Premium Fuel

falzoony · 26-06-2007, 08:10 PM

I'v done a search for this but I couldn't find much to answer my question, so here.

Now that petrol prices have gone down a bit, I have started to think about putting better fuel in my car, like PULP. But before I start paying an extra 10cents a litre, I want to know if it will really make a difference.

I know that performance cars are recommended to use Premium fuels, but I drive a standard AUII i6 Forte.

What differences does premium fuels make if any on a standard falcon?

AU2PWR · 26-06-2007, 08:13 PM

Well , I Use BP Ultimate and United Boost 98 ,

Both Awesome Fuels , Increases Economy and Just makes the car run smoother .

Performance wise , i dont feel much difference ,

RIPGMH · 26-06-2007, 08:20 PM

BP Ultimate is the best, I run Vpower because thats all thats here in 98. I think it runs better with BP 95 and a little octane boost though.

JC · 26-06-2007, 08:33 PM

Makes no difference at all in an AU I6. Some people think they get better economy, but not based on any scientific basis. The I6 is tuned to run on ULP.

Putting Premium in it does nothing, other than perhaps keeping injectors clean with the additives they tend to pout in the higher priced fuels (Caltex Vortex is supposed to be very good at keeping the fuel system clean).

In the AU XR8s, you have to run at least premium, as that is what is specified, and the car will Ping if you don't (except series one, which runs on anything).

b2tf · 26-06-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falzoony

I'v done a search for this but I couldn't find much to answer my question, so here.

Now that petrol prices have gone down a bit, I have started to think about putting better fuel in my car, like PULP. But before I start paying an extra 10cents a litre, I want to know if it will really make a difference.

I know that performance cars are recommended to use Premium fuels, but I drive a standard AUII i6 Forte.

What differences does premium fuels make if any on a standard falcon?

Unless your car is actually tuned (ie edit tuned) for premium fuel you probably wont feel much of a difference. However it is a better choice as it doesnt contain as much crap as your regular unladed etc. I find it is better for milage etc (i.e get more kms out of a tank of premium than regular) in dads car (AU2 I6), but in mine I have to use premium as it is an XR8, and I have had it tuned for 98 RON fuel.

JC · 26-06-2007, 08:39 PM

Some relevant info from the NRMA site :

"But NRMA Motoring & Services' Jack Haley says it's a widespread but misguided belief that if you use a high octane fuel your car's performance will automatically increase.

"You won't achieve any improved performance from using higher octane fuels unless your vehicle's engine is designed for them," he says.

If you are in any doubt, check your owners manual to find out what type of fuel your engine is designed for"

falzoony · 26-06-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

Unless your car is actually tuned (ie edit tuned) for premium fuel you probably wont feel much of a difference.

I wish it was tuned!

well thanks for your answers this has helped me out heaps.
So it looks like its a pass on the premium fuels.....untill I buy a TS50

:

b2tf · 26-06-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falzoony

I wish it was tuned!

well thanks for your answers this has helped me out heaps.
So it looks like its a pass on the premium fuels.....untill I buy a TS50

:

If you can, run premium through once every 5 tanks or so.

falzoony · 26-06-2007, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

If you can, run premium through once every 5 tanks or so.

Sounds like a good idea. Next tank will be premium.

RIPGMH · 26-06-2007, 09:27 PM

I've read about back to back stock 4ltr dyno runs utilising standard and higher octane fuels with a distinct 4fwkw difference in the upper rev range.

Oo_xrsx_oO · 26-06-2007, 09:54 PM

I run BP Premium (95 octane) or Mobil Synergy 6000 as oposed to their PULP variants. These give me the same KM and smoothness as the BP Utimates etc but are noticably better than using just the standard fuels (smoother acceleration and at least an extra 60km per tank)

I can't justify using BP Ultimate, Synergy 8000, Vortex etc as results are the same. I drive 600-700km per week and 90% of it is freeway so I had plenty of time and k's to work out what suits me best.

Riksta · 26-06-2007, 11:04 PM

And to think, I was considering starting a thread asking the same kind of thing.

I might run some premium through it at some stage to give it a bit of a "clean".

I've heard that a lot of premium fuels are beefed up with ethanol, is this true? If so, which premiums are the "best" (quality-wise, I care about my engine) for the vehicle?

falzoony · 26-06-2007, 11:07 PM

[QUOTE=Riksta]And to think, I was considering starting a thread asking the same kind of thing.

Great minds think alike

b2tf · 26-06-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

And to think, I was considering starting a thread asking the same kind of thing.

I might run some premium through it at some stage to give it a bit of a "clean".

I've heard that a lot of premium fuels are beefed up with ethanol, is this true? If so, which premiums are the "best" (quality-wise, I care about my engine) for the vehicle?

I'm pretty sure that Caltex and BP guarantee their 98 RON fuels have 0% ethanol content.

BLACKAUXR8 · 26-06-2007, 11:29 PM

I agree with the JC and b2f my 99 forte running on pulp makes no difference although my s3xr8 wont run on ulp coffs and farts. NEVER LET THE WIFE PUT FUEL IN YOUR CAR

b2tf · 26-06-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACKAUXR8

I agree with the JC and b2f my 99 forte running on pulp makes no difference although my s3xr8 wont run on ulp coffs and farts. NEVER LET THE WIFE PUT FUEL IN YOUR CAR

Dude! Smack her one! (j/k) AU XR8's MUST have minimum 95RON fuel, says it on a big sticker under the bonnet and on the fuel door! Get the fuel out ASAP, if there's lots of it put some octane booster in there too and dont flog it!

BLACKAUXR8 · 26-06-2007, 11:35 PM

Yeah thats exactly what i did drained the fuel tank!! it was a while ago now trust me shes never put fuel in it again she doesnt even like driving it now after the talking to she got. It felt like it was gona die. All she said was i think there something wrong with your car i tokk it for a drive. realised the car had a full tank and bigo found my problem!! she thought it was goo she then had 60ltrs of fuel for her car.

JoesAu · 26-06-2007, 11:41 PM

Inside my fuel lid theres a yellow sticker and it says Premium Unleaded only!! since i started using premium ive noticed a bit more economy out of the car and it runs nice and smooth,

NEVER FILL UP WITH APCO FUEL That is the worst s h i t its like water and made my car freak out and my mates VY run like crap like cutting in and out.

janek · 27-06-2007, 12:45 PM

it depends. Driving around the city will be stuff all change. I have noticed on the highway if i fill up with ULP i get at most 650km. PULP i average 750km. Once even up to 880km.

Same roads, dead of night, all within a few weeks of each other Average speed via trip meter is 98kph. I do have a VCT, but i dont think it makes a diff for the 6s.

Scientific basis or not, thats proof enough for me!

sly · 27-06-2007, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

I've heard that a lot of premium fuels are beefed up with ethanol, is this true? If so, which premiums are the "best" (quality-wise, I care about my engine) for the vehicle?

Ethanol content should be declared at the pump. Sounds like you have a problem with ethanol. I understood it's good for keeping the fuel system clean (as long as your hoses etc are ethanol-tolerant) as it dissolves gummy deposits that petrol leaves behind.

I use United Boost(?) 98 which is only 3c/litre more than their standard ULP because the octane is boosted with ethanol, when I'm not running LPG of course.

Riksta · 27-06-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sly

Ethanol content should be declared at the pump. Sounds like you have a problem with ethanol. I understood it's good for keeping the fuel system clean (as long as your hoses etc are ethanol-tolerant) as it dissolves gummy deposits that petrol leaves behind.

I don't have a problem with it as such, just that I've heard its not really the best stuff to be putting through the engine.

I'm not very mechanically minded so I wouldn't really know one way or another, but at the time what I heard seemed credible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

I'm pretty sure that Caltex and BP guarantee their 98 RON fuels have 0% ethanol content.

Thanks, I'll look into it when I'm ready to run a tank of 98 through!

JC · 27-06-2007, 02:46 PM

Ethanol is a cheap octane booster. At 10% or less concentration, it will not do any damage to your engine.

falzoony · 27-06-2007, 03:29 PM

Just looked on my fuel cap and it say 'Unleaded Fuel only' does this mean that premium would be bad for it?

Oo_xrsx_oO · 27-06-2007, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falzoony

Just looked on my fuel cap and it say 'Unleaded Fuel only' does this mean that premium would be bad for it?

Running premium won't hurt mate, like has been mentioned a few times running the odd tank gives everything a bit of a clean out.

I find a difference running 95 RON over the standard unleaded (91 RON) but get the same results on the 98 as 95 octane. Don't expect a big difference by putting one tank in, I think best results (running smoother and more k's) are acheived through regular use.

sly · 27-06-2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falzoony

Just looked on my fuel cap and it say 'Unleaded Fuel only' does this mean that premium would be bad for it?

No, it means unleaded generally, as opposed to leaded fuel or LRP, so as not to wreck your cat. As neither of those are available any longer, the sticker is redundant, except for the seriously challenged who might contemplate fuelling with diesel.

sly · 27-06-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

I don't have a problem with it as such, just that I've heard its not really the best stuff to be putting through the engine.

The oil companies have been pushing that line for 80 years now. As JC says, at low concentrations it won't hurt your engine, although it can over time eat away at fuel lines & connections that aren't ethanol-resistant. AFAIK cars built in the last 5 years or so have ethanol-compatible fuel systems.

In some countries they blend ethanol into petrol at 10%, 15%, 24% and even 85% concentrations, which do require specific tuning. Brazilian cars have a "Flex-fuel" system with 3 separate fuel tanks and fuel-specific tunes stored in the cars' ECU's.

TheSneakiness · 27-06-2007, 05:42 PM

I run BP Ultimate in my ute now, can't say it's made a difference in performance (it's tuned), or economy for that matter at the moment (LPG just got taken out and I'm having fun with extra throttle now)

No Judge · 28-06-2007, 03:28 PM

I used 95 RON (Shell Unleaded 95 as it was back then) since it came out at my nearest survo. But then I filled up with Optimax (98 RON) as there was no 95 RON, drove down a freeway and got 900 kms out of my tank!!! (Had previously got 700 kms out of 95 RON) Since then I've been converted. 98 RON for my VCT.

As for power increase.... Dunno.

Something else....
Ive been told that the RON of fuel is taken when the fuel is still in the refinery (hence, Research Octane Number). By the time it gets out to the pump (? Pump Octane Number) it has lost a bit of octane. So that 91RON at the pump is around the 88-89 mark, 95RON is around the 93-94 mark, and 98RON is around the 96-97 mark. Doesn't really make sense to me, but its just my 2 cents + GST