Normal unleaded

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joshxs

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Have a trip planned to Leeds this weekend, and am thinking of using normal unleaded as it's much cheaper. The trip normally burns a whole tank, so it will be ready for some super when I get home!

Does it do anything nasty to your engine besides losing a bit of top end power? Going up with the gf, so don't need the 20-30bhp I might lose, no doubt I will be 'allowed' to reach about 75mph at most.... sigh
 
I can confirm your engine will blow up! Don't do it!!!

Seriously, I nearly always run mine on normal stuff, tried super and never noticed any difference except its £1.11 a litre.
Saying that mine doesn't get thrashed.

Nik.

joshxs said:
Have a trip planned to Leeds this weekend, and am thinking of using normal unleaded as it's much cheaper. The trip normally burns a whole tank, so it will be ready for some super when I get home!

Does it do anything nasty to your engine besides losing a bit of top end power? Going up with the gf, so don't need the 20-30bhp I might lose, no doubt I will be 'allowed' to reach about 75mph at most.... sigh
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1animal1 said:
20-30bhp difference???????
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You mean you didn't know thats how much power you gain from using super? your missing out!!!! Try folding your rear seats down too and watch yourself fly by ferrari's.









<\sarcasm>
 
Lol!

I don't know what the exact figures in differing power levels are, but I do know it is different!

So you all run around using the cheap stuff then?!
 
I would never even consider putting standard fuel in my 1.8t these days, I've done it in the past, and its awful, Feels so ***** to drive.

It even says in the S3 manual that it should be run on high octane fuel.

Anyone who thinks they are saving money by putting in normal fuel is also kidding themselves.

My car is on average 4mpg more efficient on shell V-power than it is on standard 95 ron. It actualy costs me more to drive it on standard fuel!

You don't get instant power increases from V-power, but it keeps the whole system clean and efficient, and if the car is mapped to it, it'll definately show
 
iv recently started to use v max on my remapped s3 and can def notice a difference in power. as for the economy...unofrtunately because i feels nippier i find myself putting my foot down a little more often :icon_thumright:
 
S3 Rav said:
iv recently started to use v max on my remapped s3 and can def notice a difference in power. as for the economy...unofrtunately because i feels nippier i find myself putting my foot down a little more often :icon_thumright:
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lol - i keep meaning to put some super in aswell, but my issue is the same as yours :sob: my right foot is naughty
 
I thought maps were tailored for fuel type. Mine was mapped for the higher octane fuels and I was specifically warned not to use normal unleaded for any length of time (which I never have anyway). I know this wasn't the question asked in the OP but I'm surprised that people with mapped cars are flitting between fuels. Or is it OK to use higher octane fuel in a car mapped for normal unleaded?
 
i would just think it best to put in higher RON petrol post remap to get the most out of it. i could be wrong though .
 
S3 Rav said:
i would just think it best to put in higher RON petrol post remap to get the most out of it. i could be wrong though .
Click to expand...

I think the engine ECU will adjust automatically once its exhaust and engine sensors settle down to what fuel type you are running :confused: not 100% sure of this :confused: Im sure its just an injection timing thing :confused:
 
Right, the S3 as with many other cars has in layman's terms a what is known as a "knock" sensor, this will advance or ****** ignition timing so both fuel types can be used without pinking.
As the S3 was marketed as a "performance car" and the test figures were only achieved using 98 Ron fuel they are not going to recommend using normal fuel! (with normal being 95 Ron).

In the manual it states I quote " Premium unleaded petrol with 95 Ron can also be used but this can cause a slight loss of power under unfavourable conditions"
This means if your going to do a rally circuit in the desert or on the other hand Alaska your lap time may be down on your mate who is running 98Ron.

If your running a chip etc I would expect the main reason for 98 Ron fuel requirements is to achieve the desired " level of power". But only here could I understand possible issues of using 95Ron and then only if you car is set up to run on 98Ron ie high level of tuning e.g. SPS 3

If your running a standard car then make your own choices but don't be fooled into thinking A, 95Ron will damage your car and B, filling up with 98Ron will be like filling up with Nitrous!!

As for cleaning/protection Tesco's 97 fuel was rated better than all the other top name fuels!!! Says it all!!
 
Ive got a remap and run mine on 95ron and its fine....incidently, I ran my Impreza wrx import on 95ron with no problems either!
 
I have just filed up again with my second batch of Vpower, although cant really tell if im more efficient yet because im putting £5er more in than normal and having to drive few miles extra to the shell garage....will update when i know or certain after clocking this run and maybe next weeks
 
Ive been told by lots of people not to use 95, it even says so in the handbook and on the inside of the fuel filler flap.

QST performance said NEVER run a remapped S3 on 95 as the long-term damage your doing will totaly **** up your engine and that blokes got years of knowlede behind him and its not like hes making money off me putting more expensive fuel in my car!
 
I always put Tesco Super Unleaded in the R32, but to be honest it doesn't seem to make that much difference to the few times when I put in standard unleaded by accident.

I always ran the S3 on 95 octane fuel, because that's all it deserved!:motz:
 
In answer to the original questuion, I wouldnt be so concerned about it, but then again it cant be saving you that much, how much do you think the difference will be in £££? If you drive like a nun on the journey I dont think it will make that much of a difference how much you use regardless of fuel TBH
 
i think this thread is heading exactly where last weeks fuel thread was, around in circles
 
if i had to put money on it being more efficient, first impressions after a week...and not driving any different...id say im getting more to the gallon

Gonna check though cos the theory doesnt make that much sense
 
ash_s3 said:
Ive been told by lots of people not to use 95, it even says so in the handbook and on the inside of the fuel filler flap.

QST performance said NEVER run a remapped S3 on 95 as the long-term damage your doing will totaly **** up your engine and that blokes got years of knowlede behind him and its not like hes making money off me putting more expensive fuel in my car!
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On any fuel cap on any VAG car i have seen it has got 98/95 on the cap meaning you can use both....................
 
i used 95ron on my remapped S3 & no problems to date, Jabba were also aware of this on remap.
 
V Power just keeps your injectors that bit cleaner in theory, 'freeing up' that sapped power. I always use V Power from the same garage because then if I get any contaminants, I know wheres its from and also because they employ hot 18 year old girls.

Thing is tho, if youve ever seen a petrol refinery, youll notice that there are two tanks, and the fuel that goes to v power is the same that goes to another company as high octaine

Place down here that does 101 Ron :p
 
Ive ran my remapped golf on 95 for over 7 years and never had a problem with it,tried super a few times but didnt notice any difference.
 
I just looked at my filler cap it says to use 98 Ron / 95 Roz.

Roz is the german equivalent of Ron, 95 Roz is the same as our 98 Ron.
 
Been told by a mate mechanic that fuel loses octane when stood in fueling stations.... or when in contact with oxygen etc..... so that 95 octane fuel could be alot less..... same with 97 vpower!! never really looked into it but sounds like it makes sence....

Has any 1 seen the vid on bp ultimte's website where they have an a6 hooked up with 2 seperate fuel tanks, 1 running normal 95 octane fuel down 1 side of the engine, and another with 97 bp ultimate..... the results were awesome. what a difference it makes cleaning your engine!!!
 
i tell you what gets on my nerves, the idiots in busy stations waiting for the pump thats on the right side of the car instead of going to the 10 empty spots where all they need to do is pull up and hold the pipe above the rear bumper....idiots- rant over
 
Josh, use the super, you'll get more miles, i have started using it and am getting a good 50 miles more than using normal, bearing in mind all my mileage is motorway, so if you are using it for a motorway trip, it may actually work out better for you...i know yuo saying normal is cheaper, but paying that little bit more, may work out cheaper in a mileage point of view....
 
nilz18t said:
Josh, use the super, you'll get more miles, i have started using it and am getting a good 50 miles more than using normal, bearing in mind all my mileage is motorway, so if you are using it for a motorway trip, it may actually work out better for you...i know yuo saying normal is cheaper, but paying that little bit more, may work out cheaper in a mileage point of view....
Click to expand...

Thanks, feel like I have opened a can of worms here!

Presumably the extra power/economy is simply derived from the fact that you can run more ignition advance for a given load? From what I have understood, the S3 is tuned for 98 RON, however is able to run 95 RON with relaxed ignition timings due to the knock sensor being called up more.

It would be interesting to compare real time ignition maps for cars running different fuels...
 
Spare a thought for the sods in America, who still get 89 octane fuel in some places.
 
the sods In america are also paying far less on fuel, for example, in 2000 when I left it cost me $22 to fill my Porsche 944 to the brim....yes, that was £15. more now, but still...

TBH...Thrashing the car will do way more damage than any fuel octane intake. And remember folks, all the £££funding for research and magazine reviews has to come from somewhere, which usually means 'heads down and hands up!'
 
i recently found out that tesco's in Reading do ultra 99 octanea nd it makes a difference although before i discovered this i used normal unleaded for almost a year and has been fine
 
golf said:
Spare a thought for the sods in America, who still get 89 octane fuel in some places.
Click to expand...

Yes but the 89 octane in america isn't comparing apples with apples, it's a difference standard - an average of RON and MON I believe, which actually means it's higher octane than the same in the UK where we just quote RON. eg. 89 in the us is probably more like 93 RON.

I even bothered looking at google - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating better explination there.
 
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