I have decided for the price of few more dollars I will treat my daring baby to good food forever.

There is a station about 2 miles north of where I live (union 76) that sells 100 octane. At 1st I started putting in half the tank, mixing it with that other garbage 91, which by the way was the only other/best we could get.

However, since about a month ago I have decided to go 100 octane at 100% of the time. My car is loving it and seems it has gained more smoothness throughout the rpms specialy in the higher rpms and pulls much stronger and runs healtier than ever before.

Has anyone else cought this same desease?

 

I only WISH I could find 100 octane. Where are you located? Perhaps I will make the drive with a tanker truck and fill 'er up....

 

I filled my tank with 104 octane racing fuel a month ago to diagnose a detonation issue. 6 gallons cost me $54 from the local 76--at well over $100/tank--and 2 tanks a week for me--it's not something I can afford at all. Sure it ran better--but I got more serious engines issues that need to be dealt with before draining my pocketbook for nearly $1000 in gas a month for my MINI.

 

I've toyed with the idea of making my car flex-fuel capable to take advantage of E85s 106 octane rating.

 

I'm in San Jose, Cali. Just got back from filling it again. Costed my exactly $70.00 full tank and my tank was redline empty and then some. The price was $5.59 per gallon. Reason I waited so late to fill her since I don't usualy let the redline come on is because I wasn't around anywhere that had the 100 when running out of gas yesterday. I won't even mix it with anything lower anymore since the conventional 91 crab is my other choise in which it will never EVER enter the hollowed chambers of my engine again.

 

Unless you're travelling.....Thanks again for the info.

 

Please do some re-search on race fuel...When I first got into building race engines, we blew a couple of motors running what stations claimed to be race fuel. I remember one race where we had 5 out of 7 of our sleds go down due to fuel. For me personally, I will NOT run any race fuel unless I see where it comes from (IE 55 gal drum to 5 gal cans)

You know, you can always buy 55 gal drums and mix it yourself, that's what I would do.

Even though you are running a street motor and not a billet race motor I still suggest to research racing fuel.

 

I used to treat myself too 100 octane in my E55 Benz and it made a world of difference but mostly due to the poor ecu tunning my car had. I used to run 100 octance in my Mini when I could because it would get rid of a slight detonation when running hard up to redline.
Now with my new custom ECU tunning and air/water intercooler I no longer have that detonation problem. Using 100 octane now is worthless, there is no benefit using it.
If I were you I would spend your money on a good custom ECU Tunning on the dyno. Come down my way and we can have Emil tune your baby.
100 octane is only working for you because your car is not runnng 100% properly.

 

MarioKart, I am glad to hear that you do not have to spend more money on that gas since you accomplished it by making your car better in other ways.

The highest octane around here...Toledo, Ohio area...is 94.

 

I understand what your saying but I still don't feel like putting in that 91 octane crap in my car anymore. I have decided to spend a little more and use good fuel for the car. Also, I have the leasure of this not being my everyday car, I drive it during chilled nights, day times or weekends. I try to stay away from driving it when it's 85 and above. The car has mostly been driven below 70 degrees.

If finaces allow I will come down your way definately like I have been trying to. It's just that work is so freaking slow I have reorted in other investment and means of making money which hasn't been easy. I'm basicaly living off of my savings right now.

Can't wait to get some money put away for my next tune/mods. This modding desease has got a good hold of me and I need to be practical about it for now untill I get my hands on some more Franklins.

 

104 Unleaded = Crack

Thats how addictive it is to run. I've used it a few times in my Mini, even did a dyno run with it once to try and guage the possible results from a proper tune. I figured that it would cure the fuel dump over 6500 RPM. It mostly did with some incredible results. I'm loathe to post the numbers as it is not a true representation, only a guess at possible potential.

 

I think some of you guys may be a little nuts......
I run my MINI strictly on JP-8 and only between the hours of 5pm and 8pm, providing of course that the temperature is precisely 72.3 degrees. Naturally I never take it out in the rain and only drive on roads that have been paved within the past 6 months....

 

I put 112 in at Road Atlanta but at somewhere around $9.00 a gallon it's a little rich cost wise.

 

GASP!!! I don't even take my MINI outside, I drive it around the hallways and empty bedrooms of my house and burn pure Ethanol.

 

Let me rephrase. I love drivig my SC at anytime and anywhere, however since it is not exactly my daily driver I have been able to drive it under more favorable conditions is all.

 

Not entirely true...but good points none the less about getting a proper tune. Now in my situation running 100 lets me run 28 lbs rather than 20lbs netting me maybe 70-90whp. Worth it in my book, but I can't get it locally so it is only for special trips or GTGs.

 

I know our octane in the UK is a bit different, but I always run 99 octane, and some propper octane booster. Runs much smoother and better than stock 99, and I just wouldnt risk 94 octane in the car.

At current prices it costs me $6 for the octane booster per-tank, and $90 for 45L of 99 octane. I get 250 miles from that, unless on the track.

104 octane sounds like fun.

 

It sounds like fun for $60-$100 once in a while . In the hot weather the higher octane is allowing the engine to run optimum timing and fuel events?

 

I know what you mean, but with supercharged cars we can't turn up the boost at will and he lives where the weather is cool in the Bay Area. 100octane may give me some hp but not more than a good tune.
M

 

this statement is entirely incorrect... I have done both and know what the gains are...

now.. this maybe what you have expirenced... based on what you "feel"...but the #s of testing over and over speak otherwise

have you monitored your timing? what is it at now.. where does it peak on 91 as you run to peak RPM?

I am glad you are finally so happy with your car... but to make statments that are in the end doing nothing but confusing the issue is not helpful.

it's not just about HP... but how the car is running... and burning fuel...

100 octane tune or not is helpful....

 

I'm not sure how it is incorrect. I gained more from my custom tune than using $75.00 for each tank of gas. I also fill up every other day, if I did the math I would spend an extra $1400 every 3.5 months using 100octane or pay $700 once for a custom tune. I did a dyno pull with my car with 100 octane with a light canned tune and got 201whp but got 234whp with 91 octane and a custom tune. I'm sure with 100 octane and my new tune I would get 240whp or so. Also I have no detations problem with using 91 those problems have vanished. I do agree 100 has its place but I don't think it is worth the slight gain for me and maybe even Sharo.

 

Mario- The difference between us is that my Mini is not an everyday car so I can afford to use prermium gas once every 2 weeks. It works perfect for me. I drive my Cooper an approximate 7-8k miles per year. In little over 3.5 years (or actualy 44 months to be exact) I have put on 22k miles on it. Thats about 500 miles per month.

Now I asked gnatster to share his dyno numbers after the usee of higher octane with me. That would be interesting to find out.

Tuls- what were your gains in dyno numbers and performance with 100 octane?

 

How could Gnatster's numbers compare to any of us in the real world of a few mods every six months. This guy has almost every possible modification there is known for a Mini!
SharoSC02, the differences with octane would be almost completely dependent upon your engine/drivetrain's ability to use it.

 

I'm sorry I even said anything now. My PM is runneth over with folks wanting to know the #'s.

What ever the results, they are unrealistic; however; it did show that timing was less retarded and at the 6500 rpm area the fuel dump was not as drastic, but was still there. Where it made a big difference was between 6500 and 8000 rpm otherwise the graph was quite close. The end result is that I do need a tune to fully take advantage of what I have.

 

My timming issues were also at 2 positions, the 6200 and the 6800 rpm. That's why I asked.

In any case, I believe that the performance has been enhanced ever since the use of the higher octane, perhapas not resolved compteley but it has helped.

Now the next stage for it is a good dyno tune.