SPOTTED! The official thread

[CSET 583]

Light silver e46 M3 at Shell/Z Greenlane this morning.

You do know they don't have '98 and BP's right around the corner, right?

Looked like it had window tints, though can't be 100% sure (was about 50m away). Nice car!

[hybrid 1043]

naughty naughty ... s54 needs at least 98 RON because of its compression ratio.

[Allanw 1071]

Maybe it's just a 318i...

[Apex 693]

He must have been after the Flybuys points?? Thats one thing I miss having to run 98 in my cars, i also miss all those little people whe used to clean my engine for me while I drove, I now have to change the oil instead.

Also, from the Z site:

ZX is the premium fuel for people who want to put top quality fuel in their car to deliver superior overall performance. We’re proud of all our fuels, but this one’s our favourite. You’ll find it at all Z stations.

[hybrid 1043]

RON number or bust Z. ZX doesnt mean sh*t to anyone

[tmase 19]

RON number or bust Z. ZX doesnt mean sh*t to anyone

It's 95.2 Octane

http://z.co.nz/assets/TDS/ZEL-TDS-ZX-PULP.pdf

[M3_Power 636]

naughty naughty ... s54 needs at least 98 RON because of its compression ratio.

I can hear those horses dying inside that s54

[E36 M 9]

New Zealand used to add lead into the fuel which ruined everything. Obviously they don't use it anymore hence unleaded but I've heard from people its still rubbish fuel compared to other countries but could be wrong. People getting mad in 5. . . .

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

this is worthy of its own thread SURELY

[euroriffic 609]

I think it was tiddles up maori hill way in the e46 325i compact

[hybrid 1043]

It's 95.2 Octane

http://z.co.nz/assets/TDS/ZEL-TDS-ZX-PULP.pdf

Sweet, question #2. How is it then called top qaulity when it is not?

[jeffbebe 1559]

Sweet, question #2. How is it then called top qaulity when it is not?

Because it's the top quality fuel that Z offers... It doesn't say anywhere that it's the top quality fuel available. Don't you love marketing copy writers?!

[evil_elmo 0]

orange F13 M6 on riccartion ave...guessing its a bmw demo car?

[tmase 19]

Sweet, question #2. How is it then called top qaulity when it is not?

Good question. Seems they believe their own hype about it, from the TDS;

It can be used in any engine designed to run on unleaded petrol.

That simply isn't true and they must know it.

[CSET 583]

Because it's the top quality fuel that Z offers... It doesn't say anywhere that it's the top quality fuel available. Don't you love marketing copy writers?!

Let me know if I'm wrong here, but I seem to recall that firms can quite happily say what they like if there is no quantitative measure, and do not require evidence or benchmarking. 'Quality' in this case seems to be open for interpretation.

[uhlsta 0]

Spotted this yesterday, very nice in the flesh!!

[jeffbebe 1559]

Let me know if I'm wrong here, but I seem to recall that firms can quite happily say what they like if there is no quantitative measure, and do not require evidence or benchmarking. 'Quality' in this case seems to be open for interpretation.

Exactly, they can say pretty much what they like unless it's a direct comparison or measurement (e.g. they couldn't say that their fuel is better than 98 from BP and they couldn't say that their fuel is 96 when it's only 95.2 but they can say it's 'top quality' as the measure for 'top' is subjective).

"It can be used in any engine designed to run on unleaded petrol."

That simply isn't true and they must know it.

You can use it in any engine - just doesn't mean it will be good for that engine!

Edited December 10, 2012 by jeffbebe

[E36 M 9]

Has anyone actually come across an engine damaged by using different fuel? I'm supposed to use 98 in mine but I stick with 91. Pretty much the same, just gets burnt at higher temperatures when its made.

[Allanw 1071]

The ECU is designed to cope with lower octane fuel.

It will retard the timing to cope with the extra knock from 91, thereby making the car less fuel efficient and burn hotter.

You'd probably SAVE money by using 95. I've had cars that would get 1/3 MORE kms from a tank of 95 than 91, and that's when I was a rep, doing similar driving/routes everywhere.

Edit: Oh yeah, I HAVE seen engines damaged from too low octane, but they weren't Modern EFI engine, which compensate like above.

Edited December 11, 2012 by Allanw

[camera doctor 25]

I have friends in the car sales industry who say they get plenty of customers coming back with cars they purcahsed running rough after a couple of weeks.

In most instances, they trace it to fouled spark plugs, and the customer is running Shell/Z 91 octane.

Draw what you like from that .......

[Apex 693]

Has anyone actually come across an engine damaged by using different fuel? I'm supposed to use 98 in mine but I stick with 91. Pretty much the same, just gets burnt at higher temperatures when its made.

I lunched an engine on a car once from running too lower octane.

Short story, the car was a Jap import that was modified in Japan and it had been custom tuned on Japanese premium fuel that has a higher octane level than what our premium has.. was flooring on a back road up a hill in third gear when all of a sudden car lost all power and I had a rooster tail of smoke for 300m behind the car... car had leaned out and engine was toast, car was one week past the 4 week dealer warranty and it cost me 15k to fix.

Hence why I only buy NZ new stock cars now with warranty..

[M3_Power 636]

I lunched an engine on a car once from running too lower octane.

Short story, the car was a Jap import that was modified in Japan and it had been custom tuned on Japanese premium fuel that has a higher octane level than what our premium has.. was flooring on a back road up a hill in third gear when all of a sudden car lost all power and I had a rooster tail of smoke for 300m behind the car... car had leaned out and engine was toast, car was one week past the 4 week dealer warranty and it cost me 15k to fix.

Hence why I only buy NZ new stock cars now with warranty..

The MSS54 DME is a little more sophisticated I think ... that plus 3 knock sensors, pre-designed limp mode open loop map if one goes off or a sensor fails ... Actually not hard to throw the s54 into limp mode .... just drive really hard at the track on slicks and I can almost guarantee that it'll go into limp mode on the stock DME.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

The MSS54 DME is a little more sophisticated I think ... that plus 3 knock sensors, pre-designed limp mode open loop map if one goes off or a sensor fails ... Actually not hard to throw the s54 into limp mode .... just drive really hard at the track on slicks and I can almost guarantee that it'll go into limp mode on the stock DME.

...assuming it still has the stock DME...

[Neal 544]

What i assume to be a genuine E46 AC Schnitzer S3 in Courtney Place last night, massive wing on it almost looked DTM, 19" ACS wheels and huge AC Schnitzer decal up both sides, looked like something straight out of Forza

Wasn't a M3 by any chance ? Parked next to one by kirks a while back. Had every ASC option

[E36 M 9]

Hmm weird. My father told me all their cars are designed to run on 91 fuel. .I've used it for 2 years in this car and its.good on fuel dont even notice the difference when I have used 95