Are you refuelling with the correct fuel?
Fuel in Australia is categorised by Research Octane Numbers (RON), also known as an octane rating is utilised to measure the quality and performance of the fuel. The higher the octane number is, the higher the ability of the fuel to resist compression inside your vehicle’s engine without igniting. Therefore, for a higher octane-rated fuel, more compression is required by your vehicle’s engine to ignite the fuel.
Another way to take advantage of the higher octane is to advance the ignition timing. This will result in your engine having more power.
E10 – A Biofuel that is inclusive of a blend of 90% Unleaded fuel with 10% Ethanol, E10 has an octane rating of 94.
Unleaded 91 – The standard and most common Unleaded petrol in Australia, ULD91 is often suitable for use by most cars. Inclusive of an octane rating of 91.
Unleaded 95 – A premium unleaded, inclusive of an octane level of 95, is more fuel efficient than 91 and allows for a smoother operation of your engine improving its performance. ULD95 can be utilised by the majority of cars, although is most commonly used by imported or higher-performance vehicles.
Unleaded 98 – Commonly referred to as ‘Ultra-Premium Unleaded’ (UPULP), contains the highest-octane rating of fuel in Australia. Providing increased engine power and performance, ULD98 is often only used in cars that require it, mainly high-performance cars. That are tuned to take advantage of this higher-pricedc fuel.
Which type of fuel should you use?
Vehicles usually mention their recommended octane rating; most of the time, you will find it inside the fuel flap cover on your car. It is essential to stick to refuelling with the fuel associated with the octane rating mentioned on your vehicle or a fuel with a higher-octane rating.
For example, if your car is labelled as suitable for ULD91, you should use ULD91, though you can also opt to refuel with ULD95 and ULD98. Whatever you do, don’t use a fuel with a lower octane rating than the minimum labelled on your car! By utilising a lower octane fuel for your car than what is mentioned, you can give rise to unnecessary problems, and who wants to do that? I know we don’t!
A lower-octane fuel can damage the engine, reduce your engine’s performance and fuel economy, create tedious noises, and potentially void the warranty on your car- so beware!
The Truth Behind E10:
E10, despite being introduced to reduce CO2 emissions, may not be the solution. E10 is undoubtedly a greener fuel compared to regular unleaded, as ethanol is typically created from plants, it is, therefore, a renewable resource. Although, E10 has been around long enough now for the truth behind its effects on vehicles to be explored.
E10 being inclusive of 10% ethanol, an alcohol, has been found to be damaging to vehicles that utilise it. E10 may be corrosive to a variety of materials, therefore; rubber parts, gaskets, seals, and the engine, in general, are being damaged over time through refuelling with E10.
Utilising E10 in your car despite it being included as suitable on the fuel flap cover of your car can additionally negatively affect the amount of kilometres you travel.
This is due to the ethanol molecule containing less energy value compared to unleaded with a ‘lower heat of combustion, therefore increasing the amount of fuel your car goes through by 1.0-3.5%.
Though the loss may not be significant, you will need to fuel up more often.
Ethanol in its pure form absorbs any water that may surround it, therefore ethanol is never 100% pure due to its containment of water. Consequently, the E10 you put in your car will always contain water and water into your fuel tank is extremely dangerous to your engine.
How? Well, bacteria and fungus can grow in water, and the acid they produce multiplying over time can have an effect on overall fuel quality, clog filters and cause even more corrosion. In addition, water being present may cause your engine to cool down too quickly which can cause cracks in core parts of your engine, is unable to be compressed to create energy and may result in your fuel injectors exploding.
At APW we care about our customers and their vehicles, that’s why we only offer ULD91, ULD95, ULD98 and our Diesel Gold. The best products for the best customers.
Senior Marketing Specialist
