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      03-10-2009, 01:44 PM   #23
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I was told the same by my advisor...check the ethanol level...even if it says up to 10% sometimes they edge that over. Stick with the approved list which is Shell (I will be going there from now on) and we should have no issues. The last sentence is creed as far as I am concerned.

Quote:
BMWs run a high risk of not running properly when there is too much ethanol in the fuel. BMW says use anything less than 10%. Anything more and you run the risk of rough running and or a check engine light.
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      03-10-2009, 04:23 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jump23 View Post
John, any thoughts on the effect of the new "nitrogen enriched" fuel from Shell?
+1 What are everyone's thoughts on Shell V-Power "nitrogen enriched"?
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      03-10-2009, 06:31 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John@BMW View Post
I know you are not complaining! Im not pointing fingers at anyone....Im just stating facts and speaking in generalities.

It is best to use fuel with ZERO ethanol! Ethanol is added to gasoline to reduce emissions and because it is cheaper. It burns cleaner but the engine will not make as much power and fuel economy suffers a little bit as well.

BMWs run a high risk of not running properly when there is too much ethanol in the fuel. BMW says use anything less than 10%. Anything more and you run the risk of rough running and or a check engine light.

your last sentence sums it up 100%
Ethanol contains less potential energy than Gasoline, but is more resistant to detonation, hence the actual amount of energy you can extract from Ethanol may be higher than Gasoline.

On a car running a high compression ratio or a forced induction car, I could see the anti-detonation qualities of Ethanol as possibly being an advantage, allowing the car to run more ignition advance resulting in more power.

I'm just theorizing here and what other people's opinions on this...
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      07-20-2009, 03:20 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gthirtyfizle View Post
There is a Shell and a Mobil right by my house and they r both accross the street from each other. Prices r exactly the same. I was told mobil is the best gas therefore decided to go with mobil altho b4 I would always put shell. A few miles away there is another mobil in which the gas was around .30c cheaper, but its still a MOBIL. So I was almost on empty and decided to fill up there. A few days later my car had this ticking sound. Right away I thought about the gas, but didnt really think it was that since altho cheaper its still a mobil. Anyway, let the gas tank go don and filled it up again with Shell. Guess what? Ticking sound was completely gone. About 3 weeks ago I decided to go with mobil again, but not the one that was cheaper, the one thats right accross from the shell and is the same price (BTW THESE R ALL 93) and after a few fillups I started getting a ticking sound again but not as loud. Waited for it to go low and filled up with shell again and guess what, ITS COMPLETELY GONE....... AGAIN!!!

Came to a conclusion that shell is the best gas for our cars, at least here in NYC. Our engines seem to be very sensitive to this matter. From now I am only filling up with shell. I will do watever it takes if Im not near one to get to one lol.
My S65 purrs like a cat on Shell gas as well. hahahahaha
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      07-20-2009, 05:16 PM   #27
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Shell V-Power is amazing, no joke. I've seen a variety of independent tests done showing that Shell's gas is actually better than others.. BP coming in second.
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      07-20-2009, 06:39 PM   #28
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I thought gas was delivered to local stations from the same sources on the same trucks, the only difference is the additives put in afterward.
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      07-20-2009, 07:19 PM   #29
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I drive a extra 10 miles just to fill up on Shell V-power, the gas stations near me all use ethanol and none of them are top tier...
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      07-21-2009, 01:17 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John@BMW View Post
being a BMW service advisor, ethanol is my enemy!

BMW says that you should not use any fuel that contains more than 10% ethanol in it.

I see lots of cars coming in for rough running and "service engine soon" lights because of a high percentage of ethanol.

BMW warranty will not pay for repairs if you use bad gas which really makes people mad. I agree with BMW but people do not when they are in need of a new fuel filter, pump or whatever else might fail by using 'bad gas'

Use top tier fuel. BMW recommends Quik Trip, Cheveron, Shell as their top gas stations-

BP fuel is NOT recommended by BMW!

I have seen as high at 25% ethanol in some cars that come into service.

People can afford or justify the expensive car but cannot pay the extra .30 cents a gallon for the proper gas for some reason.
I have always used BP in my cars, but was considering using Shell in the M3 as this is what I used in Germany. Though I have never had a problem with BP, if BMW recommends not using this then I won't. But my question is whether or not this is in the manual or on BMW's website?
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      07-21-2009, 07:01 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FStop7 View Post
I thought gas was delivered to local stations from the same sources on the same trucks, the only difference is the additives put in afterward.
Thats what I thought also, until trying different brands in a tuned 335i. Shell worked by far the best in our area.
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      07-21-2009, 07:04 PM   #32
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I wonder whether this is actually consistent internationally? BP Ultimate 98% octane is meant to be one of the best fuels available here in Oz... wonder if any comparatives have been done... time to google!
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      07-21-2009, 07:56 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zenderm3 View Post
I wonder whether this is actually consistent internationally? BP Ultimate 98% octane is meant to be one of the best fuels available here in Oz... wonder if any comparatives have been done... time to google!
I think we went through this with you before in a different post in the last week or so. Your 98 octane in Oz and other places in the world that use the RON octane rating method, is the same as our 92/93 in the U.S, where we use a different system.

At any rate, it is not about octane in this discussion--it is about additive (detergent) packages and ethanol, and I have no clue what brands BMW recommends in your country. BMW accepts 10% ethanol, and it is hard to find fuel in the U.S. that doesn't have 10% or so ethanol content, whether it is the lowest or highest grade in terms of octane.

All fuels, regardless of manufacturer are the same, except for octane rating when they leave the refinery. You might have 10 different brands of gasoline that all came from the same refinery. The only thing that distinguishes BP from Shell, or any other, is the additive package added in the tanker at pickup, and that too may vary from country to country, although I doubt it does much. Every country has different regulations.

One of the things being discussed here is that various auto manufacturers have banded together and created a certification system called "Top Tier Fuel." BMW is one of those manufacturers. In the U.S., BP/Amoco is not on the top tier list, primarily because they haven't submitted their fuels for certification. Top Tier is a classification supported by BMW across all different octane ratings, whether it is 87, 89, 91, 92, or 93 in the U.S.
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      07-21-2009, 08:41 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dizman7 View Post
I haven't come across any 93 octane yet where I live (let's not get into 93 vs 91) but I briefly saw on some other forums that there is 93 octane out there that is only that because it's 10% ethonal.

I really don't know much about this stuff (yet, that's why I'm asking) but thought I'd ask just incase I happen to stumble across some, is that bad for an 08 E92 M3? or should I only use "pure" 93 (if I ever found it).
manual says i think you cant use more than 10% ethonal
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      07-26-2009, 09:35 PM   #35
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I tried 115 octane turbo blue with 93 octane got 104 I believe. It really helps fast as hell. I didn't know how this can really make it go.
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