Do I have petrol OCD?
Discussion
I have a 57 plate Mazda 3 2.0 Sport, and I think I have a problem. I can't bring myself to put normal unleaded petrol in the tank. My car seems to return better mileage on super unleaded, and seems to drive better, but is this all a placebo?
This is the first petrol car i've owned (previous two have been diesel), and i've never really had to make a choice between fuel grades before.
I've been informed that super is generally better for the engine and burns cleaner. Is this true or is it a load of old hairy gash? My fuel filler cap states 'Min 95 RON', so am I wasting money by filling up with super all of the time?
It may sound really weird (and I'm not a snob), but as long as I can afford super i'll avoid normal unleaded. Am I weird?
In a way, I hope so. Being weird helps you 'fit in' on here I think.
This is the first petrol car i've owned (previous two have been diesel), and i've never really had to make a choice between fuel grades before.
I've been informed that super is generally better for the engine and burns cleaner. Is this true or is it a load of old hairy gash? My fuel filler cap states 'Min 95 RON', so am I wasting money by filling up with super all of the time?
It may sound really weird (and I'm not a snob), but as long as I can afford super i'll avoid normal unleaded. Am I weird?
In a way, I hope so. Being weird helps you 'fit in' on here I think.
I always use branded fuel in my car, and I think it makes a difference!
I don't think super unleaded makes much of a difference on "normal" cars, I seem to remember 5th gear did a test on various cars and it only made a difference on the performance cars.
Regular supermarket fuel is crap though!
I don't think super unleaded makes much of a difference on "normal" cars, I seem to remember 5th gear did a test on various cars and it only made a difference on the performance cars.
Regular supermarket fuel is crap though!
Shell V power ONLY in mine 
Loads of debates/tests/etc run on super vs normal.
Firstly - it will in no way 'ruin' your engine to run regular.
So if you drive fairly regularly and you have OCD - why don't you run some tests (if you're really 'OCDish' about fuel then you'll find it fun). You can even log it on something like fuelly.com. i.e. track your mileage on a few fillups using super, then switch to regular.
To be honest though unless you're doing a lot of miles does it make a difference in any way?
Your car is probably fairly frugal so the fact that the petrol is 5p per litre more expensive makes it what? £2-£3 more expensive on each fill up?
For me I use super when its available - as apparantly my car runs better on it (apparantly!). If the petrol station only has regular - then I'll use that instead and I will not stress about it.
Firstly - it will in no way 'ruin' your engine to run regular.
So if you drive fairly regularly and you have OCD - why don't you run some tests (if you're really 'OCDish' about fuel then you'll find it fun). You can even log it on something like fuelly.com. i.e. track your mileage on a few fillups using super, then switch to regular.
To be honest though unless you're doing a lot of miles does it make a difference in any way?
Your car is probably fairly frugal so the fact that the petrol is 5p per litre more expensive makes it what? £2-£3 more expensive on each fill up?
For me I use super when its available - as apparantly my car runs better on it (apparantly!). If the petrol station only has regular - then I'll use that instead and I will not stress about it.
Goodness - well I hope you only put in the minimum £5 before driving it to somewhere else to fill it up with at least 99 to compensate/average it out.
What a nightmare!!
What a nightmare!!
doogz said:
I felt bad last night putting BP 97 RON stuff in the Impreza, while looking at the sticker inside the fuel cap that says 98 RON MINIMUM.
It was all i could get at the time, it was properly empty, wouldn't have made it to a Shell.
It was all i could get at the time, it was properly empty, wouldn't have made it to a Shell.
[quote=SD1992
Regular supermarket fuel is crap though!
[/quote]
Not this nugget again!
You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
Regular supermarket fuel is crap though!
[/quote]
Not this nugget again!
You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
Depends on the car but generally I'm perfectly happy to fill up with any old crap. It all has to meet minimum standards. Presumably I get fewer MPG but on the other hand, the pump price is lower.
As for performance, differences are pretty minimal in my experience. I've run modern cars that supposedly benefit from 97+ on 95 without issue. They may be marginally quicker on 97+ but they work perfectly well on 95.
I tend to change cars fairly regularly so I couldn't comment on the long term effects of not giving a toss
.
IIRC, the manual for my old Elise specifically stated that there was no point using anything higher than 95. Understandable really, it was a run of the mill K Series, but you still see people filling them with higher octane stuff.
As for performance, differences are pretty minimal in my experience. I've run modern cars that supposedly benefit from 97+ on 95 without issue. They may be marginally quicker on 97+ but they work perfectly well on 95.
I tend to change cars fairly regularly so I couldn't comment on the long term effects of not giving a toss
.IIRC, the manual for my old Elise specifically stated that there was no point using anything higher than 95. Understandable really, it was a run of the mill K Series, but you still see people filling them with higher octane stuff.
Edited by Risotto on Tuesday 5th July 14:25
Risotto said:
IIRC, the manual for my old Elise specifically stated that there was no point using anything higher than 95. Understandable really, it was a run of the mill K Series, but you still see people filling them with higher octane stuff.
I fill my S2 111S with either V-Power or Esso Super Unleaded, as the pops from the exhaust on gear change are a lot louder! 
Proper fuel OCD is always filling up to an even, rounded number (either price or litres!)
The Clio does seem to run better on super, plus the cap indicates a 98 RON minimum.
What I have found strange is that if I put in Tesco 99 RON I really struggle to get above 37mpg on a motorway trip. Instead if I use BP or Shell I will get near on 41mpg and struggle to get as low as 37mpg.
What I have found strange is that if I put in Tesco 99 RON I really struggle to get above 37mpg on a motorway trip. Instead if I use BP or Shell I will get near on 41mpg and struggle to get as low as 37mpg.
Right, just spoke to Mazda (probably should have just called them before starting this thread, oh well ). They said that my car does have a knock sensor, but putting super unleaded in makes no difference whatsoever.
As suggested above, i'll do some of my own tests and see if it does make any difference.
Thanks for the responses. I do indeed have CDO
). They said that my car does have a knock sensor, but putting super unleaded in makes no difference whatsoever.As suggested above, i'll do some of my own tests and see if it does make any difference.
Thanks for the responses. I do indeed have CDO
Tyre Smoke said:
Not this nugget again!
You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
The two are chemically different. It is not that there is any lifting of octaine, it is just that there is less put in to start with from the point of distribution at the refinery.You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
BB.
BadgerBill said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Not this nugget again!
You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
The two are chemically different. It is not that there is any lifting of octaine, it is just that there is less put in to start with from the point of distribution at the refinery.You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
BB.
t. Please don't let this turn into a supermarket vs fuel company fuel debate.I merely started this thread to share with the world the fact that i've been wasting money on super unleaded for about 6 months.
Tyre Smoke said:
Not this nugget again!
You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
Well, I don't think that, but I do think that when it gets to the station at BP or Shell, plenty of additives are added to it that do not go into the supermarket stuff.You base this amazing insight on what, exactly?
It comes out of the same tanks at the refinery, do you imagine that between the refinery and Tesco forecourt it stops off in some darkened alley and some little chap removes some octane from it or something?
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