can unleaded fuel be use?

hnm738 · Post by **hnm738** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 11:14 pm

can you use unleaded fuel in the fto cause some gas station dont have premium? and what effects would it do

thanks

YYgirl · Post by **YYgirl** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 12:00 am

i have a GR, i only use normal unleaded petrol. I am not sure what difference it makes. hehe. maybe i'm missing out on something... just a lot cheaper and feel the same?　　hehe

rxboy · Post by **rxboy** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 10:44 am

The FTO (all makes) is supposed to run on unleaded fuel. Premium choices like Shell Optimax and Mobil Synergy 8000 are optional and are NOT really required. Besides the higher octane of these fuels, you also have the guarantee that they aren't diluted with ethanol.

MattG · Post by **MattG** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 11:38 am

Nearly all Japanese sports cars have engines that are tuned for maximum performance on 100RON fuel (as that is what they sell in Japan).

The best unleaded fuel we can get out here (short of fuel additives) is 98 Octane (optimax, BP ultimate etc). Some petrol stations also sell premium unleaded that is around 96RON, and normal unladed is anything below this.

There are octane boosters available that once added to a tank full of normal fuel, will raise the octane level. Some claim *up to* 5 points.

The FTO engine management will compensate for lower grade fuel by retarding the timing a bit to prevent harmful detonation in the engine.
Therefore by using lower grade petrol you aren't getting the best performance from the engine and it could possibly lead to detonation.

Optimax is also meant to be a more dense fuel than normal unleaded, and many people on this list claim to have better fuel economy running optimax.

M@

rxboy · Post by **rxboy** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 12:31 pm

Once I get my car back from repairs, I'm gonna try out Optimax, especially now that Shell has a 4c off agreement with Coles

.
Will compare fuel economy against Mobil Synergy 8000.

MattG: do you know where these "octane boosters" are sold? And do you know of any non-advertising literature about them?

elmo · Post by **elmo** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 12:35 pm

read the fuel economy post, somewhere down the list is a thread about fuel economy in GPX.
You will get more km and more power from premium. Ulp feels like you are driving with the handbrake on. Ok it is cheaper though and car still runs OK.
But you can go the same distance a lot faster on premium or further at the same speed, whichever you prefer.

MattG · Post by **MattG** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 6:00 pm

Octane boosters are pretty widely available. Some service stations sell them, you could also try places Kmart, Big W, Supercheap autos, Repco, Auto One and many car performance workshops and accessory shops.

Some brands that spring to mind are :

Nulon, Wynn's, STP, NX ( I think)

There are also higher octane fuels available at some specialist service stations, such as VP Motorsport 103 Octane.
http://www.vpracingfuels.com

A quick google search returned these independent test results:
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/southo/Octane.html

M@

hnm738 · Post by **hnm738** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 10:05 pm

what was this 4cents off fuel thing you mention? how do you get it?

dannyboyau · Post by **dannyboyau** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 10:12 pm

do your shopping at coles supermarket and get a discount coupon on your shopping docket

rxboy · Post by **rxboy** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 10:44 pm

It's the same thing as the Safeway docket 4c discount offer at Safeway service stations. You spend $30 or more at Coles and get a docket to use at Shell service stations.

elmo · Post by **elmo** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 10:42 am

Now octane boosters sound good but in the end it would cost about the same to use premium.
My mate runs turbo VL Commonwhore. 18psi boost and 400hp at the wheels. They add solvents and thinners to the fuel as an octane booster. Dunno the sort, think its the ethanol one everyone keeps complaining the service stations are diluting our fuel with.
It simply increases the octane and lowers his economy(but at 400hp who cares about economy?)
Can find out the ratios etc
Why spend 5 bucks on a bottle of octane booster when it doesn't even cost that much more to use premium? That's what's got me. From what I can remember, octane boosters only became popular when they started phasing out super. The older leaded cars needed it to run properly on ULP.

And with the possibility of being assinated by the fuel companies...
I used to work in a service station.
Get this, wholesale prices are based on type of fuel with set price difference between them.
So wholesale cost (2 years ago for L)
Super 65c
ULP 67.5c
PULP 70c
Notice super was the cheapest.
Pump prices are based on ULP price +2.5/3c for super and +another 2,5/3c to premium.

Now lets look at our pump prices hey, or what they were set at then.
Super 72.5c
ULP 70c
PULP 77.5c
Ok there is not much mark up on ULP but notice how super is the cheapest to buy but the sell it more expensive than ULP. It's not a govt thing, its just cause the fuel companies want older cars to be more xpensive to run so people buy new ones. New cars need plastic and rubber and that all comes as a waste product from making petrol. Worse still, diesel is a waste product they used to thow away, now look how much they charge for it.
Any way just havin a bitch. we have a right to know.

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 8:19 pm

i think octane boosters are more catered for use in conjunction with PULP or Optimax/Synergy 8000/BP Ultimate for really high-performance applications...

When you think about it, it'll cost more to buy a bottle of octane booster and mix it onto a tankful of ULP than to fill her up with Optimax or high-octane fuel anyway...

As for fuel economy, i can tell you right now that the best i have achieved was an extra 80kms or so per tank on Optimax. On top of that, i am getting better performance because the engine just loves to rev, and it revs so smoothly (compared to normal PULP). That's my experience anyway, and i will never settle for anything less than Optimax now unless I have no choice...

having said that, it is OK to run on ULP, but you will find that performance is compromised and from prior experience, ULP is just rubbish. It will be prone to carbon buildup and over time it will f*ck up the engine causing premature wear.

MattG · Post by **MattG** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 8:48 pm

Octane boosters work well with standard fuels, but not so well with premium fuels.
Standard fuel with octane booster (depending on brand) is only marginally better than premium (eg optimax) or about the same.

However racing fuels are much better (and much more expensive).

I posted a link a while ago about the price of petrol and the various states etc.
Yes the actual petrol is cheap! Most of the cost comes from all th taxes imposed on it. The service stations usually make about 4-5 cents per litre (if memory serves me correctly). Can't remember where the link was before, but you may find it in these forums somewhere.

M@

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 9:27 pm

MattG wrote: However racing fuels are much better (and much more expensive).
M@

...and much harder to find (unless you go to the nearest air depot or racing circuit)

and i been told before in a forum somewhere that if you whack in racing fuel on a standard motor without the right tuning, it will cause some problems down the line... is this true??

JSP-INC · Post by **JSP-INC** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 9:42 pm

i've been using BP Ultimate the last month.. not bad i believe it's 98 rated... But mainly use optimax.. Ultimate isn't at every BP so it makes it kinda *~dreamy~*!!

elmo · Post by **elmo** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 12:56 pm

ethanol is an octane booster used by race drivers, it is not proven to deteriorate engines. BUT i do not think it is ok for the fuel companies to add it to our fuel so they make more profit.
Now as for the petrol prices, the ones I gave included the tax, they were the effective wholesale prices. OK the retailers only make 2.5c/L on ULP, but what gets me is they make more on SUPER.

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 3:07 pm

guess i should stick to Optimax then... more readily available and they've got 4c per litre off discounts now... hehehe

JSP-INC · Post by **JSP-INC** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 5:29 pm

BP ULTIMATE at the servo's (Does not Contain Ethanol)

*shrugs*... hope it doesn't!!

MattG · Post by **MattG** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 6:10 pm

Methanol is used by racing drivers - not Ethanol.

I agree that BP Ultimate servos are hard to find. It is much easier to find a Shell with Optimax.

I think on the oil companies webpages (at least of them anyway) you can do a search to show which servos stock the fuel and their locations.

M@