kvormwald

Hi,

I'm new to the forum and planning to make my first E63 AMG purchase in the relatively near future. I'm considering either a 2014 or 2015 sedan model. I'm not sure if this topic has been discussed in the forum, so I'll throw it out there - do you consider it worthwhile to use any particular brand of gasoline in your AMG due to the perceived long term engine benefits of the additives in the fuel?

Ken

EddieK

I don't, except that it has to be premium. I only get my gas from Costco or Kroger.

BerndV

Use a minimum of 91 octane, otherwise buy the least expensive brand. Costco for me too if I'm not on a road trip.

looney100

Two important criteria are the use of minimum 91 octane, top tier fuel. Other than that, buy whatever you want.

Xeveria

I personally use 95 octane. 98 octane is only supplied in very limited petrol stations in my country.

crazy1eye

98 = 93 in North America, 95 = 91.

In eastern Canada, we have Petro Canada 94 which I use or I'll use Shell 91

otakki

+1
Consumer Reports recently did a study and found Top Tier Gas does make a difference in decreasing build-up in the engine.
http://www.toptiergas.com/

BrabusNYC

93 no additives.

BerndV

I agree that Top Tire is the way to go. However, DI engines do not benefit from the valve cleaning effect which, along with keeping injectors cleaner, is the main benefit.

PeterUbers

Bernd - when do you suppose all this gunk on the DI engines will need to be cleaned? Are we talking at 100k miles or before

BerndV

The newer DI designs like the M157 should be much better regarding deposit formation. BMW and Porsche had big problems with this a few years ago due to their EGR design. My guess is that the M157 should go well past 100k without any need for manual valve cleaning.

cstanley92

Does running a few gallons of 100+ hurt the timing once you've run through the tank? I've always thought about getting a few gallons of Av gas for a weekend, but i would hate the car to start detonating once it's back to a normal 91-93 octane.

BerndV

Running 100 low lead aviation gas could potentially harm your catalytic converters. I wouldn't use it unless you have a catless downpipe. Furthermore, unless you have a tune that is optimized for gasoline with an octane rating that high, you will probably reduce power output by running 100 octane fuel. The factory fueling and ignition map is optimized for 91 octane gas. Internal combustion piston engines generally operate at peak thermal efficiency using fuel that has an octane rating that just avoids detonation or pre-ignition under full throttle and high load. Anything higher than the minimum octane requirement may actually reduce performance. Octane is essentially a measurement of the temperature at which gasoline spontaneously ignites under a specific set of conditions. Higher octane fuels generally have slightly lower specific energy versus lower octane fuels. Therefore, when unnecessarily high octane fuel is utilized, the effect tends to be a slight reduction in power.

cocobeex

Sucks to be in Canada.

I heard, in Canada, fuel is worse than States.

I usually get Chevron 94
Sometimes, Shell 91 V-Power Nitro

What about adding 10-15% Ethanol ?? (E85 mix 94 or 91) ??

BerndV

With factory ECU programming, E85 will not function properly in these cars. However, they are designed to run on gasoline with up to 10% ethanol. Most of the fuel in the states has some ethanol in it.

looney100

Fuel quality in Canada is excellent, in many cases, our specs are tighter than in the US.
I work in the industry, and had to work through a local fuel shortage a few years ago, we explored importing gasoline from the US, but couldn't find reliable supply that met Canadian standards.

Ethanol has less BTU content than gasoline, so will result in poorer fuel economy. Going above 10% is not recommended, and may void your warranty.

cocobeex

Not for Vancouver, BC I was told.

Some people from BC
Actually go down to Seattle and fill up the tank.

looney100

Just because some people are doing it, doesn't mean it's benefitting them.
Fuel specifications are governed by CGSB across the country. They don't vary by province or city.