Fuel for the R36?

[Rocket36]

Finally it would be interesting to see back to back dyno runs done with the same car in as much the same conditions as possible with the different fuels to really see what kind of a difference they do make.

This is a bit old now, but you get the idea... I have been hosting it for a while.

http://www.users.on.net/~kn079/Capabilities%20of%20Common%20Fuels.pdf

I will never use Shell fuels unless I'm running on fumes and there's nothing else nearby but so far that hasn't happened.

I prefer BP Ultimate or Caltex Vortex 98 but I find the Caltex Vortex 98 causes a bit of smoke out the exhaust at WOT. Both are about the same for performance and economy. But we don't buy an R36 for economy now do we?

The best advice, as has sort of been said, is stick with the same fuel (incl. brand) over long periods of time and fill up from high volume petrol stations so you always have "fresh stuff" and not something that's been sitting in the underground tanks for a while. Think of the demographic though - in some areas a high volume petrol station might not sell a lot of 98RON.

I don't agree with the argument about sediment in the fuel tanks though. The fuel pickup point is one of the lowest points in any car's fuel tank so whether you have a quarter of a tank, or less than a litre left, the fuel still flows through the same pickup point. And we have fuel filters for a reason. I generally run my tank down to about 1 litre remaining before I fill up, unless I'm on the highway or unsure where I'll be able to fill up next.

[Rocket36]

Oh, and I will NEVER put ethanol in my car...

[tryingavw]

diesel fuel tests?

This is a bit old now, but you get the idea... I have been hosting it for a while.
http://www.users.on.net/~kn079/Capabilities%20of%20Common%20Fuels.pdf

ext.

Hey Rocket - great report - has anything like this been done for different brands of diesel fuel? would be interesting if one brand stood out for power or low sulphur.

currently the Shell near us doesnt sell diesel and the BP does- so that what we get.

with the 125tdi i have never seen any hint of black soot- either the fuel is really good or the filter works well.

[GHW]

BP Ultimate.
I will only ever put anything else in if I've been careless enough to let it run low and, even then, it will only be enough to get me to a BP.

[ron]

Anything that is performance oriented, it is best to stick with the majors and I'd always make sure to put 98RON in. Also never let your fuel tank drop down to into the red. Any sediment and other gunk that has built up over time in the bottom of your fuel tank will be sucked up and into your engine. Personally I try to never let my tank drop to below a quarter. This way you should also always have enough fuel to get you through if the servo has run out of the 98 stuff.

As for brand preference I ran BP Ultimate for at least a year and have recently switched back to Shell V-Power as a bit of an experiment to see if there is any difference. So far after about 2-3 months of running it I can say I've noticed bugger all in terms of economy and power.

I will switch back again once I've run it for 6 months to see if I do get this big change that some people talk about. From what I can tell it seems to be a model specific thing where the fuel seems to make a difference. Also which refineries you get your fuel from also seems to make a difference as well. Here in Brisbane there are only two refineries; Caltex (who also supply Shell) and BP (as far as I know).

From what I've heard with the additives with V-Power these are only an issue if you get an old batch that has gone "off" so to speak which can make your car run like a bit of a dog.

Luckily with the area I live there are plenty of people who use V-Power so there's little chance of this happening.

Finally it would be interesting to see back to back dyno runs done with the same car in as much the same conditions as possible with the different fuels to really see what kind of a difference they do make.

Cheers,
Trent

Sorry off topic, it doesnt matter if you run below 1/4 or til the fuel warning lamp or even run dry happens. The fuel pump picks up from the bottom of the tank regardless, hence there is/are fuel filters. thanx

[Rocket36]

Sorry off topic, it doesnt matter if you run below 1/4 or til the fuel warning lamp or even run dry happens. The fuel pump picks up from the bottom of the tank regardless, hence there is/are fuel filters. thanx

I already mentioned that...

[ron]

I already mentioned that...

oh!!?