Using ULP

Post by **Supplanter** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:42 am

I am going away for a few days over Xmas, and i don't think the area I am staying at (Lakes Entrance) has any service stations with premium.
How long can I use regular unleaded for? Anyone know of any decent servos in the area?

I don't want to have to resort to using my POS Lancer

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:07 am

You can use unleaded for as long as you like.

The FTO engine management system monitors all sorts of info, including those items effected by different RON fuels. If you use a lower RON fuel the FTO will automatically adjust the engine to compensate.

You will not cause any damage to the engine, potentially you may lose a little performance (but not much), and while the engine is working it all out it may ping a little bit.

Many FTO owners only use ULP and don't worry about the cost of PULP. Personally, having owned my FTO for only a short time, I am still experimenting between ULP and various brands of PULP with various octane levels. Although I can "feel" the difference sometimes, it is often hard to justify the extra expense, especially when Optimax is sometimes around 10c more than ULP.

SilentBob · Post by **SilentBob** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:58 am

Most serivce station company's have websites listing their outlets...why not check a few and see..

though your safe using ULP, I always use PULP(preferably optimax) because
a)I notice the performance difference
b)its like a couple of bucks extra a tank
and
c)i didnt spend 20k on a relatively peformance car to give it crap fuel

SilentbOb

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:09 am

Mate if u going through Bairsdale (15-20mins from Lake) to Lake Entrance, theres Optimax, If u fill up before u go, & fill up at Bairsdale when u coming bk u shouldn't have any problem, & from memory theres plenty of other 98ron petrol station on the way!

rxboy · Post by **rxboy** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:09 am

ruchi wrote:Although I can "feel" the difference sometimes, it is often hard to justify the extra expense, especially when Optimax is sometimes around 10c more than ULP.

How many times do I have to prove to people that using Optimax/Synergy 8000/BP Ultimate is actually CHEAPER than using ULP? I posted my calculations a few months ago and the higher RON fuels all returned a lower cost per km travelled than ULP. From the top of my head, I worked out that it costs me 15c/km travelled on ULP and 13c/km travelled on Optimax (this is probably lower now due to a fall in prices). Just work out your fuel economy on both types of fuel and then factor in the cost. Trust me - this is no bull (I'll scan in my maths equations if u want proof

).

As for using ULP, I've done it many times and there is absolutely no problem with it. It just might take a day for the engine to get used to it.

Daz_FTO · Post by **Daz_FTO** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:19 am

I have a 95 GR and run optimax or BP ultimate it. I have run it on different fuels to see which is better. I ran it on ULP for 5 weeks, PULP for 4 weeks and the top stuff for 3 weeks, then back to ULP for 4 weeks. I noticed a change between the Optimax and ULP and PULP. The car felt noticeably smoother in acceleration.

As for cost....seriously a few cents per litre, who cares if it costs $3 more on a $40 fillup. And rxboy is probably correct - it can be cheaper to use better fuel. .

scracy · Post by **scracy** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:23 pm

Hey Ruchi i would get my engine management system checked out or at least the knock sensor checked, the engine should not ping at all regardless of what fuel you run as the engine management system should retard the ignition if you run a lower octane fuel.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 4:11 pm

Scracy, I was still half asleep when I wrote that post and got my tappet and pinging noises confused. I have now removed that comment.

I have virtually no pinging, unless changing fuels, and then only for a short time, but those FTO tappets, nothing quite like them for noise

Post by **smorison** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:28 pm

filling up in sydney i get all the way to coffs harbour on a tank (with still 100km's to go -depending on the time of year).

there are plenty of servo's these days up north that its not a major concern for me anymore cause i can always get 98 RON fuel.

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 12:13 am

rxboy wrote: How many times do I have to prove to people that using Optimax/Synergy 8000/BP Ultimate is actually CHEAPER than using ULP?

i can vouch for that, straight-up... my record so far - 580kms on a single tank spread over 1.5 weeks, with just over 8-litres left in the tank. that's not bad considering it sees 8000rpm 3x a day with better performance (and without the silencer fitted, i swear!)

patty · Post by **patty** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 1:31 am

how do u do it. I only get 400 k out of a full tank, and i use BP Primium fuel.

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 1:50 am

patty wrote:how do u do it. I only get 400 k out of a full tank, and i use BP Primium fuel.

I use Optimax and being a manual, it does use a little' less fuel than the tiptronic... how i do it, i have no idea but i can take pics of it to prove my point!

dannyboyau · Post by **dannyboyau** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 2:17 am

patty wrote:how do u do it. I only get 400 k out of a full tank, and i use BP Primium fuel.

your lucky I only get 300 per tank

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 4:18 am

patty wrote:how do u do it. I only get 400 k out of a full tank, and i use BP Primium fuel.

is that BP Premium Unleaded or BP Ultimate? There's a difference there...

kni8ht · Post by **kni8ht** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 11:07 pm

is that BP Premium Unleaded or BP Ultimate? There's a difference there...

my understanding the Premium Unleaded has a lower RON .. I think about 96, while Ultimate has 98 RON.. Ultimate always normally cost few cents more.

lal · Post by **lal** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 10:02 am

I too can get 580-600km on a full Optimax tank like GPXXX..
mind you... it does see a lot of the M4 motorway (everyday to work)... but also a lot of stop and go at nights...

patty wrote:

how do u do it. I only get 400 k out of a full tank, and i use BP Primium fuel.

another factor to this may also be the way you change gears (when/what revs you change it). I have a manual, if I want to conserve fuel I change gears as low as possible (without straining the engine)... I try to change gears between 2750-3000rpm

fill up and give that a try and see if your kms increases in a full tank... if your used to high rev changes.. this may take some self control... but give it a go.

patty · Post by **patty** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 10:13 pm

i been using the premium stuff 98 ron.