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MaseratiForumMaserati Cars3200GT, 4200 Coupe/Spyder, GranSport RE: Fuel

RE: Fuel

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16/6/2010 21:32:29  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		A quick update from me -

I have filled up tonight with Shell V-Power 74.00l @ 123.9p = £91.68 (the tank was quite empty!). The standard unleaded was 118.9p so this fill cost an additional £3.69p

The last tank full of BP standard unleaded lasted me 300 miles so I achieved approx 18.4 mpg based on the full tank to full tank principle, which compares to the computer screen showing 17.7 mpg so not too much difference there.

I have now reset the computer and done a full battery re-set on the car too, so we are clear to go in the morning.

-David-

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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
17/6/2010 1:37:04  

Posts: 259
Since: 23/4/2010
Region: Witney, Oxfordshire
Status: offline 		Thanks David for your input, will be interesting to see the results. I reckon that it needs 2 refills on our consumption to give "the clean" depending whether it has been done before. We await the results.

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Stephen Bromley

05my 4200CC Grigio nuvolari/beige, Grigio mercuri wheels, Alluminio calipers and Nero Incrociata grille. Larini back boxes.
53 MG ZT 190+, 52 BMW 330ci Clubsport, 58 Smart 4-2 passion MHD

17/6/2010 8:37:18  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		Will do, a tank full last me about a week, so watch this space...
-David-

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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
27/6/2010 21:15:04  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		Update again:

Filled up on Thursday with another 74L same price so £91.68
During the 8 days since the previous fill of V-Power I covered 274 miles so averager last week was 16.8mpg (computer showed 16.2mpg). This was 1mpg less than I had achieved on my previous tank of BP Regular.
I'm going to run with this tank of V-Power on exactly the same routes this week so I should be due another fill on Friday 2nd July on these results.
-David-


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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
3/7/2010 20:29:47  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		Another update:
Filled up on Friday with exactly 74L again, this time cost was £92.42 as the price has gone up.
I only managed 258 miles this time so fuel economy has dropped again, to 15.8mpg (showing 15.5mpg on the computer).

I would be interested in any theories why I have dropped from 18.4mpg down to 15.8mpg on basically the same routes over three consecutive weeks? I'm not aware that I am driving any different to account for this.

-David-



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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
3/7/2010 21:03:05  

Posts: 65
Since: 22/2/2009
Status: offline 		Ok the advise I got from Myles at emblem was that you can use normal unleaded but recommended that in the summer/hotter months or for aggressive driving you should always use super unleaded.

I tend to always use shell Optimax due to the fact that the shell garage is closet and yes I do notice the difference when not using super in the throttle pickup.

And you guys are bang on in the fact that there is cleaning agents within 97 fuel.

If you used 2 tanks in every 10 with super unleaded you should be fine but guys these are maserati's I would always use the best!

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AC Numero venti nove. Nero Carbonio
3/7/2010 21:16:26  

Posts: 2386
Since: 27/1/2008
Region: Bristol
Status: offline 		I was going to say it may be the heat/dry conditions...I understand that water vapor can improve both MPG and power...now shall I convernt mine to run on Evian?

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Peter

4200 CC
Volvo C70 Cabriolet
VW Golf mk1 Cabriolet
2CV LHD In France
5/7/2010 8:41:25  

Posts: 65
Since: 22/2/2009
Status: offline 		Yeah that is true Peter, and also If you can convert it to run on evian let me know how! I like the idea of fuel at 50p a litre!!

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AC Numero venti nove. Nero Carbonio
6/7/2010 8:02:53  
 

Posts: 152
Since: 20/5/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks for the update David. I wonder how much climate conditions effect it then? I mean it been much hotter lately so that might lower the mpg slightly?
23/7/2010 17:47:23  
 

Posts: 74
Since: 20/7/2010
Region: Bath
Status: offline 		Warm weather means there is less oxygen in the air per volume meaning less performance hence why cars have cold air inlets. You'd normally get better efficiency in cold weather...
30/7/2010 10:31:47  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		Filled up last night, but I have gone back to BP Normal Unleaded for this tank full.

So this fill was 70.0 L @ 116.9p = £81.83

My last tank of V-Power managed 260miles so approx 16.9mpg (computer was showing 16.2mpg)
Clearly the weather has been a lot cooler this last week so this my well account for the 1mpg better than the last report.
It will be very interesting to see how this tank does in cooler weather and after 4 fills of V-Power.

-David-


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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
30/7/2010 15:53:45  

Posts: 80
Since: 5/2/2010
Region: Aberdeen
Status: offline 		I did a simlar comparison, and I think you are right David, the weather makes a real difference.

I went to Skye for the weekend, wet 15C at best, 28 MPG, driving home, fill up before leaving, warmer and sunny, 24 MPG, same driving style, quite roads, nothing fast (the wife is not the best passanger) but brisk would sum up the driving.

I have changed between V=Power and 95 RON, can't see a difference but I don't get the chance to cane it very often so perhaps it makes little difference to me.

Ross

2/8/2010 20:36:01  

Posts: 686
Since: 25/5/2008
Region: Essex/Herts Border
Status: online 		During my European tour I had to use 95 RON on a few occassions back to back and could clearly feel a difference in the power.

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05 4200 CC
3/8/2010 9:01:28  

Posts: 738
Since: 11/8/2008
Region: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Status: offline 		I have to say that I can't really feel the diference between the two fuels, but then I don't use the car to the max that often! That said, I'm sure that the cleaning agents added to V-Power must do some good. I certainly won't use supermarket fuel, but I'm happy to put normal unleaded in from BP (closest to me) and then Shell every few tanks after.
One of the original points I was making before embarking on this un-scientific test was "is it worth the extra £'s on each tank full?" as on my use of the car, the extra per fill if I used it each time, would add up to roughly the same as my road tax every year.
The weather is clearly a factor affecting the MPG, not just the warmer air going into the engine but also the warmer air going into the driver causing more use of the air-con!
I'll keep a watch and see how things progress.
Would be interesting to hear of other's experiences too.
-David-


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4200 Cambio Corsa Giallo Granturismo
3/8/2010 13:22:10  

Posts: 176
Since: 5/6/2009
Region: Aberdeen
Status: offline 		For what its worth i used to design engine management systems many years ago and the situation with higher octane fuel I think is this ( I may be wrong however)

The 3200 and 4200 both have knock and oxygen sensors.

The ECU uses the knock sensors to retard the ignition advance when the onset of pinking occurs. So if you use lower octane fuel I think pinking is likely to occur at slightly earlier ignition advance than with the higher octane fuel. The difference can be quite small however. I am also not sure if this advance retard is memorised or if it is dynamic, I think probably dynamic. If it remembered settings then a battery off reset after filling with high octane might result in improved performance? Not sure.

The oxygen sensors are used to regulate emissions and principally control mixture. I think what this means is you end up with the "correct" fuel air mixture, so if you use higher octane fuel (higher energy concentration) then you should get more power from the combustion. However again it is likely to be a 98/95 = 3% increase. ECU re-mapping essentially alters the compromise between emissions and power and sacrifices fuel consumption and emissions for additional power, and alters the "correct" mixture settings (as well as ignition timing if possible, although with the ECU auto retarding with pinking this probably futile on 3200/4200).

I used 108 octane fuel in my TVR at the Nurburgring and that was noticeably better. I suspect the high octane fuel in the UK is just not enough extra to be really noticeable.

I think however that it does make a small difference, that and the additives in the like of V-power mean I personally use the good stuff all the time, but don't really expect my car to be much faster as a result.

Just thought I would throw in my two pence worth



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keepin it running
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