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    Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:18
Guys & Girls, i just want to find out how many of you use vpower verses normal unleaded.  I have a new engine in my m3, and was wondering should i only use vpower. Just interested on any comments ppl have on this one.
I miss my m3.......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fozzymandeus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:25
use premium fuel in an M3 I reckon.

I'm running a 323 and I find that it revs more smoothly with higher octane petrol... therefore your M engine should definitely see the difference!

And my car never sees supermarket petrol either.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sporty1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:37
That one's a no brainer..........V Power all day long.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kin Mak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:39

V Power just has some cleaning additives and is not higher octane. Our cars are built for 95 fuel anyways and you are not going to notice the difference day to day.

Only time I bothered with 99 is when going to the ring. €1.56 per litre if I remeber correctly in Belgium, over €100 for a full tank.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dergside Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:42

The e36 M3 has 98 octane as the recommended fuel but it also indicates that it will run without modification or damage on 95.

PS - running on 95 will result in a slight drop in power from factory specs as they would have all been calculated based on 98 octane.



Edited by Dergside
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sporty1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 17:50
Originally posted by Kin Mak Kin Mak wrote:

V Power just has some cleaning additives and is not higher octane. Our cars are built for 95 fuel anyways and you are not going to notice the difference day to day.

WRONG....... it's 99 octane fuel.........over here it is anyway.

Optimax was 98. something , V Power is 99.

See here; http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=uk-en&FC2=/uk -en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/zzz_lhn.html &FC3=/uk-en/tailored/shell_for_motorists/fuels/vpower_p/ vpower_p_about_ga_1602.html 

Edit ;  M3's is 'tuned' to run at least 98, it will run on 95 but will not produce same power. Believe it also has knock sensors so will take advantage of higher fuel octanes.



Edited by Sporty1

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kin Mak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 18:02

Yes but we are over here...  so 95 for us Irish folk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-Power%C2%B0

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sporty1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 18:11
Originally posted by Kin Mak Kin Mak wrote:

Yes but we are over here...  so 95 for us Irish folk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-Power%C2%B0

Didn't know that........... so how is it you guy's don't get the same as we do?

Thought you guy's were across the stream not the pond........

In which case  use normal 95 octane......but stay away from supermarkets.

Do you guy's not get BP Ultimate either?

Sorry chaps.



Edited by Sporty1

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thehat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 18:13

I have had jap cars over the years, they have always run better and had more MPG on V-power. or is that gone and its now called optimax. Which means it has to have a higher octane rating.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kin Mak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 18:18

Yeah no high octane here... turbo cars will see a big difference in higher octane.

95 is fine though, it is the recomended octane in the BMW manual anyway.

I just give my car a bit of a treat when I can get my hands on some of the sweet stuff, won't go out of my way though.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 19:30

@ m3sport..V power all the way, deffo a difference in car response.

I tend to think of it as a choice of tango fizzy juice or Red Bull..deffo gives my car wings..

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote larzyh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 20:53

First post, long term BMW driver. My philosophy is "the best isn't too good for my car". I always use original spare parts, buy my oil from BMW (SLX changed twice a year) put good tyres on my car. Even if it only makes a minimal difference in either performance or longevity I am willing to pay 4-5 cents extra per liter.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote larzyh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 20:55

Second post!

Just in case it wasn't clear: V-Power on every fill-up!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kin Mak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 21:42

There is being sensible and wasting money. I don't buy my oil from BMW, it costs €22 per litre from them. I get mine imported from Germany, about €14 a litre, same oil cheaper price. BMW don't make the oil, Castrol does.

Same goes with any other part, if I can get the same thing for cheaper I ain’t paying more for no reason.

A lot of people think more expensive is better which is nonsense, research and find out why something is better. Only if it is worth it then spend the money.

Oh yeah one more thing... Hi larzyh welcome to the board.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote beemerchris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 22:25

Fully agree with you there just ordered my clutch and Flywheel in the Uk and safed hundreds on the BMW dealer quote is still the same LUK stuff.

Next up will be cats and exhaust where the differencew is even bigger. Except I go for an Eisemann cat back system that is 

These parts are never prduced from BMW anyway so way not cut the middle man

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Coasting Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 22:33

I wouldn't even contemplate running an M3 on anything less than 97 RON, and would use VPower or the Optimax forerunner everytime.

I once had to use 95 RON in my first E46 M3 Coupe - and I swear I felt dirty for the remainder for the week...

V-Power is proven to give a marginal power gain and marginally better MPG.  Its fact.  So the marginal price difference is worth it.  Why bother with anything else unless you're stuck?

Expensive cars running on cheap fuel - it doesn't make any sense at all.



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kin Mak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 22:49

So even though BMW says to use 95 RON you think it is not good enough? What do you think will happen to the engine running on 95 RON?

Power gain is not noticable from 95 to 97 RON, not on the public road anyway driving like a sensible person.

I am not saying higher RON will not produce better results from the engine, but what I don't want m3sport to think is that 95 RON will do any harm to his car which is what people seem to be suggesting.

The ECU is mapped to intake 95 just fine, anything much lower and the engine will go into retard mode. 

So 95 RON and up good... higher better... up to a certain point.

p.s. also the comment on why use anything else unless you are stuck? Unfortunately we are stuck, we only get 95 RON here. Unless we resort to smuggling from the north.



Edited by Kin Mak
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kdevitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06-March-2007 at 22:55
Originally posted by Coasting Coasting wrote:

Expensive cars running on cheap fuel - it doesn't make any sense at all.



My M3 runs perfectly well on 95 octane... BMW design it to be run on 95 octane, waste of money using anything else imo. All the V Power stuff over here is meant to do is help clean your engine - its still 95 octane. Used it on occasion in my 328ci and noticed absolutely no difference - to performance or MPG for that matter!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote larzyh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-March-2007 at 07:48

Kin Mak, thank you for the welcome.

I didn't mean to imply that I think a part is necessarily better just because it is more expensive. I used to buy Castrol RS and I am aware that Castrol supply BMW with their oil, however I am not sure if it is the same formulation as the oil in the shops and BMW are very particular about SLX being the only oil suitable for the valvetronic engines. It buys me a degree of (perhaps false) peace of mind.

There are lots of spare parts supplied to BMW sold under other brand names (brake pads, clutches etc) but again, I get a degree of satisfaction and peace of mind by using BMW parts.

I do however use an independent mechanic mostly because of the somewhat arrogant attitude of my local BMW dealership.

Back to the original subject: I can't honestly say that I feel any difference in performance using V-Power but I don't feel any difference when I fill up with 98 ron when I drive to UK and Denmark. Mind you I still fill up using 98 when there, for the reasons above.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote m3sport Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-March-2007 at 08:10
Guys, i found my m3 to rev a small bit rougher with 95,is this physiological i wonder, but i could swear it does. I also though it to have less power running on 95, thats for sure. Anyway, is it only shell in Ireland that sell vpower, as i cant find any other stations that have it.  Also guys, thanks for the comments, im even more confused than ever now lol.  But as larzyh said, it buys if anything at least a false peace of mind, and for that i think i will keep mine on vpower.
I miss my m3.......
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