Quote:
Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12
Thanks buddy! It's the 320d with performance kit I'm considering and not the 328d as we don't have that here in India. The main concern is that if I get the 328i, it'd be 91 RON that I would be able to fill for regular use as there aren't any good pumps in my locality. So, with 91 RON as you said I might have an issue and also the performance would be effected right from the word go. By how much will the performance drop with the use of 91 RON fuel according to you ?
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I am no expert by any means but I just did a quick search on the internet and found most of the answer you are asking. Here is the link to the article I found. The assumptions are that you will lose 2-3 % in HP when running on lower octane fuel. Based on this , I think you have no concerns with buying the petrol version if that is what you want but you must understand the lower octane with poor quality due to sub-par additives may foul up your injectors, intakes, etc. in the long term.
http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/126...ctane-gasoline
General Motors, Honda, Toyota and BMW responded to our inquiry. Honda’s public relations representative declined to comment on the issue. Toyota noted that essentially all their current models are designed to run on 87 octane. I asked about using 85 octane, available in some markets, and Bill Kwong of Toyota corporate PR told me they would run fine, with maybe only a slight 2-3 percent decline in horsepower and fuel mileage. But 85 octane is usually only offered in markets at altitude (i.e. Denver, Colorado) where the reduced oxygen doesn’t allow an engine to reach full designed power in any event. If you drive a modern Toyota, the octane rating of your fuel isn’t much of an issue. But what about a brand aimed squarely at the performance market? What about BMW?
Thomas Plucinsky, BMW Product and Technology Communications Manager told us all BMW engines are designed to run on 91 octane. All performance testing, including EPA emissions and fuel mileage, is done with 91 octane. However, though BMW is all about performance, their motors will run on 89 or 87 octane without damage. The knock sensors pull the ignition timing back and eliminate detonation. There will be a loss of power and a decrease in fuel mileage, but the size of the horsepower loss and the increase in fuel consumption depends upon many factors, such as ambient temperature, exact formulation of the fuel and driving technique, so BMW does not offer any estimates for operation on lower grade fuels. One not so obvious concern, Mr. Plucinsky noted, is the type and quality of additives the gasoline companies include in the fuel. Premium gasolines may have better additive packages which are more effective keeping fuel systems (particularly injectors) clean and working efficiently, than those in regular grade fuels or off-brand products. Using lower octane or off-brand fuel could be degrading the fuel system over time, setting you up for a repair bill down the line