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Model specific boards => Golf mk4 => Topic started by: jureks on 29 April 2004, 20:00
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Hey folks, this is my second post.
First was posted in Chat- VW related (Reassurance please) a week or so ago and I was a 'touch' concerned having visited this site and read quite a few 'bummers' re. Mk. 4 electric windows, rear wash, coils etc.
This was just after I'd bought one, but before picking up - if you get my drift.
I've now had the car (2003, Mk4 1.8t GTi, 10200m) for a couple of days (just on local journeys so far) and have to say it's an absolute real smoothie compared to my previous
(Mk 2 1.8 8v GTi 128000m) which 'god bless it's cotton picking socks' was a fantastic 'grunt, but go' car.
The turbo's almost too smooth on the Mk. 4 but overall the ride's fantastic.
Cockpit great, but should really have sound controls nearer or on the wheel and it's a touch difficult at present to get down to the climate controls.
Need some advice re. type of petrol.
Have read somewhere (probably here) that petrol consumption for the 1.8t gti is much worse than officially indicated and I haven't at present managed more that 32 mpg on my first 100 miles - which consisted of two runs to work and back (about 45 miles in total ) and a little motorway driving but no serious foot down - if anything really steady to see if I can get more out of it. So, I'm a touch disappointed on this score.
Anybody out there using Shell's Optimax or BP's Ultimate? (I think it might be called)
and getting any real benefits?
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I always always always use optimax, and see an average of about 36/37 mpg. You may see a little more than that, because as you can see from my sig. my car isn't exactly standard ;)
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I too use only Optimax, not just for the mpg but so I can run my ignition timing a little higher.
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hi
this is totally my opinion but i think like gary said if you are going to use optimax you really need to get your timing adjusted accordingly.
if you use 99RON (which i think optimax is) the flash point of the fuel is much lower than 95RON (normal unleaded) so you may end up getting knocking or pinking (i can never remember which way round that is) and the engine managment will retard the ignition, thus robbing performance.
have a nice day
sanj
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Optimax is much nicer and in some strange way, i always feel like iv done a good thing an rather proud after i'v filled up wiv optimax, would fill a lot more but i havn't got any shell's nearby, but if ur fillingwiv ur usual sain's, tesco, or whatever, if you fill up ?40 or so, i personally look to get 350miles (reset ur trip meter maybe im a bit sad but i do that all the time just out of interest) but usually only get a touch over 300!!! that peddles a bit to tempting. 8)
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hi
this is totally my opinion but i think like gary said if you are going to use optimax you really need to get your timing adjusted accordingly.
if you use 99RON (which i think optimax is) the flash point of the fuel is much lower than 95RON (normal unleaded) so you may end up getting knocking or pinking (i can never remember which way round that is) and the engine managment will retard the ignition, thus robbing performance.
have a nice day
sanj
Since when do you get pinking from using higher octane fuel? ???
I would have thought the ignition timing is non-adjustable, like most vw's after 1992 :)
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I thought optimax was only 97 ron. ??
Anyway, when i've been looking at TT's i noticed that the 150bhp version is recommended to use 95 ron but the 180 and 225bhp TT are both recommended to run 97, and that is audi, same engine as 1.8t so if you have standard 150 i would say run 95 if you have a 180 or modded 150 then run 97 ron
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Since when do you get pinking from using higher octane fuel? ???
I would have thought the ignition timing is non-adjustable, like most vw's after 1992 :)
Timing and boost is adjustable on the later (DBW) 1.8T's through Revo's SPS3 (serial port switch). They look like a handy piece of kit, shame I'm stuck with the SPS1, all i can do is switch between stock/performance modes :-\
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thanks for all the views, folks - doesn't seem to be much in it overall and can't be 'asked' (nor have a clue actually) how to tune the ignition so will probably stick to the old 95 ron. for now and hope for the best +save a few bob! too.
Just for info. have just returned from a run down to Heathrow and back (approx. 180 mls, predominately motorway) and managed a reasonably healthy 36.4 which ain't bad really.
It really is a smoothie, this 1.8t, isn't it?
na zdrowie.
8) 8)
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if you use higher octane fuel the flash point is lower, the fuel goes bang and you get a shock wave on the top of the piston which i believe is called pinking (but iget confused between pinking and knocking).
have a nice day
sanj
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Optimax is in fact 98 ron and timing can be adjusted by using my Revo SPS3 :P
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Yes, Optimax is indeed 98 RON.
Pinking and Knocking are the same thing, and only happen with fuel that is too LOW octane, as golfvr6 rightly pointed out earlier. ;)
I think your ECU will 'learn' to advance the timing itself after a while.
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All ECU's on modern cars will be able to deal with 98 RON fuel no problem, infact on most high performance engines the ECU is set to run on 98 RON.
The engine won't pink with 95 RON because the engine will have a couple of knock sensors on it, which automatically retard the timing at the point pinking occurs.
:)
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I agree VR6. The Mk4 manual says to use 95RON MINIMUM
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Most high performance golfs usually say 98 ron recommended on the petrol cap ;)
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I thought pinking was caused when your fuel has already combusted before the spark ???
lower octane fuels will spontanously combused under compression. the higher the octane the longer you can leave the spark.
just what I read somewhere. :)
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hope you have fun in your new car matey!!!, just one word of advice make sure when your cambelt is changed you have the tensioner changed also, the twots when i bought mine last may only changed the belt, (at 69,500 miles) now on 80,000 and the tensioner has failed, causing total fookin meltdown!! lol,
Gaz 8)
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I thought pinking was caused by the fuel igniting too early (ie the spark is too late?)
thats what it says in my haynes manual ::) but it also says "refitting is the reverse of removal " which is an understatement most of the time! :)
have a nice day
sanj
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The higher the octane of the fuel, the earlier you can ignite it.
Its to do with the higher octane the fuel, the better it burns.
With lower octane fuel a later spark is needed to prevent knocking. If the low octane fuel is ignited too early then it will not burn properly, so it needs to be compressed for a bit longer.
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sanj - car's looking sweet, mate 8)
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oh thanks mate,
my friend took 4 hours washing it on sunday and then colored in the michlein badges on the tyres while i fitted their car alarm - good deal i thought! then took a picture of it before it rained.
have a nice day
sanj