Changing petrol

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:56 pm

I just filled it up and it went better! On my 1992 1.6, I waited until the
tank was empty then filled it up with no adjustments to the engine. Fuel
economy improved by just over 6% and the car seemed to run smoother and
quieter. Not a big difference but noticeable.
My 1997 Honda Odyssey 2.3 Vtec - economy improved by over 12% so well worth
doing!
Just try it. The price difference is very small so it won't break the bank
to try it.
A greater improvement would probably be had if the engine tuning was
optimised for the better fuel.

Grant

Nina · Post by **Nina** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:21 pm

After I advanced the timing to 14 on a full tank of petrol a couple of years
ago, I spent about a weeks worth of pinging on 91, then swapped to 96/7/8
(depending on the brand and what they market it as) with a quarter tank of
91 left. No harm done, and every tank full of higher octane since then has
been well worth it.

Nina
WRW
(Original 89 Cushioned, but no airbags...)

bert wouda · Post by **bert wouda** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:47 pm

Hi Guys and Girls

I run my '99 NB 1.6 5sp on 91 octane, it's responding very well
quite , smooth and economical , ... on a long trip 1ltr - 14 km ,
and short distances 1 ltr - 12.5 km
( can't wait for a MX 5 Diesel version though )

Cheers
BERT

**************

Robyn and Rich · Post by **Robyn and Rich** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:48 pm

Hi there,,

Just for the record... Gotan original 89mx... Been tweaked a little.
Not much,,, and we run it on 91. Goes amazingly well... We drive it
hard,,, and we are getting (in the old measurements),, 34 mpg.
That's good enuff for me... Gl.

Robyn n Rich.

Roy & Sue Cunningham · Post by **Roy & Sue Cunningham** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:30 am

Sacre Blu
SACRILIGE

From chris.tankard@aderant.com Fri Apr 27 17:25:20 2007
Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Subject: RE: Changing petrol
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 09:00:08 +1300
Thread-Topic: Changing petrol
Thread-Index: AcXdeTOaBGzST4g4TduxLAWl4oxkqAAEu/bg
From: "Chris Tankard" <chris.tankard@aderant.com>
To: "MX5List" <mx5list@mx5club.org.nz>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Precedence: list
Message-ID: <jgqW9.A.2DE.FxYMGB@L733>

I always use the BP 98 octane.

I have gotten used to it, and forgot that it really does make the car
feel better.

Filled up my wife's ST170 with the same a couple of weeks back - she
comes in after been down to the shops and ask what I had done to her car
(i.e. what $$$ I had spent) as she could really feel a difference.

I would recommend it.

C

Graeme H · Post by **Graeme H** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:26 am

I use Mobil 98... and it does make a difference. My timing bump means my car pinks under throttle on 91. Even before that tho, a 96 minimum made the car feel happier and smoother. For the extra couple of dollars it costs to fill it up, I'd rather do with out that one extra beer :0)

Graeme H

[...]

From herbertwest@gmail.com Fri Apr 27 17:25:18 2007
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=beta; d=gmail.com;
h=received:message-id

from:to:subject:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:references;
b=SSN+/LE1cymDj4FYCOF/YlbSttupJDdnglT6qE/aitVTorX5rR2yQWjJ6RBvOlTrd0ltmiGcMqyV3wND0ZDsh8uHpZUuzuD4FbaLGbmgyM3HAIYXg/LAWIFap89fG2AgvEpJkcvFOr+bPRcNKKHruuvAr3Fwbb5Hp5jwQmlNK94=
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:28:05 +1300
From: Dwight Trounson <herbertwest@gmail.com>
To: MX5List <mx5list@mx5club.org.nz>
Subject: Re: Changing petrol
In-Reply-To: <FB1D5769F12AF54EB58B29B12517B26501124609@svmxc301.ap.aderant.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
References: <FB1D5769F12AF54EB58B29B12517B26501124609@svmxc301.ap.aderant.com>
Precedence: list
Message-ID: <8nN0gD.A.5DE.FxYMGB@L733>

I used Bp Ultimate 98 on the way back from Nelson after just buyin my MX5
and used an entire tank of gas to Christchurch which I actually thought was
a bit on the heavy side... could be just me though.
D

On 10/31/05, Chris Tankard <chris.tankard@aderant.com> wrote:
[...]

peter · Post by **peter** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:43 pm

I spent $450 on petrol during the last trip South,only bought 98, best milages were in the North Island on BP Ultimate, 476kms on one tank. South Island mileages were shorter trips, frequent stops etc.

I think Mobil has a slightly lower octane, didn't try Caltex.

got a free tank yesterday of 91, the car hates it.

Peter
DRGN1

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:56 pm

As that trip is only around 420km (I think) that seems rather thirsty. Was
the tank topped right up in Christchurch and how many litres did you take to
fill the tank in Nelson. If you are going on the fuel gauge only then the
actual economy could be anything.
On a trip like that I would expect to get around 13km/l at least from my
1998 1.8 NB. It's auto so a manual should be better.
My 1992 NA 1.6 auto economy is not quite as good, possibly because the
engine has to work harder and its done as lot more km's.

Grant.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:02 pm

Oops. Got the trip backwards but I don't think that will matter!
As Peter found, North Island travel results in better fuel consumption
figures. Easier to maintain a constant cruising speed and not as many hills.
That's only comparing the main highways.

Grant.

peter · Post by **peter** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:15 pm

mind you Grant my best ever trip was Clyde to Christchurch in one day on
one tank, 550 kms - top up due to weather, no luggage rack, so the car was
as aerodynamical as it's ever been.

Peter
DRGN1

P.S. coasted into the Glen Murray service station as the motor had gone
awfully quiet 3kms before!!

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:32 pm

Good point about the aerodynamics. Fuel economy is better with the roof up.
Fun factor much worse though, so no contest.

Grant.

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:35 pm

But did you have the stripes then peter??Have run both on mx and like the
2litre nissan van find fractionaly better mileage and economics.
MIKE
WEZTY

peter · Post by **peter** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:52 pm

no stripes back then, hadn't been invented yet.

hows biz? (feeble attempt to get off the subject of going fast on South
Island roads...) nice ad in the latest Top Down.

Peter
DRGN1

poison · Post by **poison** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:24 pm

It's also down hill to the South Island...

Gazza
"PO1SON"

WiM · Post by **WiM** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:43 pm

Preferably a diesel automatic maybe?

Quoting bert wouda <wouda@paradise.net.nz> on Sun, 30 Oct 2005
20:47:25 +1300:

Hi Guys and Girls

I run my '99 NB 1.6 5sp on 91 octane, it's
responding very well
quite , smooth and economical , ... on a
long trip 1ltr - 14 km ,
and short distances 1 ltr - 12.5 km
( can't wait for a MX 5 Diesel version though
)

Cheers
BERT

**************

WiM · Post by **WiM** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:07 pm

But it is more fun down South...

Quoting The Simpsons <grant@simtronics.co.nz> on Mon, 31 Oct 2005
13:02:59 +1300:

Oops. Got the trip backwards but I don't think that will matter!
As Peter found, North Island travel results in better fuel consumption
figures. Easier to maintain a constant cruising speed and not as many
hills. That's only comparing the main highways.

Grant.

Mark O'Sullivan · Post by **Mark O'Sullivan** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:03 pm

Hi Mike

Good question. Generally the higher the fuel octane the more power and the
more you can advance the timing without the dreaded pinking.

But there's more. 91 octane burns cleanest because the aromatic
concentration is lower. 96 does tend to leave a noticeable sooty residue on
the tail pipe. The new 95 octane fuel currently replacing the old 96 is
claimed to burn a lot cleaner, with the benzene content reduced from 3% by
volume to only 1%.

With 98 octane fuels, I've found that BP Ultimate gives a marginally better
performance than Mobil Synergy 8000 - and burns somewhat cleaner too. I'd
use the new 95 octane fuel, or if you can get it, BP Ultimate 98.

Yep, I'd wait till your tank is nearly empty, then fill right up with the
higher octane fuel of your choice - then after running the new fuel for 20
or 30k's, re-tune by simply advancing the timing until pinking is noticed
under
load, then back off again little by little until all traces of pinking
disappear.

If you're not sure - whip along to a motor mechanic who has the gear to make
sure all's right.

Cheers
Mark

Who is online