is a bead in both which on the Tesco tube floats in mid suspension due to the grittiness of its petrol.

The ESSO falls straight to the bottom.

These are random samples taken every few weeks, and the results are always the same.

 

Texaco is a subsidary of ESSO and both use the same petrol.

 

There are basically 3 companies which supply fuel to the UK. ESSO, BP, AND SHELL.

 

Each sells to all the other names you find.

 

JET, FINA, Q8 and a few other smaller outlets all use SHELL.

 

TEXACO and TOTAL use ESSO,

 

Supermarkets use Eastern Block fuels, which are primarily designed for the 91 Ron continent market.

These are upgraded in the UK to UK specs by using Butane gas.

Hence to avoid.

 

BP Ultimate is just its old Super grade cleaned up a bit.

IE. It goes through another filter at the refinery.

Not a bad fuel though, second only to ESSO in quality.

Its Diesel is the best in the world for all you Diesel owners.

 

OPTICRAP. Need i say more. All grades supplied by Shell.

Might as well fill from your local FINA station and pop a bottle of Halfarts octane super duper booster plus in.

 

ESSO 95 and 97 = If you want every pennies worth in quality petrol, look no further.

Get it at your local TOTAL, TEXACO or ESSO now :beer:

 

as for octane boosters, they r quite simply a watse of money - THEY DO NOT WORK.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

A 'friend of a friend' told me he's got a lead ball in his fuel tank to compensate for the lack of it in the petrol. I dunno if it actually does anything though :wink:

[Nick_Micouris 0]

I heard that Sainsbury's are now supplied by BP - is this true!??? I noticed that at the sainsbury's in Teddington they were offering Super Unleaded as well as regular!

[Supercharged 2]

Why do I always have problems filling at Sainsburys, The pumps are always cutting out when filling up and seem to be far to sensitive no matter what angle you are filling at...

[dinkus 10]

Hmm interesting post... I had a friend at uni who said her cousin was in the air force and they had found Esso was the best fuel. So I guess it's a sort of second on how good Esso is. Ironically she drove a heap of shite, more rust than car Pug 106 diesel, so a) she would have been better off getting BP diesel and b) the state it was in, you might as well just shove chip fat in it :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Why do I always have problems filling at Sainsburys,

 

Because you shouldn't be taking a Corrado there in the first place. It's your car's way of showing it's objection to having naff fuel put in it.

 

Those of you that use Optimax regularly, do you find it gives consistent results? I know you can't have exactly the same air density and barometric pressure every day, but I'm not all that convinced by Optimax. Seems to vary from tank to tank.

 

BP Ultimate and even normal 95 seems to give more consistent results, for me at least.

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

As was said above, optimax is regular unleaded with octane booster added, which evaporates off really quickly, so depending on how long it's been in transit and storage, it'll be lower than it's "best", and it could wind up no better than regular...

Agreed on sainsbury's tho.. :lol:

[Nick_Micouris 0]

For me it is BP Ultimate that cuts the mustard. I haven't been that chuffed with Optimax tbh - it certainly does vary from tank to tank!

The trouble with Ultimate is that it is harder to find and a little costlier.

Have you noticed that Ultimate gives more MPG (I have) - car seems to idle better.

[joebrent 0]

Ive optimax used since ive had the car (used BP Ultimate twice, noticed no difference) so cant compare it normal unleaded, seeing as the 1.8 16v should really only have 98+ I'll ony be able to compare it to 100RON.........If we ever get it over here :twisted:

[g-master 0]

yeah tbh i've used optimax since the sns chip first tank full did'nt feel any better, second seemed alot better but having said that i stuck some normal shell unleaded in and seemed as good if not better and a bloody lot cheaper than optimax. What's everyone else using with the stage 5 sns chip ? :?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

As was said above, optimax is regular unleaded with octane booster added, which evaporates off really quickly, so depending on how long it's been in transit and storage, it'll be lower than it's "best", and it could wind up no better than regular...

Agreed on sainsbury's tho.. :lol:

 

Yes I saw that but what I was getting at was how many folks find Optimax variable assuming it is 97 RON.

 

And having discovered my pistons and valves were red during it's rebuild, it's not looking good for Optimax anymore for me.

 

K

[kongo127 0]

Its completely your choice. 95 is the minimum the VR6 should be given and it won't cause any damage to your engine. However, 97 gives a noticeable performance increase and 98 gives more so. There isn't much difference between Q8 98 and Shell Optimax (98) in terms of performance, although my friend (who has a VR6) and I have found that Q8 98 gives slightly better fuel economy in winter.

 

Once I filled up with Optimax and then put a ron booster additive into the tank : ) In theory, this made the fuel up to 100 RON. The Corrado sounded really growly and had better low down torque. Power is so hard to judge so I can't comment on that. It cut out twice after slowing down, stopping at lights and putting it in neutral, but it was generally a very enjoyable experience!

 

In germany Shell do V-Power, which is 100 RON. Lucky German B@stards!!!!

 

Shell V-Power is not 100 RON!

 

It is problably the best 98 RON you can find in the market!

 

It is expensive in Portugal (like everything :mad: ) but it worth!

 

Fill up your tank in the hotest day possible. Play with your dizzy! Yes advance timing (be carefull when doing it)!

 

It is a lot of fun!!! :D

 

You will notice a huge difference!!! 8)

[Jim 1]

yeah tbh i've used optimax since the sns chip first tank full did'nt feel any better, second seemed alot better but having said that i stuck some normal shell unleaded in and seemed as good if not better and a bloody lot cheaper than optimax. What's everyone else using with the stage 5 sns chip ? :?

 

With prices as they are, i'm pondering sticking regular unleaded back in at my next fill up.

 

I've been regularly sticking in either Optimax or Ultimate since buying my car, so now I think i'm ready to see how much difference (if at all) 95RON makes.. as our cars seem so bloomin similar g-master (SNS Stage 5 also!) should get similar results.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Shell V power isn't available over here, but there were rumours of a battle between BP and Shell to introduce a 100+ octane fuel in the UK. But then the usual excuses of 'lack of demand' over-turned that plan.

[Tempest 0]

Just been told by a mate over in Austria, that every petrol station sells 100 octane fuel over there, not just Shell. And it's dirt cheap at 1.05 Euro / Liter (approx. 67p / Liter :shock: ).

 

The Netherlands now have V-Power as well, as my Roccomate (with whom I went to Roadstar 2004) filled up with the stuff just before boarding the ferry. He had MAF probs on his 20V turbo engine tho', so couldn't comment on the stuff :(

 

Tempest

[Chaos 0]

Those of you that use Optimax regularly, do you find it gives consistent results? I know you can't have exactly the same air density and barometric pressure every day, but I'm not all that convinced by Optimax. Seems to vary from tank to tank.

 

ive found optimax to vary

 

when im back in essex visiting the family i normally fill with optiamx as thats the closest garage with an sul type fuel. its a very busy garagea nd is smack bang on a busy main road into southend and has a good turnaround on fuel i suspect, therefore im assuming the stuff is prety fresh - my experiences bear thos out and ive not had a problem.

 

when im back in cardiff the local shell station is small, and tucked out of the way. ive had some very poor results (on both mpg and responsiveness) on the optimax here and i tend to try and avoid it.

 

everytime ive used bp or esso (or texaco) the car responds well.