Fuels

[Ben73]

What fuel do you use in your cars?

Since my daily drive is nothing special, I use E91 Shell with an 8 cent discount per litre.

My dad told me about 2 years ago that Shell has bad fuel. He also reckons ethanol is bad as well. But I have been using it for ages with no problems.

Do you have a fuel brand you are dedicated too? Or just whatever is closet/cheapest.
It probably all comes from the exact same place anyway.

[SLO AU XR8]

Like alot of members here, I only use BP Ultimate. Even try and con my old man into using it for the mower, so if need be, I have a spare 5L or so at home

[Peter B - CV8]

Lots of motocycle riders avoid Shell fuel for some reason. My tuner told me to stick with BP Ultimate or Caltex Vortex (both 98). Have stuck to them & have never had any issues.

[blueluvr]

LOL!, " shell has bad fuel" That sounds very scientific

I have been running 95 or 98 shell in my std BFT for 50,000km, and am yet to have any fuel related problems. No particular reason except it's convenient to my house.

Peter, you are probably referring to the old optimax bike "issue". Optimax used to be pretty ordinary on bikes with carbs mainly, which is why it got a bad name. There was nothing wrong with it as a fuel, but it caused a rich issue which in some bikes that were a little lean to begin with it actually helped, and those that were a little rich to begin with, made them worse of course.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by blueluvr

LOL!, " shell has bad fuel" That sounds very scientific

Well the real way it was worded was Shell has S#*% fuel.
But my old man has had bikes all his life so I guess that may be why he does like it.

[blueluvr]

shell fuel is fine. And there was only a ever a shell fuel problem when they introduced optimax back when they did. And it was only a problem in some bikes as mentioned earlier.

However, I do understand how "old mans" can get , mine has some old wives tales that would bring you to tears!

[Peter B - CV8]

Originally Posted by blueluvr

LOL!, " shell has bad fuel" That sounds very scientific

I have been running 95 or 98 shell in my std BFT for 50,000km, and am yet to have any fuel related problems. No particular reason except it's convenient to my house.

Peter, you are probably referring to the old optimax bike "issue". Optimax used to be pretty ordinary on bikes with carbs mainly, which is why it got a bad name. There was nothing wrong with it as a fuel, but it caused a rich issue which in some bikes that were a little lean to begin with it actually helped, and those that were a little rich to begin with, made them worse of course.

Yep - that was it. Optimax used to foul up the carbie jets etc & gum things up internally.

[blueluvr]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

Yep - that was it. Optimax used to foul up the carbie jets etc & gum things up internally.

did this happen to you or are you going off hearsay? Not saying anything but there were a lot of furfies going on when this fuel was available.

I wrenched in one of the busiest bike workshops in Sydney during the time optimax was in pumps, and we also ran it as a fuel in our 3 formula extreme bikes in 99 through to 00, and I never saw gummed carbs, or engine internals due to the use of optimax.

But in saying that, the fuel wasn't for every bike. I saw a few fouled plugs on bikes using the fuel that weren't "optimised" for it, and a few cranky running engines due to being rich, but nothing as serious as gummed engines. If they were gummed up, the fuel was only a secondary cause, as a healthy and correctly jetted bike had no issues whatsoever with this fuel.

99% of Kawasaki carbed road bikes of that era were quite lean, as were a lot of Hondas larger roadies, and it was in these bikes most people LOVED the fuel as it fattened them up without jetting it, esp the ones with K+N's and pipes. Most yamaha roadies on the other hand weren't very happy with the fuel as they tended to be a little on the rich side to begin with. Add to that some wear in the needles and emulsion tubes (happens in any big mileage carbed bike) and you now have an optimax related problem. It was in these bikes we did not recommend the use of optimax. But do you blame the fuel itself, or the worn carbs and/or sad engine?

The only time I ever saw gumming issues was due to lack of use. I won't argue that optimax didn't last very long in a bike tank before it went "off", and I put money on betting anyone who may have had gumming issues it was purely down to old fuel due to not being used often enough.
Your average bike carb only holds about 75 mls or so in each bowl, which is vented to the atmosphere of course. Put 75ml of most fuel nowdays into a vented container and see how long it lasts............


but I digress, it's a car forum.... I just used to really hate all the anti optimax wives tales back then.

[ratter]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

BP Ultimate or Caltex Vortex (both 98)..

You may know this but Caltex have "Vortex" and "Vortex 98" Vortex is 95 octane, I know some people that have purchased Vortex thinking they were getting 98 octane fuel

[GreenR]

Originally Posted by ratter

You may know this but Caltex have "Vortex" and "Vortex 98" Vortex is 95 octane, I know some people that have purchased Vortex thinking they were getting 98 octane fuel

The Vortex 95 is labeled Gold

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by Ben73

What fuel do you use in your cars?

Since my daily drive is nothing special, I use E91 Shell with an 8 cent discount per litre.

My dad told me about 2 years ago that Shell has bad fuel. He also reckons ethanol is bad as well. But I have been using it for ages with no problems.

Do you have a fuel brand you are dedicated too? Or just whatever is closet/cheapest.
It probably all comes from the exact same place anyway.

Ethanol fuels apparently do effect cars not specifically built for it. It is more corrosive and thus eats at or dries rubber bits, something like that, the fuel system components.

[TheZHLANE]

caltex 91 cause im poor

[sgt_doofey]

LPG and Diesel.

[Mr Hardware]

LPG

Because I like my fuel the same price all month
Because I like paying less tax
Because I like not having black oil
Because I like not replacing my exhaust
Because I like being able to pay with a lobbie
Because I like to hate oil companies
Because I like to have a bowser to myself
Because I like to accellerate without worry!

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

LPG
Because I like to hate oil companies

Can't help myself:

Originally Posted by .

What Is LPG
LPG is produced during the normal petrol chemical distilling process of crude oil and the letters LPG stand for Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Also, BP Ultimate in the V8, Anything BUT E10 in the Falcon.

GSAU

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

Can't help myself:

If you'd read more you'd find it also occurs naturally and is distributed by companies who aren't necessarily the intergalactic & evil BP corporation.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Because I like not having black oil

dirty oil doesn't mean it is no good. clean oil doesn't mean its still ok. many/most new oils have detergents in them so naturally as they work, the oil darkens.

sorry to go off topic.

bp ultimate for me.

[66FAIRLANE]

Have used BP Ultimate exclusively in the Fairlane since its inception. Runs great, no issues. But every couple of years develops a flat spot off idle. Open up the Holley and the acc pump check valves look and feel like jellyfish. Replace them and we're off again for another couple of years.

I use anything in the EL wagon.....................anything.

[Auturbo6]

Used to use Shell optimax, found it to be the best avaliable in it's day. Now LPG on all vehicles, both fords lol. later.

[SSD-85]

Freedom 98RON E10. Simply because its the same price as BP 91RON up here, and goes as hard as Ultimate. And my XR8 needs premium dude!

My older vehicles get Ultimate though. As they require it.

Other brands dont even get a thought.

[Coyote mk3]

Shell V-power (98)
Never had a problem. Dad used to use optimax when it came out and never had a problem with it either.

But if I need fuel badly I will go to the closest BP or Caltex to get 98 as well.

[kezzer]

Shell supplies 98 to most fuel stations in Vic including BP. So don't be fooled.

[Foylema]

I use P100 from united its 100 octane with 10% ethanol turbos love it

But if that's not available i use BP Ultimate

[Road_Warrior]

LPG :-P

Although the XG gets 96RON premium (it pings on the regular stuff) and my bikes almost always get BP Ultimate 98.

[TheInterceptor]

Caltex 91 in the Soob because its cheap(er) and im a tightarse, might have to switch to 98 though. Falcon gets no less than Caltex 95, somtimes gets 98.
They seem to supply good fuel, ever since i began driving ive used Caltex supplied fuels, so ive stuck with them.

[bmorris]

98 from either BP or Shell. I find both seem to run almost as well as each other.

[Ford_The_Win]

Whatever's cheapest...lol. I try to avoid my local Woolworths Caltex due to it's bad reputation though.
But I usually run BP Ultimate in the EL every four tanks. I don't notice any difference in performance but it does run a lot smoother on 98 octane.

[FgNewbie]

In my G6 n/a, normally Caltex 98, 95 when prices are excessive.

I won't use ethanol in anything, especially the boat.

If I remember correctly, there was a news story of a service station in Sydney's west that was selling a dud ethanol mix causing cars to break down within minutes of leaving the servo.

Slightly OT, I read this article today
http://www.trailerboat.com.au/news-a...eid/69062.aspx

The owners of Queensland’s 232,000 recreational boats could be facing serious cost issues if a proposed ethanol mandate is given the go-ahead by the Queensland Government, said recreational boating and light commercial representative group Marine Queensland.

Boating is the wrong environment for ethanol blended fuel. If the slightest amount of water comes in contact with ethanol-blended fuel the alcohol will separate and what enters the motor will cause damage.

I thought water in servo tanks was normal, does this mean the same issues may apply to cars?

[geckoGT]

I used to use vortex 98 exclusively and on occasions BP ultimate (if they were cheaper). The Mini is salary packaged and as a part of that I have a caltex card, the typhoon isn't but I stilled filled at the same place. I pretty much have to use 98 as both cars are turbo and although they can both run 95 (the mini can actually run 91 according to the book but I never have). I tried running them on 95 and to be honest I did not notice too much of a difference over 98, perhaps a little more power on the 98.

I have now found that caltex is always more expensive than the independents so I have changed now. I now use Freedom 98, I get it from a small family run servo down the road and it is consistently 5c/L cheaper than the woolworths/caltex in my area. Both cars like it and I have not had any issues at all with inconsistency in fuel quality (I have with both BP and Caltex). I would much rather give my money to a small family run business than a large corporation like woolworths. Since woolworths and coles entered the game here prices have done nothing but go up, while you watch the independents and a lot of the mobil stations close down. The way I see it is the supermarkets are killing competition and controlling the price so I will support the underdogs.

[sleek7]

BP ultimate or Caltex vortex 98. Never 91 and never ethenol.