Just wondering what people use. Mobil 8000, Shell Optima, BP, Caltex Vortex - what do you reckon is the best fuel in Oz for the RX-8's?

 

Over here (US) I use Shell V-Power

 

For me,

1. Mobil ("slight" power improvement)
2. Shell & BP (no difference noitced between the two)
3. Caltex (only if i have to)

 

Firstly - thank the gods we're in Oz where 98 Octane is widely available. My preference is Mobil 8000 (on the advice of ASH) - the car just seems so much smoother on it than anything else. Also if you've got a S1 - Premix with Amsoil Sabre Pro (200ml to 50 litres) and investigate Fitch Fuel catalysts as a means to reducing carbon build-up.

That's the recipe I'm using and its running sweet as!

 

Mobil it is then for me - I use than in my other vehicle and I reckon its better than other fuels, it just feels more powerful.

Does anybody use V-power or what ever that 100 octane Shell fuel is called?
I'm pretty sure it has some added ethanol so I'm bit worried about any damage it may cause to seals and the engine if I use that. Any advice and experiences from the forum members?

 

I've got the S2 GT on order, they come with the extra oil injector, so I'm not too keen on any premixing or anything like that. Thanks for the advice anyway sarras.

 

It can't have ethanol in it - by law if it did it would have to have an E rating and state the percentage. If I had an S2 I probably wouldn't premix either - or maybe only at half the dose the S1's use.... but if you're serious about the car in the long term I'd still go the fitch re carbon build-up. I've used them in cars before and this 'soot reduction' effect definitely works - you can tell because the engine oil stays much cleaner than it did in the same car before the fitch was fitted. You can read more about the process here:

http://fitch-fleet.com/category/abou...h-information/

its a relatively painless process to fit them to the RX-8 if you have the tool for the fuel hatches (which I do) - you just pop the hatches and throw in 2 of the F5T drop-ins each side. Cost is about $200 as I remember.

 

I might be throwing a spanner into this polite little exchange of views but I don't think it matters diddly squat what fuel you use, provided it's 95 or better.

When I first got the car I got all carried away like some of you blokes and swore that BP Ultimate was better than Caltex or some other such ****. However, the longer I've owned the car and the more fuels I've experienced (through necessity or laziness), the more I've realised that there's no appreciable difference between them.

Yes I know some people swear by their sensitive butt dynos and 'smoothness' gyroscopic spider senses but these are all totally subjective qualitative observations of no real value. Unless and until someone can provide some quantitative evidence which demonstrates that one fuel is better than another, I'll continue to pull into whatever servo is handy and worry about more important things (like earning the money to pay for the stuff).

 

People said fuel from different states are difference.

That is, Shell in Adelaide is different from Shell from Melbourne.

I like BP in Melbourne for my RX-8 and 135i. I don't know why but I start using Caltex for my other cars and they are also ok.

 

LOL, prolly agree with you, but there is still that back-of-the-head feel that most of us prefer to stick with the brand.

 

Of course - in much the same way as many people think all red wine is pretty much the same wheras others discern between favourites and also-rans. Neither me nor the car would die from BP or Caltex or Shell, but out of preference I shop for Mobil 8000.

 

I just had a mental image of you at the bowser swishing and spitting before saying "hmm, metallic notes with a faint after taste of methanol that lingers on the palate and it will only improve once laid down in the tank..."

Mate, I'm burning it, not drinking it, so spare me the clunky wine ****** analogies.

 

Here, Here!

I buy the cheapest petrol I can use in my car for that reason ... I occaisionally use 98, but only if it's (a) going to be a hot day/week/month or (b) track days

It's not worth falling prey to the petrol refiner's marketing tack suggesting 98 is more fuel efficient, friendly to the environment and all that other ****. A majority percentage of your petrol in daily driving is wasted sitting in traffic at idle or cruising at speed anyway ... so it's a waste to put the more expensive stuff in your car as it isn't adding any value to your driving experience.

For the record: If you want better performance, go to promaz and purchase their turbo kit.

 

Well, I reckon my new GT will be a bit of a project car - but the Promaz turbo kit may be a bit too exxy. Does anybody on this forum has it - would love to hear their opinions on the kit.

 

Do some searching - expecting someone to find your turbo query in this thread and answer it is a little optimistic. Also search on .au...

 

Don't know of anyone with a Series II who has Turbo-ed, even in the USA..

I definitely feel the difference between ULP and PULP, PULP is a more refined fuel.

IN Adelaide ULP is cloudy white in a bottle, PULP is clear yellow.
I would never put ULP in my 8., only PULP 98

And Yes I have pre-mixed from day one.

 

Uhh ... there are national standards the fuel distributers have to follow to allow consumers to identify the difference between the products by including a specific dye in their mix. 91 Octane will always be purple no matter where you are in Australia ... unless it's contaminated.

If you are purchasing cloudy white petrol I would suggest that it has been contaminated and you should report this to the manufacturer as soon as you see it.

 

Uhh NO.....

Mobil Australia shut down their Oil Refinery in Adelaide some 10 years ago.

We have no refinery..
ALL our PULP is trucked direct from Interstate.
ULP is shipped DIRECT from Singapore Refinery to Birkinhead (Adelaide).

 

How exactly would you know that?

 

Because I live here, and the old refinery is 15 minutes away from me, and I know people who worked there, and it is common knowledge here that our ULP comes from Singapore.

I dunno..

 

Firstly, has the bottle been chilled or is that room temperature? Vintage?

Seriously though, I'm not sure if I'm understanding your use of acronyms. I've always understood that ULP meant unleaded petrol with a 91 octane rating whereas PULP meant premium unleaded petrol, which is available in 95 or 98 octane ratings.

Although there have been some 91 rebels on the forum, I think most would agree that PULP of at least 95 should be used in our cars. Even my Mazda 6 needs the stuff, so I'm not about to use 91 in the 8. The real debate is whether there's any appreciable difference between 95 and 98 in the renesis engine - I say there's not.

As for the colour, I agree with Cromax - whenever I've seen fuel in a clear bottle it's been dyed - I've never seen it cloudy or yellow. Then again, maybe some of that crap Adelaide water has gotten into it...

 

Even the fuel that comes in from overseas ends up being color dyed. It often is clear when it arrives, it is then sent into the refinery tank farm where it is blended with other refinery gasoline streams and finally color dyed before it is sent out into the market place.

The brand of the petrol you buy will mostly be dependant on what state you buy it in. It depends on what refinery is in what state. The Oil Companies do deals with each other. Rather than ship Caltex fuel from Sydney to WA and BP fuel from WA to NSW they do a trade KLitre for KLitre to save them from shipping costs. So generally if you are buying any brand of fuel in a certain State it will be the brand of the refinery that is in that State.

Eg:
QLD: Caltex, BP
NSW: Caltex, Shell
WA: BP
VIC: Shell, Mobil

 

The only difference I can pick between 95 and 98 octane is a flat spot just over 4000 rpm when the engine is about 3/4 warm.
That is enough to convince me that 98 is better.

 

Yes that's true for the base fuels, but the exact recipe delivered to the stations is brand specific for the labelled brands - especially so with their 98 RON products as they all have brand specific additive packages in them. You won't get Mobil in Queensland selling what amounts to BP Ultimate instead of Mobil Synergy 8000 just because the refinery in Queensland is owned by BP.

So Synergy 8000 fuel from Mobil in Queensland and Synergy 8000 from Mobil in NSW both have the same brand specific additives and are essentially the same fuel, though they do slightly vary in base fuel as sourced from the local / nearest refinery.

 

Sunoco Ultra 94.