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petrol ron

Gillian
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petrol ron

Postby Gillian » Sun Sep 14, 2014 9:20 pm

Hi

am I right in using premium petrol (97ron) for my 1.8 Mk2 1998? There is a sticker on the inside of the filler cap saying 'use premium unleaded'. car seems to like one garage make more than another - some seems to burn a bit smokey on start up. Other there is no problem.

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Re: petrol ron

Postby nedski » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:36 pm

I've not really come across different petrol types causing smoke on start up. More often it can be valve stem oil seals leaking oil causing smoke for a short time on start up.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Mazda Mender » Mon Sep 15, 2014 6:52 am

The Mk 2 1.8's engines (1998 > 2000) do use oil as a trait of the model/version, so you do need to keep an eye on the dip stick itself not the oil pressure gauge as that is a false gauge and is doing nothing but be there for the ride, we are not taliking a Ltr a week here but if unchecked over a long time it can run low or none, keep it checked and she will be going for many years yet, the petrol is not the problem. :handgestures-thumbup:
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Re: petrol ron

Postby stevehh » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:00 am

Your car will run fine on 95 ron fuel. There is no need to use 98 ron.

Different suppliers use different additives and percentages of added alcohol, perhaps this could explain the different smoke levels on start up.

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Re: petrol ron

Postby Lazza » Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:25 am

In Japan they have lower fuel grades than us (and higher fuel grades if they go for their best fuels). Using standard 95RON over here is just fine in any MX5. You won't see any benefit from using a super unleaded despite what many might tell you. The MX5 doesn't use a "learning" ecu that can adapt to different fuel grades.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby andymaxwell » Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:56 pm

Just to counter that argument. I bought my first MX5 a month ago. No experience with them before - or indeed anycar that could benefit from SUL petrol.

So the day before yesterday I has driving around with a quarter tank of Sainsbury's and the car was running rough - not bad, but just felt underpowered, lumpy.

I brimmed her (1998 1.8 RS) that evening with Shell V Nitro+ (RON99) and noticed a HUGE improvement upon driving home *but* put it down to confirmation bias. Decided to judge in the morning.

The next morning WOW, the improvement was very much real. She was smoother with a quieter exhaust note (sports exhaust), a MUCH more eager and responsive happier engine. It was like someone had given here a performance tune up. Seriously.

The extra 8% of cost (or whatever it was) is more than made up for by performance - at least in my car. And I don't press the throttle down as much, so I presume I am using less of the stuff.

It's a :clap: and a :handgestures-thumbup: from me.

I won't use cheap petrol from now on, I am a SUnleaded convert.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Lazza » Thu Jul 16, 2015 6:37 pm

Super unleaded will be doing nothing to help. Standard unleaded will be just as good. What you are witnessing is that some supermarket fuels are bad. Sainsburys fuel seems to be particularly bad. I've tried their standard and super unleaded and both felt flat. Even their diesel makes my daily sound like a tractor. If you use standard fuel from a better supplier, Shell, Texaco, BP etc. you will be fine.
Personally I find Tesco fuel to be as good as the big names but some people don't like it.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Mxmurray » Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:45 pm

I filled my mk1 1.8 up at a small independent filling station the other week over on the east coast,normal unleaded and noticed within a few miles the car seemed to be a big sluggish and certainly didn't like the hills,so much so that I stopped to have a check noting was amiss under the bonnet.
well I used that tankful hooning around so filled up again with Tesco super unleaded and the difference was remarkable.
pulls cleanly,no hesitation on acceleration feels as smooth as it ever did.
so I for one will continue to use 98ron.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby andymaxwell » Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:49 pm

Lazza wrote:Super unleaded will be doing nothing to help. Standard unleaded will be just as good. What you are witnessing is that some supermarket fuels are bad. Sainsburys fuel seems to be particularly bad. I've tried their standard and super unleaded and both felt flat. Even their diesel makes my daily sound like a tractor. If you use standard fuel from a better supplier, Shell, Texaco, BP etc. you will be fine.
Personally I find Tesco fuel to be as good as the big names but some people don't like it.


Ah, that's really good to know. My experimenting shall continue :obscene-drinkingcheers:
Now you mention it I remember preferring Texaco or Esso when filling up my little 1l Yaris. I never felt a huge difference between that and supermarket's in that car but subtle enough to make me have a preference.

You may all find this page interesting too, especially the comments. http://www.carbidoff.com/2012/01/is-shell-v-power-right-for-you/
BTW please don't think I'm purposefully bigging-up Shells fuels here, just happen to have found them to work well for me right now. :-)
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Re: petrol ron

Postby GlennyGills » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:41 pm

Sometime ago Fifth Gear did a test of various fuels on three cars. Normal saloon, Racy Golf and a Scooby STi. The "normal" saloon showed no difference, the gold some difference and the Scooby significant difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ospimy_4j9k

It all comes down the capability of the ECU to learn the fuel. If as Lazza says, the MX5 doesn't "learn" then the difference is probably not noticeable (except in your pocket).
My other car is a Scooby and I have seen the difference via rolling road.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Lazza » Fri Jul 17, 2015 1:00 pm

The Mk1/2/2.5 ecu doesn't learn. It does not advance timing to make the most of higher octane fuels.
I don't know about Mk3 onwards. I'd expect them to have a learning capacity as that would make them cleaner which is becoming more important.

The test I saw was using an M5 and no fuels, regardless of the octane rating, caused more power. However, some of the cheap fuels did see a reduction in power, especially mid-range torque.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Alan16ac » Sat Jul 18, 2015 7:22 pm

I do, and always have filled up both my MX5 and my Mini Cooper S on Shell V-Power Nitro+
The Mini performed well on the dyno for a standard engine, 191 bhp when it's meant to be 170. I've no idea if the fuel plays a part, but it surely must make a small difference. And aren't they supposed to have additives that help stop carbon deposits and things too? I know the Minis ECU is meant to learn from the quality of fuel used, and also how it's driven.
I'm going to carry on using it anyway :razz:
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Lazza » Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:37 pm

Cooper S has forced induction and the ecu will learn and advance timing to make the most of higher octane fuels.
Mk1/2/2.5 MX5 won't advance timing. Mk2+ will retard timing if it detects knock but won't advance for higher octane fuel.
Use expensive fuels if it makes you feel good but the truth is it will be having a bigger effect on you than on your car :wink:
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Re: petrol ron

Postby andymaxwell » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:28 am

Further update to my petrol testing..

Just tried BP Ultimate (97 RON) on a 500 mile round trip - the first half of the trip was with Shell Nitro V+, the second with BP ultimate.

The difference I felt was that the BP petrol was a little less 'spicy' then the Shell, a little more relaxed or less aggressive in the power department. (I don't know if that makes sense but there was a difference.
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Re: petrol ron

Postby Lazza » Sun Jul 26, 2015 3:48 pm

I'm pretty sure that anything you feel will be more in your head than in the car. Even if the car could "learn" & "adapt" (which it can't) it would need a couple of tankfuls to clear out the old fuel and for the ecu to adjust itself. My Merc adjusts itself and a first tankful of a superior fuel does almost nothing, the 2nd is a bit better and the 3rd onwards feels good for example.
What you are probably doing though is slowly getting rid of the rubbish supermarket fuel.
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