Unleaded Petrol

[oscar]

Any malfunction or $$$ spent will be covered by Oscar....

I um.... I arrgh......




Lookintomyeyes, lookintomyeyes you're under!!!

I did not, I repeat, not imply unleaded was safe to use, infact it's not!  It's dangerous.
Fearing that fact, when you wake, you'll want to sell give your 6.9 away to ryan

AAAAnnnd your back in the room.



So um. Soooo!  Nice atmos' yeah?

[Grant V]

You're a nut, Oscar! That's funny

[huck280]

Hi Everyone -

Practical Classics is the main pre-2000 car magazine in Britain, and it specifically lists all Mercedes cars after 1972 - ie, ours - as being safe for unleaded, with harder valve seats.

I still use redex in mine (it's a lead substitute) though, but only because they were flogging it at 50 p out the back of a van at an autojumble. When I've reached the end of this batch, I'm taking PC's advice, and using standard unleaded.

Cheers,

Leif

[robgee]

Oscar COMPUTER SAYS NO!

[s class]

Grant,

I accept what these guys all say, I'll just add that being the cautious type I've stuck to LRP since the abolishment of leaded.  My 280SE has now done about 34000km on LRP.  I had set the valve clearances just prior to the change-over, and I've again set them last weekend - after the 34000km on LRP.  The amount of adjusting needed was basically the same as I had come to expect at services in the past.  I don't have the balls to do the next 34000 on unleaded.  Someone else experiment please. 

Ryan

[oscar]

Styria, What about an additive for ULP or PULP?  Do you still use a upper head lube additive or valve saver etc? What's your take on that nowadays?

[huck280]

I have to say, mine runs noticeably better on the higher octane... don't know if that's everyone's experience.

[OzBenzHead]

I have to say, mine runs noticeably better on the higher octane... don't know if that's everyone's experience.

Honestly, I can't detect much seat-of-the-pants performance difference running my 280SE (or other Benzes) on 95 RON or 98 RON; however, there is a very noticeable difference in fuel consumption.

On 95 RON, I use about 13 litres per 100 km; with 98 RON, I use 10.5 litres per 100 km (pretty much right on the book spec.).  That, at today's bowser prices, amounts to a saving of $2.90 per 100 km.  (These are 'highway' consumption figures.)

My 116 280SE is a Euro-spec version.

[Andrew280SEL]

Down here using Premium with the prices the way they are, I don't save anything. 

I get too much less fuel for my dollar for any real difference.

[SELfor50]

I use the best quality fuel at whatever servo i go... though in saying that i still put in this octane boost / valve protection stuff as well.  I find if i don't use either of these and just use normal unleaded - it doesn't have as much kick when i give her a bootfull.

Also 13B - from time to time i also have to do some RTFM...  I'm a phone tech, so i'm hearin ya!   

[huck280]

Mine's not faster - I drive like an old lady anyway. But it's smoother and quieter (which I guess means I'm revving it less). Haven't tested fuel consumption - but if you're right, OzBenzHead, then it makes sense to buy super. In Britain, 95Ron is £0.96p a litre; 98 is £1.06 a litre - so roughly 10% more expensive, but your stats suggest about 25% more efficient. So a big saving.

I'll have to do a two tank test! But I only do 250 miles a month so it'll take ages...

Leif