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S60 & V60 '11-'18 / XC60 '09-'17 General Forum for the P3-platform 60-series models |
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Unleaded Fuel Octane Rating For XC60 T6Views : 4112 Replies : 2Users Viewing This Thread : |
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Jun 7th, 2009, 07:15 | #1 |
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Location: Clarence Town
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Unleaded Fuel Octane Rating For XC60 T6
G/day
Sales literature in Aus is providing mixed messages on whether this vehicle is compatable with standard unleaded petrol. A large price per liter compromise is required if the vehicle needs to be run on "premium unleaded". Unleaded petrol in Aus has an octane rating of 91. Premium unleaded octane rating varies between 95 and 98 pending on supplier. Came across this comment on Aus "Fuel watch" site NOTE: Higher octane fuels contain cleaning agents that are said to assist the removal of carbon deposits in a cars engine and protect it against corrosion, allowing the engine to function better. Further to the debate is the "ethanol blend controversy" Appreciate some comment and feed back. Gravy |
Jun 7th, 2009, 21:05 | #2 | |
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Location: Dallas, Texas
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The owner's manuals on our Volvos state that US Regular Unleaded AKI 87 octane (RON 91-92) is the absolute minimum rated fuel, and the engines work optimally with AKI 91 octane (RON 95-96) or above. We use the recommended fuel. We drive conservatively and could probably get by with regular, but for the slight increase in total percentage cost of operation we use AKI 91 (RON 95-96). I don't want to worry that failure of a knock sensor could damage my engine. Neither of our cars is turbocharged. One is a 2004 V70 168 hp and the other is a 2007 XC90 3.2L (short inline six).
The fuel octane is more critical for a turbocharged petrol engine than a naturally aspirated one. If I had a turbocharged engine, I would definitely use the recommended fuel. The local Volvo sales people tell me they use US regular in their demos and personal Volvos. I think that they are worried that some buyers are put off by having to use premium gasoline. I trust the Volvo owner's manual over sales people. In our locality the retail outlets only stock AKI 87, 89 and 93 (~equiv to RON 91, 93 and 97, respectively). My normal procedure is to mix approx equal volumes of 89 and 93. If I don't feel like messing with the pump twice, I just fill with AKI 93. On trips out west I sometimes could only get AKI 90 or 89 and I just used it, and didn't worry about it. I habitually use Shell premium becasue of the claimed extra detergent in the "Top-tier" gasolines. I don't worry about the presence of up to 10% ethanol in US gasoline. I accept the claim that the engines are designed to handle it. BTW ethanol is an octane booster as well as an "oxygenate" which reduces emissions. However, I don't think ethanol from fermentation of corn (maize) is really a "green" fuel because of all the soil erosion, fertilizer run-off, and extra energy in transporting fuel ethanol. Quote:
Last edited by Jim314; Jun 7th, 2009 at 21:46. |
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