Iceman

Shell V Power, what it does for your car

This is the only "official" link I've found in english.

TB CD

Robq- This is one of those topics that people will swear by what they've been doing for years. Even if it has no basis in science.

You're absolutely right though, fuel with a lower octane rating has more energy potential.

Unless your car knocks, there is NO reason to use a higher octane fuel. None. nada. Nyet. Nunca. Nien. Zilch.

But you can say this over and over and over, and again, someone will post "Yes, but my car is faster with XXX octane."

Faster? How so? Did you dyno the car? Run it down the 1.4 mile? No. So your SOTP dyno is that accurate? It's not. So you have no proof to back up your claim, and the science behind everything doesn't count because your car felt faster in the Seat of the Pants?

Faster between the ears. Spend more, get more, that's what some people think.


If octane ratings were graded the opposite way (i.e., if the highest octane was 0 and the agricultural gas was 100) I wonder if this "it feels faster" crowd would say.

The psychological effect of a bigger number wouldn't be there to pump up the SOTP dyno by which everyone claims their car is faster.

Much like a little kid who would rather have ten nickels ($.50) than 5 quarters ($1.25) because there is more of them

HughH

TB-CD

I agree with you on your msg quoted above. However, I'd like to point out that back in the late 60's and 70's my Olds 4-4-2 always ran faster due to the "Tiger In The Tank" courtesy of Shell.

robg

V-Power refers to a detergent additive, not octane ratings. Just becasue Shell chooses to add more detergents to its higher otcane gas (and those detergents result in better performance) does not mean that the higher octane results in higher performance. Shell could choose to add moredetergent to lower octane gas, and use of that gas would result in increaced performce by virtue of the cleaning properties.

As the Shell site explains:

"For example, many cars that don?t require higher octane can benefit from the cleaning power provided by Shell V-Power. Shell V- Power premium gasoline actively cleans for better performance. It helps clean up deposits on intake valves and fuel injectors left behind by low-detergent gasolines. That?s because Shell V-Power contains more than five times the amount of cleaning agents required by government standards. If these deposits are not removed, some vehicles may experience hesitation during the initial warm-up period."

HughH

"V-Power refers to a detergent additive, not octane ratings. Just becasue Shell chooses to add more detergents to its higher otcane gas (and those detergents result in better performance) does not mean that the higher octane results in higher performance. Shell could choose to add moredetergent to lower octane gas, and use of that gas would result in increaced performce by virtue of the cleaning properties."

How do we know that "more" detergents result in better performance? Have anyone here seen an independent paper on this subject? At my tender age of
almost 70 yrs I have come to see claims such as these with a show me type of attitude!

My doctor had been treating me for high blood pressure with three different types of medication. After I started having fainting spells, he got me down to just the one medication he had started with. Sometimes more may be better, sometimes it just makes good advertising copy, sometimes it's just harmful

Iceman

Yes, that's right.
And that means that the higher octane gas is better, because they could do it with other gas but they are not doing it. They only do it with the 100 octane gas, so the 100 octane gas is better.
The number "100" itself doesn't mean a lot... But it does mean that this is the high performance gas where they add stuff that they don't add on low octane gas.
This topic is not about "what is 100 octane gas", it's about "is it better", and the answer is yes, since the oil companys only add the good stuff to the higher octane gas.
So, what's your point, HughH?

Trying to piss people off?

It has been said above, that there are two sides, and both sides believe in their opinion. It is just like taste, I like stuff that you don't like!

But I am not telling the people that it is BS to use higher octane gas, just because I don't believe in it or am not willing to use it on my car. Just accept, that there are two sides! You don't need to understand it, you don't need to like it, you don't need to use it.

Just because you don't like it, it doesn't mean it's BS or others have to stop using it. I really don't see your point...

HughH

Yes, that's right.
And that means that the higher octane gas is better, because they could do it with other gas but they are not doing it. They only do it with the 100 octane gas, so the 100 octane gas is better.
The number "100" itself doesn't mean a lot... But it does mean that this is the high performance gas where they add stuff that they don't add on low octane gas.
This topic is not about "what is 100 octane gas", it's about "is it better", and the answer is yes, since the oil companys only add the good stuff to the higher octane gas.
So, what's your point, HughH?

Trying to piss people off?

It has been said above, that there are two sides, and both sides believe in their opinion. It is just like taste, I like stuff that you don't like!

But I am not telling the people that it is BS to use higher octane gas, just because I don't believe in it or am not willing to use it on my car. Just accept, that there are two sides! You don't need to understand it, you don't need to like it, you don't need to use it.

Just because you don't like it, it doesn't mean it's BS or others have to stop using it. I really don't see your point...
[/quote]
Iceman,
Not trying to piss anyone off. This thread is getting to be like politics or religion, but not by me . I did not read the whole three pages in this thread before I replied. I spend too much time reading and enjoying the funny posts in the Lounge Always look forward to those posts and forward them to many friends and family!!!

BTW - Here in the states we have gas such as Chevron whose claim is that they use their Tetchrone in all three of their grades. How do I know this is true? How do I know their Tetchrone is better than Shell's stuff. How do I know anyones stuff is better than the cheapest stuff? I haven't had any problems related to gas. That was my point. So, for those that believe, more power to y'all. For me, I remain very skeptic.

We used to live in Ankara Turkey in 76-77 (US Air Force) and when we returned to the states we had to take the 74 Volvo to a dealer in upstate NY. Two of the four cyl fuel injectors where in pretty bad shape due to the lack of good gas, I always used Texaco. Once they replaced them, no more problems until the car was wrecked by my young son many years later. Always using the cheapest type of gas we could find. We also had to de-carbonize the valves of our 1971 Alfa GTV after driving for two years in Iceland. Again, the Texaco gas was the culprit. In this case I was told all gas sold in Iceland was purchased from Rusia...go figure, Texaco selling Russian gas in the middle of the Cold War! Here in the states gas companies' reputation have suffered badly for ripping the consumer. Their reputation right now is down there with the proverbial used car salesmen. Please understand that. Now it's back to the Lounge

E60Speed

If you want to see how a higher octane can increase performance read up on knock sensors and detonation

If you are getting detonation on say 91 Octane the ECU will detect it via the knock sensors and pull back the timing. Now put in 98 Octane and the detonation isnt there the ECU will increase the timing, thus giving you better performance.

Now if you are running at full timing advance on 91, then 98 wont make a difference. But generally the car will only run on full advance on 98 or higher at sea level

HughH

Understand! Driving every day in an urban environment, I don't feel any difference in octanes with either Bimmer, Lexus or Acura in our household. My main beef is with those that keep preaching that you will ruin your engine unless you use Premium gas. Now, if I were driving in an area that permitted me to stretch the legs of my Bimmer, for sure I'd be using the higher octane. Man, if i could go back to the days when I was stationed in Weisbaden (Lindsey Air Station) I'd be using the highest octane I could get and I'd be smiling from ear to ear

Right now we are contemplating a European Delivery for next year to celebrate my 70th birthday. Germany changes the rules of the game, it's not like driving in our congested hwys with slow traffic in each lane and people cutting you off and riding your back all the time. I refer to them as highway terrorists. In this type of driving environment I don't feel any advantage in using Premium gas. Only so much you can do without endengering others and yourself.
Hugh

EBMCS03

AH BAH! use whatever you want to use. I got some corn oil from my local market anyone want to buy some at $1 a gallon? Will work fine in your E60.