Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:11:22 -0400
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: waterboxer pinging
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; delsp=no
the high altitude west. Starts in West Texas, western Oklahoma, goes on
west from there until altitudes drop to around 2000 ft asl. Includes
the great majority of that "mighty big place." When I was in Washington
and Oregon this summer, I could not find alcohol-free gasoline. Same in
Idaho and Montana. And everywhere I was above about 2000 ft. asl, the
regular gasoline was 85 octane. That's been true for a good many years.
I first became aware of it as a young man, and I'm a long way from that
now. I've only driven in British Columbia and Alberta on a couple of
occasions, both a long time ago, and I simply don't remember what the
gasoline that I bought was. Since I was in coastal B.C., I imagine the
fuel was 87 octane.
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 1:47 PM , Jake de Villiers wrote:
> 'The West' is a mighty big place.
>
> In my sub-region of 'The West', from Alberta to British Columbia to
> Washington and Oregon, regular gas is 87 Octane - alcohol is optional.
>
> Jake
>
> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>
>> Well, that sounds definitive. I was hoping for a reply that would
>> enlighten me a little more, however. VW clearly recommends minimum
>> octane 87. Gasoline in the West is clearly lower octane than that
>> (on
>> reasonable theoretical, and I suppose data driven, grounds).
>> Numerous
>> folks, including some with claimed technical expertise, state that
>> the
>> waterboxer is subject to detonation knock (ping) and that the octane
>> value of the gasoline used is iffy in that regard. Consequently
>> these
>> folks recommend higher octane gasoline. If they are wrong, I'd like
>> to
>> know how we know that. If they are right, I definitely don't want to
>> waste my money. I'd just like to understand it a little better. I
>> certainly believe that pinging would be less noticeable in a vanagon
>> than in a vehicle with the engine right in front of the driver. For
>> driving in Oklahoma, I pay the extra for alcohol free gasoline. Is
>> that
>> a waste of money also? Actually, for my other cars, I concluded that
>> I
>> would pay up to but not more than $0.06 per gallon more. That was
>> arbitrary. Given the alleged propensity of the waterboxer to be
>> sensitive to gasoline quality (and VW's admonition in the manual to
>> use
>> alcohol free gasoline if possible), for that vehicle, I always pay
>> whatever extra I have to to get alcohol free fuel, where it is
>> available.
>>
>> Any explanation will be considered helpful.
>>
>> David McNeely
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 12:18 PM , Richard A Jones wrote:
>>
>> And, am I just wasting my
>>>> money, as most auto manufacturers state, when I pay extra for the
>>>> higher
>>>> octane stuff when out west?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yes.
>>>
>>> Richard
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
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