Which Fuel
- Thread starter Rimbo
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
You won’t get any performance benefits of using higher octane fuel as the engine is designed to run on 95, however some higher octane fuels have more additives in them that may help to keep injectors etc running smoothly although it’s almost impossible to prove, you just have to take the fuel manufacturers word for it.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Hello Shaun,
My pride & joy only drinks Shell V-Power 99. It’s apparently better for the engine. I don’t know why, but it gets it anyway
My pride & joy only drinks Shell V-Power 99. It’s apparently better for the engine. I don’t know why, but it gets it anyway
The higher octane value is unlikely to make a blind bit of difference unless you have really boosted the engine or are going to zoom up the Alps. In ordinary life, the selling point of these fuels are primarily higher detergent levels than standard fuels, which remove carbon deposits and gunk in the fuel system, giving better combustion, cleaner valves, etc. They may also contain friction modifiers which are claimed to improve engine efficiency, though the lube oil is far more important in this regard. For a car of this age which has never used a premium fuel there may be worthwhile benefits from filling up with a premium fuel for three to six months to clean out the system and see if you can identify improved performance and fuel consumption as a result. After that go back to standard.
As my P300 spends a fair bit of time off the road (tragically) I try to fill up with premium fuel before it is garaged to protect against corrosion in the fuel system and keep the injectors clean; gasoline is very volatile and evaporates quickly, leaving gunk. Otherwise standard fuel is fine from a reputable brand; I’m wary of some of the heavily discounted supermarket fuels as one reason they are cheap is that the additive pack (if any) to the base gasoline is the bare minimum to meet the mandated selling quality. My routine fill is the Costco premium fuel, closely followed by Tesco Momentum, both offering significant savings over the competing retail brands. Costco fuel stations are also the most efficient and easiest to use, they are how all petrol stations should be; won’t happen now for obvious reasons. And Costco hot dogs are the canine cojones at £1.50 (no, I don’t have shares, sadly).
Another option is to try a fuel additive which does much the same job at a much lower price. This is unlikely to increase the fuel octane rating but it does provide the desirable detergents. I would suggest a specialised supplier like Hydra-Fuel rather than the heavily promoted (and very expensive) brands like Wynns and STP. It’s a bit of a faff though, needing funnels and stuff. Easier to just pump it.
As my P300 spends a fair bit of time off the road (tragically) I try to fill up with premium fuel before it is garaged to protect against corrosion in the fuel system and keep the injectors clean; gasoline is very volatile and evaporates quickly, leaving gunk. Otherwise standard fuel is fine from a reputable brand; I’m wary of some of the heavily discounted supermarket fuels as one reason they are cheap is that the additive pack (if any) to the base gasoline is the bare minimum to meet the mandated selling quality. My routine fill is the Costco premium fuel, closely followed by Tesco Momentum, both offering significant savings over the competing retail brands. Costco fuel stations are also the most efficient and easiest to use, they are how all petrol stations should be; won’t happen now for obvious reasons. And Costco hot dogs are the canine cojones at £1.50 (no, I don’t have shares, sadly).
Another option is to try a fuel additive which does much the same job at a much lower price. This is unlikely to increase the fuel octane rating but it does provide the desirable detergents. I would suggest a specialised supplier like Hydra-Fuel rather than the heavily promoted (and very expensive) brands like Wynns and STP. It’s a bit of a faff though, needing funnels and stuff. Easier to just pump it.
My old Lexus's used to sense the octane and adjust for it. I could tell the difference in performance. In those days I used to pay 7% more for the higher octane, and achieved about 7% more MPG. I do put higher octane in the F-type but must admit I can't tell the difference as it's mental performance with whatever fuel and I can't be bothered to check for % gains in MPG. I'd be surprised if the Jag didn't learn and adjust for the fuel though.
I believe there was some discussion re. fuels and one thing that came out of it was that Esso's Supreme+ 99 fuel contains 0% ethanol, which should give you better performance compared to others.
I must confess, I normally fill up with Tesco's 99-ron stuff as the nearest Esso garage to me charges quite ridiculous prices (they're normal unleaded is >10p dearer per litre than Tesco, to give you some idea, and my local Tesco is always very slow at adjusting its price).
I must confess, I normally fill up with Tesco's 99-ron stuff as the nearest Esso garage to me charges quite ridiculous prices (they're normal unleaded is >10p dearer per litre than Tesco, to give you some idea, and my local Tesco is always very slow at adjusting its price).
Northnoble
New member
OMG the most repetitive and boring topic on ALL “performance” car forums!
If your car is highly tuned and you live your life a 1/4 mile at a time, then pay the extra and but V Power or Momentum in each tank. Or, like most people your car is in standard tune and you spend most of your time within +10% of the speed limit, just buy standard fuel and live happy!
It’s the best conspiracy ever!!!!
If your car is highly tuned and you live your life a 1/4 mile at a time, then pay the extra and but V Power or Momentum in each tank. Or, like most people your car is in standard tune and you spend most of your time within +10% of the speed limit, just buy standard fuel and live happy!
It’s the best conspiracy ever!!!!
