Gull Biofuel

[Grant 4]

Hi All

Does anyone know which BMW's can or can't use the new Ethanol blended fuel that Gull is selling?

I thought that BMW NZ would have a press release about this, but they have released nothing to date.

I often fill up at the Kingsland Gull station, and they are one of the ones with the new Force 10 biofuel (98 octane).

Cheers

Grant

[efirty 0]

I am pretty sure that I heard on the radio that it is not recommended to use the biofuel in any cars manufactored before 2000 or any japanese import (something along those lines). However, I stand to be corrected.

[cainchapman 0]

Honda are saying anything of theirs 10 years old or less will be fine.

[MattA 162]

Hi Grant,

I don't believe there is any weight in the claims of non-compatability as the damage to Jap engines was due to corrosion (in a Japanese trail), the Gull mix has corrosion inhibiters in the mix.

Ethanol blend fuels have been around for a while overseas notibly Australia, US, Canada and most of Europe I've not heard anything to support the claims made today.

I work in the Petroleum Industry so am only repeating what I've heard, all the oil companies have been doing work in this area.

Gull has links to oil industry big players so may well be rolling out first as lead to "big brand" roll outs.

If in doubt I'd call BMW or Gull

cheers Matt

cheers Matt

[martyyn 2]

haha Honda have just been on the news saying they would need to know the exact make and model of any car before they confirmed whether it would be ok or not !

[bravo 35]

I work in the Petroleum Industry

Pump attendant? Just kidding man. Must ask my brother he works on a petroleum storage facility in New Plymouth and used to work on the petroleum delivery ships before that.

Obviously this thread is entirely speculation, but the news reports about the dangerousness of the new fuel smack of ill-informed scaremongering. As with all new products (unleaded fuel a particularly apt example) they need to be tested before I'm willing to take the plunge, but these panic-merchants seem to be spouting rubbish not backed up by any fact.

[parriehunter 0]

Hey, I am just wondering how much a litre does it cost for the biofuel? is it about the same as BP Ulitmate 98 octane?

[MattA 162]

Haha... not since i was a kid, am in the installation end - primarily retail outlets so deal with the guys who design / install fuel systems etc, or more simply I build service stations.

cheers Matt

[Carl 3]

Austrlia went 10% last month so should be a little more info there. I'm sure I read Europe was using 35% blends somewhere and were trying to go higher, also read our cars will run on the 35% blend as would most it's just what will happen over time. The problems with higher ethonal blends is valve deposits, corrosion, separation in the tank, and the different air/fuel mix. Corrosion shouldn't be a problem as you add inhibitors, separation is a quality/time thing. Air/fuel mix should get picked up by the O2 sensoe. Deposits are a pain more because ethanol being a good solvent dissolves all the sh*t in the tank and lines so wouldn't this affect an older car since it's got more sh*t in it to begin with? 2c

Edited August 2, 2007 by Carl

[pureboiracer 0]

i believe that you could run this fuel on any car you wanted. if its fairly modern the computer would adjust to run it correctly. the only problem i can think of is if its a older car it would throw all the timing of the factory settings.

[martyyn 2]

and its been sold in the UK for about 18 months now.

Interestingly TotalBMW have an article on it in this months magazine but I dont know if it will be out in NZ yet

[hybrid 1043]

California has been running it for a couple of years. Couple of the e46 guys have reported strange goings on while others report no issue at all.

Why they have to piss around with '98' RON octane instead of sludge 91 I will never know. 98 is already poo enough.

[Andrew 30]

My car didn't blow up.