[Gael33]

I have a grand scenic (2007) 1.6 petrol engine. Would it hurt to occasionally tank up with super unleaded or would it be a waste of money?

Gael

 

[VelSatisfied]

Hi there Gael, I would think the only thing which would get hurt is your wallet.

Its only really highly-tuned cars (with turbos especially), that benefit from higher octane levels.

Its better to use a good, branded fuel, than supermarket petrol, as it contains various additives to keep the engine clear of debris. Although, occasionally using supermarket fuel won't do any harm.

Hope that helps - its quite a subjective topic - am a bit surprised that nobody's jumped in before me!

Paul

 

[Gael33]

Hi there Gael, I would think the only thing which would get hurt is your wallet.

Its only really highly-tuned cars (with turbos especially), that benefit from higher octane levels.

Its better to use a good, branded fuel, than supermarket petrol, as it contains various additives to keep the engine clear of debris. Although, occasionally using supermarket fuel won't do any harm.

Hope that helps - its quite a subjective topic - am a bit surprised that nobody's jumped in before me!

Paul

Thanks for the reply Paul. The only reason I asked was that I got told (by a non expert) that the high octane fuel has the ability to clean the fuel system, plus more MPG. I don't claim to be an expert in auto maintenance and thats the reason I asked here on this forum
Gael.

 

[VelSatisfied]

Hi Gael, don't worry - you're in good company - I'm not an auto expert either!

These higher-octane fuels contain detergent-like additives which do help keep the fuel delivery system clean and clear of unburnt deposits, but most branded fuel has this also (to an extent), remember the good old days of needing to get the engine 'de-coked' every 50-60,000 miles?

Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on this, using a good quality fuel, a bit of preventative maintenance (checking tyre pressures & fluids), regular servicing - will cumulatively help keep your car in the best possible shape - you can always add a fuel system cleaner if you wish to ensure that base is covered on a belt & braces philosophy.

All the best, and hope to see you at our next Scottish Meeting.

Paul

 

[Daddio]

Hi Gael

The difference between Oil company fuel and supermarket fuel is that petrol has a shelf life of only a couple of weeks so what you get from the oil company is "fresh" even if it is several million years old

 

[davesss]

There are some threads on here about leaded and super leaded, some say the get more MPG from the super than the normal so at the moment I am trying the Super for a few months just to see if there is any difference, not seen any yet though.

There is a myth that higher octane fuel burns better than low but it is the other way round.

 

[bigshow]

hi there as already been stated the only thing that you will notice by using higher octane fuel is the loss of cash from your wallet, the sofisticated engine management system keeps your performance levels adjusted to the best that can be achieved! dont waist your hard earned cash my freind

 

[pyrogenius]

Hi, I've been keeping a careful eye on my fuel consumption since I started the long commute from the west to east coast of Scotland everyday.

I'm using diesel, but it seems that there may be a difference between the suppliers.

have a look at the spreadsheet I'm keeping updated.

Google Docs.