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Sylvester

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Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
271
I've been driving my Puma for more than a year and been using regular petrol. Few weeks ago I had a bit extra cash and thought it's time to see how the premium petrol works and I can honestly say I was surprised.
The engine works smoother, the exhaust noise is a bit deeper, I think it's accelerates a tiny bit better and I get a bit better mileage as well...So I like it, planning to keep using it instead of the regular fuel, but I've heard from somewhere that premium fuels can damage older car engine parts, seals, etc as it burn at higher temperature.
Any opinions?
 
Reckon you need to watch this vid - http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&p=358291#p358291

What the guy is saying is not opinion, but fact.
 
Having run mine on Optimax for well
Over 80k, I concur, it's utter bobbins. Well, almost. I started to use Optimax, now V-power on the misguided assumption it would clean the engine. You want to see how clean the engine was when it was taken apart?





So myth one out of the window, V-Power / Optimax does not clean your engine, nor does it make any significant difference to cleaning up the spray pattern of an injector.

Power and smoothness? Not a jot of difference, it's all placebo. The only factual bit of info I can give is back to back, on the same run over 10 different occasions, V-Power/ Optimax gave a couple of MPG more which while statistically could be down to the fuel, but with such low increase it could be down to any other variation.

Save your money!!
 
Octane rating of fuel is a measure of resistance to detonation, i.e. selfignition. The higher the number, the better resistance to detonation. That means you can run higher compression ratio and get more power out of engine if you do so. Modern(er) engines have detonation sensor(s) which can detect detonation and adjust the spark: if it forwards it you do get higher in cylinder pressure and more power.
But, 1.7 in puma hasn't got any detonation sensor and can't spark sooner because of better octane rating unless you remap it accordingly.
And to put things into perspective, if it had DS, the improvement would be in region of 2-3 %, so less of an impact of your engine performance than increasing the pressure in your tyres or putting in the fresh air filter and new spark plugs.
 
Now you are saying my cone filter does nothing....is nothing sacred anymore :grin: next thing you'll be telling me my furry dice did nothing to make my Morris Minor go faster :-(
 
That advert with the Passat towing the anchor - I want to lash things at the telly - sheer marketing codswallop.
 
XAF said:
[post]358348[/post] Well, almost. I started to use Optimax, now V-power on the misguided assumption it would clean the engine. You want to see how clean the engine was when it was taken apart?
Click to expand...
That's interesting. I've known about the other non-advantages for some time but, like you, had assumed at least they would have put an extra slug of detergents (no, not Fairy Liquid) in it for the price it is.
 
zinc2000 said:
[post]358373[/post] Now you are saying my cone filter does nothing....is nothing sacred anymore :grin: next thing you'll be telling me my furry dice did nothing to make my Morris Minor go faster :-(
Click to expand...
Furry dice will just slow you down(extra weight)and the pendulum effect as they swing back and forth just upsets the handling.Do you know nothing :grin:
 
Thanks for the infos, I could have sworn the engine sound was deeper because I didn't expect that to change at all...Anyway I'll stick to the regular fuel then :cool:
 
Hi.
A very amusing and informative video clip. I did a mileage check in October over the same routes and conditions etc. On one tank of Esso synergy I got 40.9 mpg I then went to one full tank of the standard unleaded and got 41 mpg. I did not notice any change in the car whatsoever. I think without doubt it is a con by the oil companies to squeeze a few more pence out of the motorist.

Regards,
Richard.
 
On a standard Puma , then standard unleaded is all that is required. However I have tried all the standard fuels in my 1.7 and have found that the car runs best on Shells standard unleaded. It definitely has an additive in it and has better acceleration as well as better MPG. Although it is a few p/litre more than the supermarkets brands, this extra cost gets reduced by Shell Driver Club Card money off coupons.(I have no connection with any fuel company). BP standard unleaded runs the same as Sainsbury's; and yet is often the dearest in my area!
Here's 5th gears dyno tests on the premium fuels subject https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpZ76nrYW7A

However, With a FRP or a modified and remaped engine then a higher octane fuel will be beneficial.
 
The octane difference between the two isn't enough to make a difference in performance. The management can self adjust itself as it runs closed loop. If you had American 93 Octane then ran Shell V Power you might notice the difference.

And on a turbocharged car it will definitely be the difference between a broken engine and not.
 
Wild E. Coyote said:
[post]358349[/post] Octane rating of fuel is a measure of resistance to detonation, i.e. selfignition. The higher the number, the better resistance to detonation. That means you can run higher compression ratio and get more power out of engine if you do so. Modern(er) engines have detonation sensor(s) which can detect detonation and adjust the spark: if it forwards it you do get higher in cylinder pressure and more power.
But, 1.7 in puma hasn't got any detonation sensor and can't spark sooner because of better octane rating unless you remap it accordingly.
And to put things into perspective, if it had DS, the improvement would be in region of 2-3 %, so less of an impact of your engine performance than increasing the pressure in your tyres or putting in the fresh air filter and new spark plugs.
Click to expand...


then in the aux fuse box what is the OCTANCE fuse?
 
mihalyn90 said:
[post]358487[/post]
then in the aux fuse box what is the OCTANCE fuse?
Click to expand...
It's the placebo fuse that Ford fitted for cone filter users. Look at the back of it and you'll see it has no wires attached to it.
 
Hi just read that in 2017 high ethanol petrol is due at our fuel pumps its better for the environment they say but beware putting it in your puma as it can cause damage to older engines by attacking the seals and gaskets of your engine but at least standard and super unleaded petrol will still be available for the next few years while there is still high demand from older car users.
 
Ethanol fuels also produces more power. However, you need a fuel pump that's suitable for a start.

Not heard about it coming to the pumps though?!
 
I think we may have a small percentage of it in our fuel already but they've been selling E95 in France for a few years. When I did my first Laon Historique in 2010 Continental car tours (the organisers) warned us about it. It's probably the stuff that's knackered the fuel tank on my Aprilia :-(
Barry
 
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