Hello FuelWatchers,
In response to recent feedback, this month’s editorial will focus on unleaded fuels, fuel octane ratings and what they really mean for motorists.   Firstly, some background information…

What is an octane rating?
An octane rating is a numerical measurement of the anti-knock properties of a motor fuel. “Knocking” is also referred to as detonation or pinging. Essentially, “knocking” is that terrible "ping ping ping" sound your engine might make when it is accelerating or under load.  

Put simply, vehicle manufactures specify a fuel octane rating for each car produced to ensure maximum performance and reduce knocking / pinging under normal conditions.

Australian unleaded octane ratings explained
In Australia the following unleaded fuels are on offer.

Which unleaded octane rating should be used?
It is recommended that motorists use fuel with at least the octane rating suggested by the vehicle manufacturers.  When discussing this matter with oil company representatives, they said that there is no harm in using a fuel with a higher than recommended octane rating.  Conversely, there is no guaranteed benefit either.  There may however be a loss of vehicle performance if a lower than recommended octane fuel is used. Many imported and performance cars are designed to use higher octane fuels.  Some of these cars can use lower octane fuel, but may suffer consequent loss in performance.  Others have engine management systems that can detect the octane of fuel and adjust the engine timing to suit that octane.   

What are the benefits of using higher octane fuel?
According to fuel companies, some of the benefits of using higher octane fuels can be:
-         improved engine responsiveness
-         better fuel economy
-         greater fuel efficiency
-         cleaner engine
-         better driveability
-         lower emissions and therefore a cleaner environment
NOTE: Higher octane fuels contain cleaning agents that are said to assist the removal of carbon deposits in a car’s engine and protect it against corrosion, allowing the engine to function better. 

The differing price of unleaded fuels
Each type of unleaded fuel is differently priced.  The price of these fuels may influence motorists on which octane rating of unleaded fuel is purchased.  For your interest we have compared the market averages of ULP and PULP prices in each capital over the past week in the following table.

Higher octane fuels and pre-1986 LRP vehicles
Many older cars from the 1970’s and 1980’s that required leaded fuel were actually designed for a 98-100 octane fuel.  As these cars are now legally required to use lead replacement fuel (LRP) which has a lower octane rating than leaded fuel, these cars could benefit from higher octane fuel.  However, if a higher octane fuel is used in pre-1986 vehicles, the engines may need to be modified or an aftermarket anti-valve seat recession additive used to protect the engine. To learn more about pre-1986 vehicles and higher octane fuel, click here to go to the FE-FC Holden Car Club of NSW website.  Their site has a comprehensive technical article on the subject.

So which octane fuel should you use?
Ultimately it’s a matter of personal choice as only individual motorists can decide which octane of fuel they should use.  It will essentially depend on the manufacturers specifications for each car and the consideration of overall benefit versus fuel price.  For additional information on octane ratings and associated issues, click here.  Although the site is American, it gives a great deal of valuable and relevant information on fuel. 

Hope this helps. Until next month…

Bernadette Murray
Marketing Manager
bmurray@fuelwatch.com.au

Damien Reid, our guest editor, with more fascinating news on the Fuel and Auto front.
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The average, lowest and the highest prices for last month in each city were:

The price leading service stations for each city last month were:

Brisbane	Service Station Ozfuel Address Beaudesert Road Suburb Calamvale Average Price for month 74.0
Sydney	Service Station Independent Address corner The Horsley Drive and Market Street Suburb Smithfield Average Price for month 84.3
Melbourne	Service Station Woolworths Plus Petrol Address corner Doncaster Road and Churchill Street Suburb Doncaster East Average Price for month 82.5
Adelaide	Service Station Southern Cross Address corner O.G. Road and Yaralin Avenue Suburb Klemzig Average Price for month 81.8
Perth	Service Station Liberty Address corner High Street and Montreal Street Suburb Fremantle Average Price for month 85.1

FuelWatch is committed to helping Australian motorists get a better deal on fuel by providing them with free and easily accessible information on fuel prices.

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