Ultimate fuel.

[barefoot]

Does anyone have any views on this stuff?

 

I suspect that we'll all be using it before long because ordinary fuel will soon have 10% ethanol & will rot fuel lines & stuff,

whereas Ultimate will apparently remain at just 5%.

 

Anyhoo, I've started putting it in all of mine & my second tankful in the Porsche has seen a 10% improvement in economy.

For a 6% increase in cost, that's got to be less pence per mile.

[barefoot]

Does anyone have any views on this stuff?

 

I suspect that we'll all be using it before long because ordinary fuel will soon have 10% ethanol & will rot fuel lines & stuff,

whereas Ultimate will apparently remain at just 5%.

 

Anyhoo, I've started putting it in all of mine & my second tankful in the Porsche has seen a 10% improvement in economy.

For a 6% increase in cost, that's got to be less pence per mile.

[Largactil]

Not sure about economy improvements, but I need to run my Honda S2000 on this stuff (or similar) as the engine gets stuttery on normal supermarket unleaded when you start to explore the 7000-9000 rpm range...

 

I guess it's a bit like 4 star - A more efficient and better quality product...

 

(Although my old man used to always use 2 star in his Marina, 'cause he was tight that way! )

[Largactil]

Not sure about economy improvements, but I need to run my Honda S2000 on this stuff (or similar) as the engine gets stuttery on normal supermarket unleaded when you start to explore the 7000-9000 rpm range...

 

I guess it's a bit like 4 star - A more efficient and better quality product...

 

(Although my old man used to always use 2 star in his Marina, 'cause he was tight that way! )

[CortinaDave]

I remember reading a review of these fuels somewhere a few months back and the long and short of it was.. If you have an ordinary motor it makes bugger all improvement to economy or performance, but that highly tuned cars were noticeably better in both ways on the stuff. SO basically- a waste of money in an escort but worthwhile in a Porsche etc. For me - normal petrol is dear enough so I shy away from the performance stuff

[CortinaDave]

I remember reading a review of these fuels somewhere a few months back and the long and short of it was.. If you have an ordinary motor it makes bugger all improvement to economy or performance, but that highly tuned cars were noticeably better in both ways on the stuff. SO basically- a waste of money in an escort but worthwhile in a Porsche etc. For me - normal petrol is dear enough so I shy away from the performance stuff

[dollywobbler]

This is all very annoying. FBHVC have been testing additives that undo the harm of ethanol so I'm going to have to sit down and do some really boring sums to work out whether it's better to use an additive or just high octane fuels. The latter is probably going to end up winning just out of convenience. Of course, it's the cheap fuel they'll make unusable by classics. Thanks for that!

[dollywobbler]

This is all very annoying. FBHVC have been testing additives that undo the harm of ethanol so I'm going to have to sit down and do some really boring sums to work out whether it's better to use an additive or just high octane fuels. The latter is probably going to end up winning just out of convenience. Of course, it's the cheap fuel they'll make unusable by classics. Thanks for that!

[Ross_K]

A lot of high performance jap import stuff is mapped for 98ron. Same probably goes for Ferraris and the like.

 

I guess it's a triumph of marketing more than anything else, and that any performance increase in a "normal" car is purely coincidental.

[Ross_K]

A lot of high performance jap import stuff is mapped for 98ron. Same probably goes for Ferraris and the like.

 

I guess it's a triumph of marketing more than anything else, and that any performance increase in a "normal" car is purely coincidental.

[eddyramrod]

Of course, it's the cheap fuel they'll make unusable by classics. Thanks for that!

 

You've found some cheap fuel???? Where?????

[eddyramrod]

Of course, it's the cheap fuel they'll make unusable by classics. Thanks for that!

 

You've found some cheap fuel???? Where?????

[DSdriver]

I've been using it in the DS23efi because I was advised it is the ron they were designed for. I have bought two tank fills so far but have no idea about consumption or performance because between tank one and two a new engine was fitted and is still being run in. The new engine doesn't yet have the power of the very worn and free running old one which was about to grenade the big ends but it is very quiet and smooth and oozing potential. Roll on the first oil change...

[DSdriver]

I've been using it in the DS23efi because I was advised it is the ron they were designed for. I have bought two tank fills so far but have no idea about consumption or performance because between tank one and two a new engine was fitted and is still being run in. The new engine doesn't yet have the power of the very worn and free running old one which was about to grenade the big ends but it is very quiet and smooth and oozing potential. Roll on the first oil change...

[Formula Autos]

I run my Ford Cougar V6 on 98 Ron stuff. Well, sort of. Every third fill-up's the 98 Ron stuff, which seems to keep it running right. Maybe it enriches the 95 Ron stuff in the following two tanks worth or something? Who knows?

 

There seems to be no benefit in terms of fuel economy though, even on the tank of 98 RON - it just pulls more cleanly and stops the slight hesitation at about 3500 RPM that I get with this car when I run it on 95 RON only.

 

The mechanic I take my cars to (for things I can't do myself) reckons the smoother running's probably down to the additives, cleaners, and what-not in 'Ultimate' fuels more than the octane rating in any case. He reckons the car will 'self-adjust' to a slight drop in octane rating, and that it's probably fine to run it on 'normal' unleaded all of the time. Working on the basis of this theory I ran it for a while on 'normal' petrol and added Redex fuel treatment. It ran slightly smoother than if I'd done nothing, but not as well as when I was giving it BP ultimate for every third tankful. It's also cheaper putting in 'Ultimate' at every third fill-up, as opposed to Redex.

 

Having said all that, every car's different - but trying the every third tank-full or so trick might give you the benefits of this fuel too, but it'll keep the cost down a bit.

 

Worth a try?

[Formula Autos]

I run my Ford Cougar V6 on 98 Ron stuff. Well, sort of. Every third fill-up's the 98 Ron stuff, which seems to keep it running right. Maybe it enriches the 95 Ron stuff in the following two tanks worth or something? Who knows?

 

There seems to be no benefit in terms of fuel economy though, even on the tank of 98 RON - it just pulls more cleanly and stops the slight hesitation at about 3500 RPM that I get with this car when I run it on 95 RON only.

 

The mechanic I take my cars to (for things I can't do myself) reckons the smoother running's probably down to the additives, cleaners, and what-not in 'Ultimate' fuels more than the octane rating in any case. He reckons the car will 'self-adjust' to a slight drop in octane rating, and that it's probably fine to run it on 'normal' unleaded all of the time. Working on the basis of this theory I ran it for a while on 'normal' petrol and added Redex fuel treatment. It ran slightly smoother than if I'd done nothing, but not as well as when I was giving it BP ultimate for every third tankful. It's also cheaper putting in 'Ultimate' at every third fill-up, as opposed to Redex.

 

Having said all that, every car's different - but trying the every third tank-full or so trick might give you the benefits of this fuel too, but it'll keep the cost down a bit.

 

Worth a try?

[dollywobbler]

Occasionally my 2CV pinks on 95RON and rather than actually sort the timing out, if I'm being particularly thrashy, I'll lob some high-octane stuff in. Usually does the trick.

 

Some people swear blind that their car runs better on 97 or 98RON. On older stuff, it generally makes sod all difference. Modern cars can retune themselves to make the most of higher octane fuel, but even then you're talking barely discernible amounts.

 

The only reason to use super really is because of the ethanol rating. 5% is ok for fuel system bits. 10% starts ruining things (and also stops petroil mixing for two strokes).

[dollywobbler]

Occasionally my 2CV pinks on 95RON and rather than actually sort the timing out, if I'm being particularly thrashy, I'll lob some high-octane stuff in. Usually does the trick.

 

Some people swear blind that their car runs better on 97 or 98RON. On older stuff, it generally makes sod all difference. Modern cars can retune themselves to make the most of higher octane fuel, but even then you're talking barely discernible amounts.

 

The only reason to use super really is because of the ethanol rating. 5% is ok for fuel system bits. 10% starts ruining things (and also stops petroil mixing for two strokes).

[walk]

Like most people have said it all depends on the car in question. Personally I find it makes the most noticeable difference in bigger motors. For example when I used 98RON in either of my previous Fiat Marea 2.0 20Vs the engine was definitely smoother but there was no real change to economy. Same fuel in my Alfa 156 V6 and it absolutely transformed it, ran much smoother, revved as though the flywheel had been halved in weight and even reached the giddy heights of 30mpg ONCE!

 

My dad ran an 05? plate Golf 1.6 FSI which genuinely did not like normal 95RON -it pinked alarmingly and had flat spots throughout the rev range. When he mentioned the issue of poor running to the VW dealer he was reminded that this engine was designed to run on the 98RON at all times Likewise my daily VW Polo GTI - Super Unleaded only for this one I'm afraid.

 

The Dedra? Might try a tank out of interest but I'm not expecting miracles

[walk]

Like most people have said it all depends on the car in question. Personally I find it makes the most noticeable difference in bigger motors. For example when I used 98RON in either of my previous Fiat Marea 2.0 20Vs the engine was definitely smoother but there was no real change to economy. Same fuel in my Alfa 156 V6 and it absolutely transformed it, ran much smoother, revved as though the flywheel had been halved in weight and even reached the giddy heights of 30mpg ONCE!

 

My dad ran an 05? plate Golf 1.6 FSI which genuinely did not like normal 95RON -it pinked alarmingly and had flat spots throughout the rev range. When he mentioned the issue of poor running to the VW dealer he was reminded that this engine was designed to run on the 98RON at all times Likewise my daily VW Polo GTI - Super Unleaded only for this one I'm afraid.

 

The Dedra? Might try a tank out of interest but I'm not expecting miracles

[PhilA]

The fuel over here's been 10% ethanol for years. 87 (R+M)/2 (approx 91 RON) is the standard cack that all pumps serve, and what most cooking commuter vehicles are tuned for. Sticking 93 in my truck makes absolutely bugger all difference, but it does make a wild difference to the GTA- on 87 watching the ECU's knock input percentage versus it on 93 sees it noticeably better on 93. 5% knock retards the ignition sharply about 15° and it doesn't return back to the normal curve quickly. This has a significant impact on the running, response and general torque the engine produces. On 87 with the engine warm the knock figures can reach spikes of 70% (can audibly hear the engine ping) with an average of 30% under light acceleration. 93 it still spikes but on average seems to be better, around 15-20%.

 

Depends from car to car, but it can make a difference.

 

Ethanol doesn't make much of a difference, but long-term exposure causes older rubber to dissolve into black tarry goo. I've had to change out all the rubber bits on mine because they were bad- the o-rings around the fuel injector had shrunk and perished. Viton seals in the same fuel seem to expand and make the seal even tighter.

 

 

--Phil

[PhilA]

The fuel over here's been 10% ethanol for years. 87 (R+M)/2 (approx 91 RON) is the standard cack that all pumps serve, and what most cooking commuter vehicles are tuned for. Sticking 93 in my truck makes absolutely bugger all difference, but it does make a wild difference to the GTA- on 87 watching the ECU's knock input percentage versus it on 93 sees it noticeably better on 93. 5% knock retards the ignition sharply about 15° and it doesn't return back to the normal curve quickly. This has a significant impact on the running, response and general torque the engine produces. On 87 with the engine warm the knock figures can reach spikes of 70% (can audibly hear the engine ping) with an average of 30% under light acceleration. 93 it still spikes but on average seems to be better, around 15-20%.

 

Depends from car to car, but it can make a difference.

 

Ethanol doesn't make much of a difference, but long-term exposure causes older rubber to dissolve into black tarry goo. I've had to change out all the rubber bits on mine because they were bad- the o-rings around the fuel injector had shrunk and perished. Viton seals in the same fuel seem to expand and make the seal even tighter.

 

 

--Phil

[warren t claim]

My 406 is surprisingly choosy on what it drinks, it pinks alarmingly on Murco spot market special but not so bad on Shell/BP stuff. I'd try super unleaded in it but its about 45p a gallon more expensive around here.

[warren t claim]

My 406 is surprisingly choosy on what it drinks, it pinks alarmingly on Murco spot market special but not so bad on Shell/BP stuff. I'd try super unleaded in it but its about 45p a gallon more expensive around here.

[phil_lihp]

My old AX 1.0 pinked terribly on normal 95 stuff but not at all on BP Ultimate - it definitely had a little more oomph too, but the zetec-engined Fords I've had in the past didn't respond to it at all performance-wise & I didn't see much economy improvement either. My 1.4 C'eed on the other hand is a little more responsive on Ultimate and delivers significantly better fuel economy. Whether or not it actually justifies the extra £££ to fill up, I don't know.

[phil_lihp]

My old AX 1.0 pinked terribly on normal 95 stuff but not at all on BP Ultimate - it definitely had a little more oomph too, but the zetec-engined Fords I've had in the past didn't respond to it at all performance-wise & I didn't see much economy improvement either. My 1.4 C'eed on the other hand is a little more responsive on Ultimate and delivers significantly better fuel economy. Whether or not it actually justifies the extra £££ to fill up, I don't know.

[Akron]

Don't forget Diesel as well, the biodiesel content was increased a few years ago and I suffered from perished seals in the fuel lines in my 2005 Octavia. I run it all the time on V-Power and it produces better mpg (around 54 average) and less soot the MOT opacity tests has been constant since I bought it in 07 to now.

[Akron]

Don't forget Diesel as well, the biodiesel content was increased a few years ago and I suffered from perished seals in the fuel lines in my 2005 Octavia. I run it all the time on V-Power and it produces better mpg (around 54 average) and less soot the MOT opacity tests has been constant since I bought it in 07 to now.

[willswitchengage]

Don't forget Diesel as well, the biodiesel content was increased a few years ago and I suffered from perished seals in the fuel lines in my 2005 Octavia. I run it all the time on V-Power and it produces better mpg (around 54 average) and less soot the MOT opacity tests has been constant since I bought it in 07 to now.

 

You sure? To my knowledge addition of biodiesel improved the fuel's lubricity, biodiesel will bring you problems, but corrosion shouldn't be one of them.

 

I'd say running 98 could well be economically beneficial for two reasons: 1) modern cars can pink like mad on 95, I often drive a 20k 207 1.4 8V and pinking is pretty much guaranteed under 2000rpm at high load factors, not only are you wasting fuel there but damaging the engine. 2) if you believe the adverts Ultimate etc apparently "clean" your fuel system, so touch wood there's less chance you'll need to replace injectors, pumps and that (especially in diseasels)

[willswitchengage]

Don't forget Diesel as well, the biodiesel content was increased a few years ago and I suffered from perished seals in the fuel lines in my 2005 Octavia. I run it all the time on V-Power and it produces better mpg (around 54 average) and less soot the MOT opacity tests has been constant since I bought it in 07 to now.

 

You sure? To my knowledge addition of biodiesel improved the fuel's lubricity, biodiesel will bring you problems, but corrosion shouldn't be one of them.

 

I'd say running 98 could well be economically beneficial for two reasons: 1) modern cars can pink like mad on 95, I often drive a 20k 207 1.4 8V and pinking is pretty much guaranteed under 2000rpm at high load factors, not only are you wasting fuel there but damaging the engine. 2) if you believe the adverts Ultimate etc apparently "clean" your fuel system, so touch wood there's less chance you'll need to replace injectors, pumps and that (especially in diseasels)