What do you feed your M3 in Canada? 91 or 94 octane?

[M Pulse]

I'm curious what other fellow board members feed their M3's in Canada? Is there any noticeable difference between 91 & 94 octane? I believe BMW Canada recommends 91 so is there any benefit to go higher?

Also, if I were to switch to 94 octane is it recommended that I don't go back to 91?

Do you guys always tend to get the same gas brand, any particular brands to absolutely stay away from?

[STALKER]

94 octane gas has at least 10% ethanol, which is not necessarily a good thing.

Best gas around IMO is Shell 91 V Power with no ethanol.

[Alex07M3]

I usually put 91 and a lot of time 94, specially the day before I go to the drag strip to let the ECU adapt to maximize the performance, I saw somewhere that the ECU can adapt up to 96octane!

[BMWNTHZST]

Shell 91 V Power

[DJDeez]

Originally Posted by STALKER

94 octane gas has at least 10% ethanol, which is not necessarily a good thing.

I use Chevron Supreme Plus 94, it contains no ethanol.

Originally Posted by Alex07M3

I saw somewhere that the ECU can adapt up to 96octane!

It can adapt to even higher ratings, PencilGeek experienced large gains between 91 and 100 octane as seen in these dyno graphs

[Simma]

Shell 91 V-Power

[schnell325]

In BC: chevron 94
Elsewhere: shell 91

[crunchy_frog]

i bounce between esso 91 and shell 91-depending on which is more convenient for me at that moment

[redline9001]

Did we not do this thread last week?

[canadian stig]

anything wrong with petro canada 91 octane?????????????????? how come no one uses it?

[py0413]

I used any 91 grade I could find, chevron, esso, petro-canada, husky, mohawk, shell, costco, super store. Never had an issue related to gas being used.

[JulieDriving]

The key for me is no ethanol. I started using Shell V power 91 because of that, since the 335i is sensitive to fuel quality. Pleased with how our cars responded with it, will continue using it and ethanol free gas for my M.

[Prince_of_Persia]

Originally Posted by redline9001

Did we not do this thread last week?

Yeah lol
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=493740

[apecush]

Ah the no ethanol brigade. What reasons do you have other than hearsay not to use it? I use PC 94 (have also used husky 94 in my 450 whp supra) and have zero issues other than increased power over 91. The use of ethanol MIGHT reduce the energy content of the gasoline by 1-2%, which is offset by the additional timing that can be run. On the highway, I notice no difference in fuel economy.

As far as vpower is concerned, this thread is proof that shell does a bang up job at marketing.

[enfield]

Originally Posted by apecush

Ah the no ethanol brigade. What reasons do you have other than hearsay not to use it? I use PC 94 (have also used husky 94 in my 450 whp supra) and have zero issues other than increased power over 91. The use of ethanol MIGHT reduce the energy content of the gasoline by 1-2%, which is offset by the additional timing that can be run. On the highway, I notice no difference in fuel economy.

As far as vpower is concerned, this thread is proof that shell does a bang up job at marketing.

Both my Z4M and M3 had issues with ethanol in gasoline. They would run rough for the first 5-10 minutes. Did not have that problem with Shell V-Power.

[///Montreal3]

I feed my M3 and STi PC94 with no issues.

My 335i and 348 get Shell V-Power 91.

[DJDeez]

Originally Posted by apecush

What reasons do you have other than hearsay not to use it?

In combustion, ethanol provides less energy than gasoline, resulting in reduced fuel economy. When ethanol burns inside the engine, it tends to form a weaker mixture that may casue misfire, rough idle and cold start issues in your vehicle. In addition, engine components may deteriorate over time when in contact with ethanol.

The above quote is an excerpt from BMW themselves, feel free to click here to read the bulletin in its entirety.

[Seven7]

cheveron 94

[Rich_Jenkins]

Originally Posted by apecush

Ah the no ethanol brigade. What reasons do you have other than hearsay not to use it? I use PC 94 (have also used husky 94 in my 450 whp supra) and have zero issues other than increased power over 91. The use of ethanol MIGHT reduce the energy content of the gasoline by 1-2%, which is offset by the additional timing that can be run. On the highway, I notice no difference in fuel economy.

As far as vpower is concerned, this thread is proof that shell does a bang up job at marketing.

Or it could be that individuals are doing research and choosing a good product sold by a quality distributor.

I documented an immediate reduction in fuel mileage of 15% with Ethanol in my E46 ZHP.

[KmndntKlink]

lol v-power. I'm still in the camp that gas in canada is basically the same regardless of who supplies it (except for octane rating of course). I use OLCO 91, cuz its on my route from work, the people are nice and I get VIP points to offset the already cheaper gas. I tried shell 91 v-power for a while, no difference except prices are constantly $1.40+ even if market price goes down. That pissed me off so I stopped buying it. I save like 10-20$ when I fill up now. In terms of fuel economy, its unchanged. Seriously no difference in sound, smoothness or anything. Still pulling 11.5L/100k which I think is damn good for the beastly v8

Maybe i'm wrong and v-power is the best thing since sliced bread, but I can't notice any difference, not in normal driving. Maybe ill pay closer attention to cold starts though, does it really make a difference? Sometimes it turns over a little longer, but I can't reproduce it reliably so idk.

edit: I kind of agree with apecush, shell's marketing is good. I'm sure I've read some articles before that proved the gas comes from the same place and goes to the stations. only difference is the picture on the side of the truck.

[canadian stig]

Originally Posted by KmndntKlink

lol v-power. I'm still in the camp that gas in canada is basically the same regardless of who supplies it (except for octane rating of course). I use OLCO 91, cuz its on my route from work, the people are nice and I get VIP points to offset the already cheaper gas. I tried shell 91 v-power for a while, no difference except prices are constantly $1.40+ even if market price goes down. That pissed me off so I stopped buying it. I save like 10-20$ when I fill up now. In terms of fuel economy, its unchanged. Seriously no difference in sound, smoothness or anything. Still pulling 11.5L/100k which I think is damn good for the beastly v8

Maybe i'm wrong and v-power is the best thing since sliced bread, but I can't notice any difference, not in normal driving. Maybe ill pay closer attention to cold starts though, does it really make a difference? Sometimes it turns over a little longer, but I can't reproduce it reliably so idk.

edit: I kind of agree with apecush, shell's marketing is good. I'm sure I've read some articles before that proved the gas comes from the same place and goes to the stations. only difference is the picture on the side of the truck.

Holy crap! 11L/100km You drive like a grandma! lol. I can't get any better than 16L/100km. My wallet is screaming everytime I pull over at a gas station

And yes, there are basically just 2 or 3 companies I believe that refine gasoline for the canadian market. So all gas is technically the same. I believe the real difference is in the additives and detergents. Each company has its own concoctions. Though I personally haven't noticed any difference in performance or fuel economy. I use petro canada often just because it's right next to my home.

[KmndntKlink]

Originally Posted by canadian stig

Holy crap! 11L/100km You drive like a grandma! lol. I can't get any better than 16L/100km. My wallet is screaming everytime I pull over at a gas station

And yes, there are basically just 2 or 3 companies I believe that refine gasoline for the canadian market. So all gas is technically the same. I believe the real difference is in the additives and detergents. Each company has its own concoctions. Though I personally haven't noticed any difference in performance or fuel economy. I use petro canada often just because it's right next to my home.

daaaamn 16! you're quite the spirited young wipper snapper aren't you ? I was proud of my 11.5, until I went out with some friends and was showing off, now I have 11.8, guess I shouldn't complain lol. It's all about the efficient driving and highway. Slow stops and avoiding slowdowns in lanes is key. also saves your brakes! those are $$$

Does anyone actually use 93? maybe if you supercharged? I don't even know where to find it. I think husky used to have it but then they were bought by esso and now they don't.