Looking at buying a 55 Plate Blobeye STi, the current owner says he's had the car just over a year but has been using normal unleaded fuel and super as a treat now and then?

My question is this, does the car actually have to use superunleaded (VPower) as I'm confused now as to how this guy has been using the car all this time on normal unleaded without any problems if there was a problem using this fuel?

 

I read it will make the ECU limit the boost even if you go back to vpower, the ECU needs reset at a dealer or the battery disconnected for a long time.

Thats all i know...

 

If the ECU adapts to cope with regular unleaded why cant it revert back when using V power? The Hawkeyes couldnt be reset by the battery so would be surprised if the Blobs could.

 

It's just what I have read while researching for my blob STi.
Source: http://www.scoobypedia.co.uk/index.p...uelConsumption

 

This is what I wanna know. Can the blob be run on normal unleaded and if not then what damage can it cause an how soon?

As I say he's been running it a year?

 

Run on super full time guys

 

Don't think it would cause any problems, I believe you get less power from normal fuel though.

They advice if you get a map done on which ever fuel to stick with it, but no I don't think you will have any problems with the car just because he used normal fuel

 

From the link above to scoobypedia..

"Many questions are often raised regarding the type of fuel needed for the Impreza. The sticker inside the petrol cap says use Super unleaded only, but this has different meanings in different countries. In the UK, the standard (or premium) unleaded fuel is rated at 95 RON, the same as the Super available in other countries such as Australia and the US. In the UK, Super Unleaded is rated at 97 RON (was 98 until 1999). In Japan, it is 100. Generally, in the UK, normal unleaded is fine. In countries where lower quality fuel is available, then the best advise would be to run on the Super (or Premium) Unleaded fuel. Beware of octane boosters, as many contain lead or lead-like substances which will damage the catalytic convertor and oxygen (Lambda) sensor..
From the knowledge we have so far, it seems that the Engine Management System will react to a lower quality fuel by detecting the onset of knocking. In this case, it will retard the engine timing and reduce the maximum boost available from the turbo. It will then run on these lower settings until such time that the system is reset, though the system should eventually re-adapt to the higher quality fuel. Resetting the ECU simply speeds up this process."

So this would appear that normal unleaded IS fine? Does mention about lower quality fuels affecting the Ecu management and retarding the engine, hense reduced power etc but it isn't clear if this is Uk 95Ron or wether its talking about other countries fuels!

 

I would beg to differ. Do a search on here for APiDavid and look at at his post from today at what reasons he gives for engine failures. Advice from a engine builder that's seen plenty of blown engines.

 

Always vpower, there should be a manufacturer sticker on the inside of the fuelcap stating this (only use 98 ron fuel), as we all know it costs more per litre so you think its costing you more but in the longrun you are getting more mpg so that cancels itself out, if not works out slightly cheaper, let alone being better for your engine, making your car run a lot smoother etc.

 

Never, ever use anything less than 98. I'm surprised his engine has lasted this long from what I've read on here. Pretty sure the cars in limp mode on less than 98 if I remember rightly?

Is this on Ebay? Black one like you're after?

 

I believe the label under cap should say what it needs...?

 

Is there a definitive answer on this then, as apart from this the car is pretty much exactly what I want!

There seems to be two answers, and I too believe it should be VPower! But what exactly does it say under the fuel cap? As Scoobypedia seem to think its jus "superunleaded only" which as they say means different things in different countries?

Jus wanna get to the bottom of this, as this could put me off buying the car and I'm going to view soon!

Any help, light shed on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys. Ryan

 

I believe it is a legal requirement for all petrol cars to be able to "run" on regular unleaded. I have seen how rough an Impreza (not mine thank ****) runs on regular fuel and wouldn't ever recommend putting it in except in the most pressing of emergencies.

Engine builders of Subarus and Porsches I've spoken to both cite the use of regular unleaded by lazy or uninformed owners as a regular cause of engine failures.

Ultimately you should always run your car on the best juice available. Those stickers on the cap are applicable to the UK market.

As a side note about four or five years ago Fifth Gear put regular unleaded and then V-power into an Impreza STi to see what happened. There was a 15bhp difference in output, though it put out significantly less than 280bhp.

Poor quality vid but best I could find.

 

OMG, it actualy says use normal fuel in an sti, it will be fine

Dont run it on 95!!!!!!!!

unless its mapped for it of course, my dads is so is fine on 95, but its about 25bhp down on vpower (305 as apposed to 330)

 

The ecu would have reduced the ignition timing with normal unleaded being in the tank, it would take at least 50miles for it to learn that super unleaded was being used but that's only if the tank was empty of unleaded.


You are best off speaking to a mapper with regards to any possible damage.

 

If you really want the car, get the engine health checked, ie cyl leakege test & borescoped, if the owner wants to sell & is genuine it would only cost a couple hours labour.

 

It has to be super unleaded for a JDM car, or you can expect engine trouble.

 

There's so much scaremongering when it comes to fuel, oil changes etc.
As a matter of course you should use V-Power or Momentum but if you find it's unavailable use 95 and drive relatively gently until you top up with Super. Your engine (even a well modified one) will not det itself to death or suffer damage. You just need to use a modicom of common sense!
However, if the guy used the full performance of the car whilst using 95 I would be a little concerned as it's difficult to hear det from inside the car when accelerating hard. I would be tempted to try to find his driving technique without giving him a clue as to your concerns.

JohnD

 

There's a bit of a difference between having to put a fivers worth in to get to the next Shell station and constantly running it on just unleaded. My uk blobeye says 98ron on the fuel cap and I wouldn't dream of running it on anything less. If the owners tried to save on fuel, what else have they tried to save on, would be my concern.

 

If I found a car which has been run on lower RON fuel, I`d be worried about what else had been scrimped on....and move on.

 

This is what I can't get my head around.. He has owned the car for over a year now and has been running on normal unleaded.. So either the engine should have failed by now OR maybe it's mapped for it? But how could you tell?

 

you mentioned he had been running it on normal unlead then super as a treat, suggests has not been mapped for normal. is the treat because he knows it should have been on super?

might be worth finding out this guys knowledge.


if he just had car one year run on 95 ron and ragged it you could be buying judging from the comments above

 

^^^ listen to this man, he will have seen first hand many many times the damage done to engine internals caused by detonation.
Just because the engine is still running does not mean it's not damaged. The owner of the car may have driven like miss daisy since owning the car and all is fine. There again it maybe det damaged and a waiting time bomb. Personally i would not buy it without having it checked. On the good side, at least the owner was honest. I bet many selling there car would not admit to being a cheap skate on fuel and claim it was only ever run on 99ron.

I had a bike i used to drag race. The best fuel i could get at the time was 97ron. It suffered detonation and finally let go. This was a forged piston i pulled out of it.

 

There are plenty of cars around for sale at the moment, I'd avoid based on that alone.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. Seems ill have to leave this one then as cant chance risking it! It's a bit to far away to get checked out at its a good 5 hours drive!

I think the owner just didnt realise it had to be run on superunleaded as he openly admitted he runs it on normal and was surprised/confused to hear its not suppose to! So I don't think he's hiding anything as he wouldn't of admitted it

 

Had some information given to me today from an ecu programmer..

He said, the Impreza has a knock sensor, it will be fine on 95 Ron, (not recommended, but wont cause damage) as the knock sensor monitors the spark and detonation, if a lower Ron fuel is detected, the sensor notifies the ecu, which adjusts the spark to compensate, this will affect performance, less torque!

Interesting......

 

My mapped 02 STI ran fine through the winter on the cheap stuff. Obviously you won't be trying as hard in the poor weather. Good stuff and octane booster during the summer.

dunx

 

yes perhaps on a standard ecu and if theres enough scope within ecu to pull enough timing. The ecu does have upper and lower limits and cant go on endlessly. A different story if its been remapped for 99 ron as the ecu woyld have been altered

 

I wouldn't buy an impreza sti that had been run on 95 for any considerable amount of time.