Fuel Grades

[jmjunker]

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the fuel quality requirements for my 2004 Discovery II SE. The 4.6L says it requires Super Unleaded. My question is how tolerant is the vehicle to lower grade fuel...say 89 octane mid-grade?

I would think that the modern fuel injection and computer control would just ****** the timing a bit if it detected any pinging and be able to handle bad batches of gas or lower qualities of fuel in certain global regions.

Has anyone had any experience running mid-grade fuel in their Discovery II? Is it risky? Is it a non-issue? I don't drive my vehicle very hard and wouldn't miss a bit of power if that was the tradeoff for a 10-15% savings on fuel.

Thanks for any advise.

Survey located at this thread:

http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1811

-Josh

 

[Militant-Grunt]

Well, many members of this board "spoil" their Discovery with 91 octane, I used to do it myself, but since prices have gone up I now use 89. But then again this is on a 3.9 Disco 1.. 4.6L is quite a hefty engine, you might want to save your self a few bucks now, but in the long run it might end up costing you a hefty part replacement...

 

[disco1]

Personally, I can't see how you are going to save much by using lower octane petrol. If the cost of fuel is an issue at this stage, what are you going to put in your tank when the price of oil reaches $100+ per barrel? The other alternative is to change out the rover for some 1.8Litre 4 cylinder.

 

[jmjunker]

tread lightly

My personal philosophy is that even though I drive a Land Rover, I am not willing to pay anything to do so. I don't mind watching my right foot, planning my travel more efficiently, or seeing if the 4.6L UHC engine (made for extreme conditions) can handle 89 octane.

It has a high cost-of-ownership and that make it all the more important that I drive responsibly and tread lightly. Saving fuel and fuel costs are part of the daily reality for almost everybody these days. If fuel does go to $100/barrel, I don't think anybody will be immume from the effects...not just Rovers.

I'm sure I'll get a flame or 2 for this calc, but here it goes.

Midgrade saving per gallon = ~$0.15
Filling volume = 25 gallons
Fillings per year = 52
Total potential savings = $195

The dealer said mid-grade was fine, if I use the tank additive they sell. I'm sticking with the super here. I'm from California, so this Costco gas in Texas is MUCH cheaper. Right now, I'm getting 93-octane Super for ~$2.20 / gallon. Woot! My buddies in Nor Cal or paying close to $3.

-Josh

 

[disco1]

Hmmmm! How much does the "tank" additive cost?

 

[jmjunker]

hehe...way too much. $17.95

Still think I'll run a bottle every 3750 miles. Is that the best valve/injector clener to use? oops...I guess that is a new thread.

-Josh

 

[discoII]

imo i would use what is recommended(super)..its only a 15 to 20 cent difference.

 

[speedmancool]

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the fuel quality requirements for my 2004 Discovery II SE. The 4.6L says it requires Super Unleaded. My question is how tolerant is the vehicle to lower grade fuel...say 89 octane mid-grade?

I would think that the modern fuel injection and computer control would just ****** the timing a bit if it detected any pinging and be able to handle bad batches of gas or lower qualities of fuel in certain global regions.

Has anyone had any experience running mid-grade fuel in their Discovery II? Is it risky? Is it a non-issue? I don't drive my vehicle very hard and wouldn't miss a bit of power if that was the tradeoff for a 10-15% savings on fuel.

Thanks for any advise.

Survey located at this thread:

http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1811

-Josh

I dont see why does the land rover needs super unleaded, since it is manufactured to endure the most severe conditions in developing countries, like those in Africa. I dont think they have super unleded in kenia, and those are the places where you see more land rovers. It is ironic. I will not spoil it with super, I´ll stick with regular.

 

[speedmancool]

use regular

I dont see why does the land rover need super unleaded fuel, since it was originally made to endure the most severe conditions, like in the cammel trophy. I dont think they have super unleaded fuel in developing african countries, like kenia or tanzany. I will use only regular, and i hope, for LR own reputation, it can handle it.

 

[joey]

speedmancool... just so you know, when a LR is sent for sale to a country that has less than premium fuel, the reset the ECU to run that type of fuel. Running your LR on Regular is not the best option, since it will predetonate and cause the knock sensors to work overtime. Cause you to lose power, fuel economy and lessen the life of the spark plugs and other engine parts.