Best petrol to use?

Crazy CS · 17-01-2010, 12:36 PM

Hey guys,

I recently bought a 2009 Ford Focus CL hatch and was reading the instruction manual, recommended to use 95RON fuel. Does this mean i shouldn't use 91 or E10?

pertuan · 17-01-2010, 12:50 PM

Can't speak for E10. I've never used it because I read somewhere ages ago that the Duratec HE was not designed to use E10. Can't vouch for its validity though. There have been heaps of reports that the Focus pings on 91 and alot of others have said it pings on 95 as well. I've never run into this issue though. If the manual says 95 then I'd run 95.

I found running 98 didn't have any benefits.

melbzetec · 17-01-2010, 02:14 PM

Certainly don't use 91. It is not tuned for it.

I know Ford advises the LR Focus shouldn't use E10...not sure on later models. I'd phone Ford to check.

I've always used the higher octane fuels, on the basis they have traditionally used higher levels of detergency additives which help keep injectors cleaner.

I'm a big BP Ultimate fan

casabonka · 17-01-2010, 02:22 PM

I had issues when i picked up the car with pinging, but as soon as i put my first tank of 95 in i had no issues. I would avoid e10 though. I use that in my work car and the car runs horrid and has terrible mileage. Ive used 98 a couple of times in the focus on long trips, but cant say ive noticed a diff.

fiestaz · 17-01-2010, 05:55 PM

we run our 2007 focus zetec on 91, and it runs with no problems at all.

Crazy CS · 17-01-2010, 06:22 PM

Sweet, thanks guys.

Looks like ill be using 95RON from now on

The manual specifically says use a minimum of 95RON Unleaded. Then the next warning box underneath says you can use E10 fine. Weird.

FOCUSonTHIS · 17-01-2010, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casabonka

Ive used 98 a couple of times in the focus on long trips, but cant say ive noticed a diff.

They say when using 98 you will notice a difference after using a few tanks in a row. So you prob won't notice anything in the short term.

casabonka · 17-01-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOCUSonTHIS

They say when using 98 you will notice a difference after using a few tanks in a row. So you prob won't notice anything in the short term.

That is quiet true - I used it twice in a row (going up the coast from Syd, and then down to Canberra a couple of days later) but I think you're right, if I used it constantly Id notice it more!

ivorya · 17-01-2010, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy CS

Sweet, thanks guys.

Looks like ill be using 95RON from now on

The manual specifically says use a minimum of 95RON Unleaded. Then the next warning box underneath says you can use E10 fine. Weird.

I'm pretty sure that E10 has a RON of 93-95, or around the 95 figure.(Someone may want to explain this furthur). This could be the reason why Ford have said you can use it.

I've used United E10 (they say it's 95RON) in my 2002 Foci as an emergency and it ran fine, had no problems and seemed to idle better.

pertuan · 17-01-2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOCUSonTHIS

They say when using 98 you will notice a difference after using a few tanks in a row. So you prob won't notice anything in the short term.

My car doesn't notice the difference.... but my wallet certainly does. That's why I stopped using 98.

DBourne · 18-01-2010, 08:15 AM

To be fair, if you are shelling out upwards of $20,000 for a car, why wouldn't you spend a few extra cents on decent fuel.

Fredo · 18-01-2010, 10:58 AM

I just used std unleaded in the Focus ('05, CL LS) when I first bought the car - No probs.

And I can't remember why I decided to try it on 98 RON, probably something I read on here saying "free horsepower, just change to 98 octane fuel" or something along that line.

Anyway I did try it and the car seemed to run a little better straight away (could have been my imagination).

I have kept using 98 and fuel economy has definitely improved as has acceleration. Most notable 40 – 80, or 60 – 100, that sort of thing.

I’ll give it a burl using 95 over the next few weeks and see if there is any difference.

Fredo

alky89 · 18-01-2010, 01:42 PM

the bastard zetec needs 95 anyway and 98 is only a few more cents. if im going to the track i'll definitely use 98. i've been suckered in hard by bp ultimate's promise of a cleaner, more powerful engine so i like using that.

mrbaxr6t · 18-01-2010, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alky89

the bastard zetec needs 95 anyway and 98 is only a few more cents. if im going to the track i'll definitely use 98. i've been suckered in hard by bp ultimate's promise of a cleaner, more powerful engine so i like using that.

there was a thread on this in the turbo falcon section of forum I think it was, and much information was pawed through by geckogt iirc and it revealed that 95 and 98 do the same things in terms of engine cleaning and the like, 98 is clearly higher octane but its so marginal I believe for the increased cost over 95 its not justified - they push the 98 harder with more advertising jargon and spin as I believe the profit margin is higher on this fuel than the 95 imho using 95 octane instead of 98 will show zero difference - in my XR6T I noticed no difference switching between 98 and 95 except for the cost to fill it up - so I use 95.

leakey · 18-01-2010, 07:36 PM

The '08 definately runs better on 98R.

I find E10, standard 91R run fine, but have flat spots top end.

I've not noticed a difference using 95R, only the 98R.

Depends whats in the kitty. Definately runs better on 98R!!

rand0mn00b · 18-01-2010, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy CS

Sweet, thanks guys.

Looks like ill be using 95RON from now on

The manual specifically says use a minimum of 95RON Unleaded. Then the next warning box underneath says you can use E10 fine. Weird.

yeah that's right. octane and ethanol are separate things.

some brands' E10 is only 91 octaine but others are 95 so as long as the octane is high enough it doesn't really matter if it's got ethanol or not

fairly sure that when shell v-power racing was still around with 101 octane it had up to 10% ethanol. same goes for one of the other independents, that offered 101 octane fuel that was E10.

Crazy CS · 18-01-2010, 11:09 PM

ah fair enough... learn't a lot about petrol in the last few days.

BlackLS · 19-01-2010, 11:19 AM

The LS manual tells that 91 and E10 is fine... Seems like they've revised that for the LT manual.

kevino · 22-01-2010, 12:05 PM

We own a LT TDCI and a CL LS petrol 5 speed. When we bought the CL I rang Ford and they confirmed it would take 91E10. When I used to drive it on mainly freeway on E10 91 it gave 6.6 litres per 100kms. Now my wife drives it still on E10 91 and it gives 8.6 litres per 100kms on metropolitan running.
At times the LS engine has pinked so we would run 98 or 95 for a while which cured it as did the ususal 15000 km service. Petrol quality varies so the pinking never bothered me.

The TDCI driven on mainly freeway work gives 5.4 litres per 100kms.