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      03-20-2011, 10:58 AM   #1
melts
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Post 95 vs 98

Hi, like to ask if any of you folks have experiences any differences in terms of (1) performance and (2) fuel efficiency from using 95 octane vs 98 octane gas?

Thanks.
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      03-20-2011, 01:24 PM   #2
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Hi, like to ask if any of you folks have experiences any differences in terms of (1) performance and (2) fuel efficiency from using 95 octane vs 98 octane gas?

Thanks.
Never did when I had gasoline engine cars.
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      03-20-2011, 02:03 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by melts View Post
Hi, like to ask if any of you folks have experiences any differences in terms of (1) performance and (2) fuel efficiency from using 95 octane vs 98 octane gas?

Thanks.
Yes and Yes, on my Mini Cooper. Not by much but I can notice the difference.
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      03-20-2011, 02:05 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by melts View Post
Hi, like to ask if any of you folks have experiences any differences in terms of (1) performance and (2) fuel efficiency from using 95 octane vs 98 octane gas?

Thanks.
The measures of performances by BMW are done with octane 98
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      03-20-2011, 10:51 PM   #5
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Different cars will have different responses to octane (and even petrol from different companies). You'll have to experiment around to see what is best.
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      03-21-2011, 03:07 AM   #6
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Different cars will have different responses to octane (and even petrol from different companies). You'll have to experiment around to see what is best.
Modern cars might, but I doubt it would be anything noticeable such as a 25 horsepower increase or a sudden acceleration performance that wasn't there before !
On the long term though, engines may react differently in terms of wear and tear depending on the octane indice. But how to figure it out for the average driver is quite a challenge !
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      03-21-2011, 03:47 AM   #7
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German cars in general are optimised to run on 98 RON. High performance (high compression) engines, and BMW petrols fall under this category, will give around 2-5% greater BHP (KW) output over the 95 RON fuel. Whether you will notice it is a matter of opinion but I think a very experienced driver would, particularly if he/she knows the car really well. Its definitely measurable though.

In addition the higher the octane the cleaner it burns so emissions are less, injectors are cleaner and milage is better. Again the difference is small so it really comes down to price.

98 is marginally better than 95 but is it worth it? Your choice.

I always use 98 (or higher) if its available.
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      03-21-2011, 04:21 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mario486 View Post
German cars in general are optimised to run on 98 RON. High performance (high compression) engines, and BMW petrols fall under this category, will give around 2-5% greater BHP (KW) output over the 95 RON fuel. Whether you will notice it is a matter of opinion but I think a very experienced driver would, particularly if he/she knows the car really well. Its definitely measurable though.

In addition the higher the octane the cleaner it burns so emissions are less, injectors are cleaner and milage is better. Again the difference is small so it really comes down to price.

98 is marginally better than 95 but is it worth it? Your choice.

I always use 98 (or higher) if its available.
Jet fuel is good...
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      03-21-2011, 05:34 AM   #9
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Jet fuel is good...


Actually, don't even think of putting Avgas (petrol equivalent) into your petrol car. It contains lead which will destroy your catalytic converter. Just for interest it comes in two octane levels, 80 for very old piston engines and 100 for the newer ones. Some car "super" petrols have the same RON rating.

The same is true for diesel engines. Avtur (or Jet A-1) will run in a diesel car but again will wreck it as it does not have the same lubrication qualities. You can add additives etc etc but why?
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      03-21-2011, 05:37 AM   #10
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Quote:
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Actually, don't even think of putting Avgas (petrol equivalent) into your petrol car. It contains lead which will destroy your catalytic converter. Just for interest it comes in two octane levels, 80 for very old piston engines and 100 for the newer ones. Some car "super" petrols have the same RON rating.

The same is true for diesel engines. Avtur (or Jet A-1) will run in a diesel car but again will wreck it as it does not have the same lubrication qualities. You can add additives etc etc but why?
Enlightning indeed !
So let me get this straight: If you feed AvGas 80 in your Mini will she sound just like a Sptfire's RR Merlin mill ?
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      03-21-2011, 05:53 AM   #11
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Quote:
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Enlightning indeed !
So let me get this straight: If you feed AvGas 80 in your Mini will she sound just like a Sptfire's RR Merlin mill ?
More likely like a John Deere Tractor, will knock like hell, octane too low. Would need to use the 100 stuff which is probably like the 98 we get anyway. Then 50km later you replace the catalytic converter at 700euro

Heh, heh, I used to work in the aviation industry
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      03-22-2011, 07:44 AM   #12
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Yes, modern cars can change the ignition timings a little to optimize the combustion, so they can accommodate a wide range of petrol standards/quality. This is all controlled by the car's ECU. The only harm is done when the timing is advanced by force (workshop tuning) and low octane petrol is used. Slight knocking might occur and in the worst case, detonation!

Anyway, we are not talking about large gains in power with using different octane petrol. It is more on the behavior/response of the car. You might find that the engine runs a little smoother, slightly more eager to rev, less vibrations during idle, a little more responsive to the pedal etc. We are talking about very little. Like Mario mentioned, you really have to be "in tune" with your car to feel the differences.

There might be slight gas mileage differences as well. But of course, still largely dependent on your driving habits.
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      03-22-2011, 06:30 PM   #13
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With my Audi 1.8T i noticed a big difference when using the Shell V-Power petrol. Try it - YouŽll like it
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