Mondeo 2.3 - what petrol?

[NZ XR6]

Just bought a Mondeo wagon (I'm in NZ) with the 2.3 petrol engine. On checking the handbook to see which petrol to use, I found a sticker that said to use 91. But it doesn't feel happy on 91 - I can hear light pinking under load and the engine just doesn't pull cleanly.

Having been down this road before with my last Ford (XR6), I expect that it will run better on higher octane petrol. I'll probably try BP Ultimate next time I fill the car, but in the meantime would be interested in other people's experiences with using higher octane petrol in the 2.3 engine.

BTW, our 91 is pretty basic stuff. I'm sure it meets the 91 RON standard, but my XR6 would sometimes audibly pink on 91, so in the end I used BP Ultimate as it ran much better and got better fuel consumption.

[NZ XR6]

Here is a quote from the very extensive Ford Australia press release when the Mondeo was released:

Knock Control: The engine knock control system adjusts spark timing and cylinder pressure to deliver best performance from 95 octane petrol. However, the engine has been calibrated to operate with varying fuel octane ratings to optimise engine power output and protect engine durability, and will safely run on 91 RON petrol.

So why do Ford say to run the 2.3 on 91 in Australia and NZ? Is it a mistake in the press release, or are they trying to make the vehicle look good to fleet operators?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

So why do Ford say to run the 2.3 on 91 in Australia and NZ? Is it a mistake in the press release, or are they trying to make the vehicle look good to fleet operators?

From what I understand, a car needs a few tanks of 91RON so the ECU 'learns' to use the lower octane petrol.

So perhaps run a few tanks of it, take it easy to start with and see if you still have the pinging problem?

[20focus05]

Sounds like our Focus. It pings its head off on 91 and sometimes ot will ping even on 95.
I persume the 2.3 has a high compression ratio like the 2.0 so its better to run at least 95.

I wish the ECU did learn to use 91 cause when we got our focus we only use 91 for the first 5 or 6 tanks and it was crap, even had it back to ford to get software update.

[NZ XR6]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

From what I understand, a car needs a few tanks of 91RON so the ECU 'learns' to use the lower octane petrol.

So perhaps run a few tanks of it, take it easy to start with and see if you still have the pinging problem?

It's a used car with 14,000 kms so if it was ever going to "learn" how to run properly on 91 it should have done so by now!

Thanks for mentioning this though - I'll reset the ECU when I try it on higher octane petrol.

[paulie0735]

Change where you are buying your fuel! Just because it says 91 on the pump does not mean its a quality 91 octane fuel that your getting.

[NZ XR6]

Originally Posted by paulie0735

Change where you are buying your fuel! Just because it says 91 on the pump does not mean its a quality 91 octane fuel that your getting.

Petrol quality is regularly tested in NZ. And almost all of the 91 in Auckland (where I live) comes down a pipeline from NZ's only oil refinery at Marsden Point.

Another point, which I'd forgotten, is that the lowest octane petrol in the UK is 95. I'll give Ford NZ a call about this in the New year.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

Just bought a Mondeo wagon (I'm in NZ) with the 2.3 petrol engine. On checking the handbook to see which petrol to use, I found a sticker that said to use 91. But it doesn't feel happy on 91 - I can hear light pinking under load and the engine just doesn't pull cleanly.

Having been down this road before with my last Ford (XR6), I expect that it will run better on higher octane petrol. I'll probably try BP Ultimate next time I fill the car, but in the meantime would be interested in other people's experiences with using higher octane petrol in the 2.3 engine.

BTW, our 91 is pretty basic stuff. I'm sure it meets the 91 RON standard, but my XR6 would sometimes audibly pink on 91, so in the end I used BP Ultimate as it ran much better and got better fuel consumption.

You should be able to run it on all available fuels in NZ, I'd be using 95RON as a minimum though.

[NZ XR6]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

You should be able to run it on all available fuels in NZ, I'd be using 95RON as a minimum though.

Thanks. It runs OK on 91, but feels like its retarding the timing under load. I'll try Ultimate next as a reference point, then see how it goes on 95.

[Dusty1]

I've got the diesel, but can't the Mondeo petrol run on E10? It's cheaper than normal petrol, at least here in Vic.

[NZ XR6]

Originally Posted by Dusty1

I've got the diesel, but can't the Mondeo petrol run on E10? It's cheaper than normal petrol, at least here in Vic.

Yes, Gull sell an E10 here. But it's 5c per litre more expensive than 95!

[TITO]

Test drove a Mondeo today [nice car] it ran on 91 and I could hear the engine ping a few times in city traffic. Even though the handbook says it can run between 91 & 98 + e10 I would prefer nothing less than 95 then again I would probably run 98.

[NZ XR6]

Originally Posted by TITO

Test drove a Mondeo today [nice car] it ran on 91 and I could hear the engine ping a few times in city traffic. Even though the handbook says it can run between 91 & 98 + e10 I would prefer nothing less than 95 then again I would probably run 98.

Hmm. My handbook has a red sticker covering the printed section on Fuel Quality - Petrol that says "New Zealand Fuel Requirements 91 unleaded". I wonder why they did that?

[NZ XR6]

Filled the tank with 95 yesterday. Wow, what a difference - no audible pinking, the engine pulls far better from low revs and the petrol consumption has improved. The engine was clearly designed to run on 95, NOT 91.

I am at a loss to understand why Ford NZ specify 91 for the petrol Mondeo. I almost decided against buying the car because of the way it performed during my test drive, and I wonder how many other prospective buyers have had the same reaction.

[hairykewell]

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

Here is a quote from the very extensive Ford Australia press release when the Mondeo was released:

Knock Control: The engine knock control system adjusts spark timing and cylinder pressure to deliver best performance from 95 octane petrol. However, the engine has been calibrated to operate with varying fuel octane ratings to optimise engine power output and protect engine durability, and will safely run on 91 RON petrol.

Will the engine knock control system adjust the spark timing and cylinder pressure for 98 octane fuel as well as it does for 95 octane or should I be asking for something to be changed at my 3000km service? I only use 98.

[wusyc]

The handbook (for MB, not sure about MA) says that it can run on 91 fuel but performance is not optimal unless you run it on 95.

[hairykewell]

Yes I know that but what I'm asking is does the spark timing adjust for 98 octane as well?

[NZ XR6]

The knock sensor will only cause the timing to retard if it detects pinking, not advance it further if there is none. So if the engine runs optimally on 95, then there will be no benefit from running a higher octane.

In theory, you could get a custom tune that would optimise the performance on 98. But even if it's possible, I doubt that it would be worthwhile for a standard engine. And I've found no real difference between 95 and 98 in my Mondeo.

[hairykewell]

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

In theory, you could get a custom tune that would optimise the performance on 98. But even if it's possible, I doubt that it would be worthwhile for a standard engine. And I've found no real difference between 95 and 98 in my Mondeo.

Thanks!