What petrol?

[C&C]

This has probably been posted before, but I've tried the search and it doesn't seem to be working, so.....

What petrol do you use in your Noble - Brand and Octane rating?

The handbook says 95RON and I assume the mapping is set up for this, so is it a waste of time putting SUL or Optimax in it?

Also, anyone noticed any particular brand being better than any other?

Many thanks,

Conrad.

[Mr Noble]

Your right. The car is mapped for 95 (shame really as 97 is so commonly available)

Using higher octane fuel will make no difference as the cars do not have the sensors that some modern cars have that adjust to the octane level of the fuel.

However it is pretty normal on here for most owners to use optimax (as I do 9/10 times) just because the fuel itself is better quality and contains detergents that clean the engine better than the cheapo stuff.

HTH

Greg

[domcross]

[quote=C&C]This has probably been posted before, but I've tried the search and it doesn't seem to be working, so.....

What petrol do you use in your Noble - Brand and Octane rating?

The handbook says 95RON and I assume the mapping is set up for this, so is it a waste of time putting SUL or Optimax in it?

Also, anyone noticed any particular brand being better than any other?

Many thanks,

Conrad.
[/quote]
Hi Conrad and welcome to the Nobility...

I'm no techie, but Simon Hucknall always told me to use standard unleaded in my M400 and he should know There are those who use Optimax and swear that the it delivers better results. I did try it once and I think it made a slight improvement to the throttle response and smoothness of the power delivery, but as I said, I'm no expert

Dom.

[Ash M400]

Optimax

It will not make any difference, but it will keep your engine clean.

[Mr Noble]

www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=13729

Well wadayou know!!

Now its a real shame our cars can't sense the difference.

Calling Matt Faulks for a 102 RON remap!

£2.42 per litre

calling Joust with the cash!

G

[V6GTO]

Used Optimax and didn't notice one jot of difference. And for everyones information...all grades of fuel have detergents in them...you're throwing your money away!

Martin.

[m12_nathan]

But higher octane fuel is more resistant to knock so those tracking on hot days might serve their engines well by using it. You may also find you get better MPG from higher octane fuel (or is that only cars with knock sensors and adaptive ecus?)

[DanH]

I never liked Optimax in mine. Always made it smell like it was running richer.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Shell V-Power 100ron made mine pop and bang a lot more. Low rev pickup was better but ultimate power was the same.

[Plipton]

Mr Noble said:

www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=13729

Sod that - pop in to your local airport and pick up some low-lead 104 RON avgas. Just make sure you have no cats (other than the furry ones, of course) as low lead in aviation terms means about 3 lbs of lead per litre! Price (if you can get it) about 60p a litre.

[joust]

V6GTO said:

Used Optimax and didn't notice one jot of difference. And for everyones information...all grades of fuel have detergents in them...you're throwing your money away! Martin.

Correct - but Optimax is a *different* set of detergents.

My mother used to work for Texaco who started the supply to the supermarkets (well, actually it was Star Fuels but I digress). The supermarket stuff had one set of detergents mixed in when the tanker was filled, the Star fuels stuff a different set.

Suprisingly, despite only 1% or so is the "added" stuff, the stuff they add is horribly expensive and counts for around 30-50% of the difference in the wholesale price (about 1-2ppl).

Things could have changed, but test after test (Evo most recently) have shown not all fuels are the same.

J

[gadgeroonie]

if you use a higher ron fuel than the type your car was mapped for then it will effectively retard the ignition and loose you power

the higher the ron of a fuel - the longer it takes to burn

[m12_nathan]

RON and MON are a measure of the anti-knock characteristics of a given fuel, not of the burn time (flame speed). You have have 2 fuels of 99 octane with different flame speeds.

[w8cko]

Now you tell me! Three years of using High Octane fuel on my Noble and all this time I could have used 95RON

Would there be a problem changing now, or do you think my motor has developed a taste for the finer things?

[silversix]

Plipton said:

Mr Noble said: www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=13729 Sod that - pop in to your local airport and pick up some low-lead 104 RON avgas. Just make sure you have no cats (other than the furry ones, of course) as low lead in aviation terms means about 3 lbs of lead per litre! Price (if you can get it) about 60p a litre.

My local airport won't supply me (I asked a few years ago when I had the Escort). I do know someone with a Gazelle, but it runs on jet fuel which might be a bit too thick and goey for the Noble. The wife isn't too keen on the idea of a 55 gallon drum of fuel in the garage either (our bedroom is above the garage).

[Misterx]

What about the percentage that has to be biofuel. How does that affect things? I think even F1 cars have to have a fuel with 3% (?) bio mix.

[joust]

Misterx said:

What about the percentage that has to be biofuel. How does that affect things? I think even F1 cars have to have a fuel with 3% (?) bio mix.

Biofuel has been used for years in racing!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4
www.nasamax.com/en/bio_ethanol_0.asp

It'll be at LeMans
www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=13622&ref=archive

Any IndyCar is using it exclusivly this year
www.prnewswire.com/mnr/ethanol/21328/

J

[Misterx]

joust said:

Biofuel has been used for years in racing! J

Yes, but I thought the percentage was about to increase and just wondered what effect that has on an engine, eg does it reinforce the case for better detergent?

[joust]

Misterx said:

Yes, but I thought the percentage was about to increase and just wondered what effect that has on an engine, eg does it reinforce the case for better detergent?

It generally has a higher octane according to that PR news article, and it says "Internal dynamometer testing has shown that there are no technical barriers to replacing methanol with ethanol.".

The fact sheets at the bottom will give you the full story - it suggests Ethanol burns cleaner anyway reducing the need for detergents.

J

[V6GTO]

Anyone tried this?

www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=13729

Martin.