Word.

 

not to mention all the starving people in the world

ETHANOL IS EVIL!

 

If 89 is acceptable, why does it specify to use fuel additive regularly? Is that referring to "Octane Booster" or something else?

 

the bmw/mini additive is chevron techron, available in most autoparts stores (watch for the frequent 2 for 1 sales)

it is proven to clean combustion chambers, however with our direct injection engines i doubt it will help with the buildup on the intake valves

i use it regularly in my motorcycles, in particular my 1974 bmw R60/6, it does not like the current fuels and builds deposits in the combustion chamber, leading to pinging

i use the larger size bottle (to treat 20 gallons) in one 5 gallon tank of fuel every 1000 miles

the techron keeps it clean, which i can see through the sparkplug hole, at 120,000 miles, the tops of the pistons are clean, bare metal, no deposits at all

scott

 

Something tells me that the fuel tables were revised for the 2013 model year to allow 89 octane to be used when 91 or higher is not available.

My previous car with an LS2 V8 did require the use of premium (high compression motor) but did contain an additional fuel table in the computer to allow the use of 87 in an emergency to "get you home" by pulling timing to save damage to the engine.

Bottom line, if you have a turbo charged MINI, just pay the few extra bucks and use 91+. The benefits far outweigh the small premium you'll pay for fuel.

 

my dad's 09/2011 build 2012 cms all4 specs 89 aki both in the OM and the sticker inside the fuel door

my 03/2012 build 2012 cms all4 also specs 89 aki in both places

scott

 

Living in Hawaii we have up to 10% ethanol in our gas, which MINI's don't care for too much. I put fuel system cleaner in every 3000 miles and use 92 octane premium. I've noticed not using top tier gas (Hawaii has three gas companies that guarantee quality gas) gets me up to 40 more miles per tank, and almost 100 miles if I get the low grade regular unleaded instead of premium. So in the end, if I saved money at the pump, I didn't actually save any money, because I had to fill up sooner.

Like I tell my wife, who likes to save money more than me, "spending a little extra at the pump will keep the car running better and longer, saving us future repair costs."

 

I've noticed not using top tier gas (Hawaii has three gas companies that guarantee quality gas) gets me up to 40 more miles per tank, and almost 100 miles if I get the low grade regular unleaded instead of premium.

is it just me or did you say this backwards? Using top tier and high test gets you better MPG right?

 

+1

 

I most definitely said that backwards.

 

Interesting. Guess they revised it earlier than the most recent model year.

 

[quote:Originally Posted by bmwr606
my dad's 09/2011 build 2012 cms all4 specs 89 aki both in the OM and the sticker inside the fuel door

my 03/2012 build 2012 cms all4 also specs 89 aki in both places

scott


QUOTE=drachen;3609020]Interesting. Guess they revised it earlier than the most recent model year.[/quote]


maybe it is an N18 engine thing, my sister's 2009 mcs requires minimum 91 AKI

scott

 

My 2008 MCS owners manual recommends 91 AKI, though 87 AKI is the minimum. The 2012 Countryman S manual I just looked at indicates 91 AKI is recommended, but the minimum has been bumped up to 89 AKI.

I have always used premium - 91 or 93 depending on what is available when I fill up.

 

My OM says 89 minimum, 91 recommended. This is for Justa and S. I put in 94 for my Justa. :P
The reason being anything lower than 94 *MIGHT* have ethanol added. That's what it says on the pumps at the Chevron closest to my house.

 

i run 91 or 93 premium with no ethanol whenever possible, about 75% of the time

the E0 vs E10 makes more difference than the octane does

scott

 

It's a matter of having more potential energy versus having a higher knock resistance. Knock resistance allows the engine to use optimal spark timings, E0 grants the engine more power per combustion.

Combining the two, of course...


I'm also pretty sure that the high octane rating of ethanol (108?) allows fuel companies to use more low-quality hydrocarbons like heptane.

 

How about in a regular MC (not S)? My MA told me I could use regular. Is this a bad idea?

 

Reg should be fine. Turbocharged vehicles and high performance vehicles like supersport bikes require higher octane levels because the pressure inside the cylinders are higher. With a normal Mini Cooper, you shouldn't have any knocks.

 

You can have knocks--even the base motor is pretty high compression.

What does your owner's manual say? If I recall correctly, mine says 89 minimum and 91 recommended. That means you lose some performance and some MPG if you use mid-grade, and you're risking serious problems if you use regular grade.

 

The fuel door on my 08 Justa Clubman says 91 minimum.