BMW with DInantronics Tuner: MPG boost?

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by trollbait

You were likely at high elevation where you were in Montana. The thinner air and lower pressures mean a naturally aspirated engine doesn't need as high of an octane.

So I live in a Mountainous Province with elevations much higher than Montana and we do not sell low octane fuel.

Besides who wants to drive something that has to "suck" rather a vehicles that is "blown"

Turbo all the way,, or maybe supercharged (but have never owned one of those) Now Volvo has come out with an engine that is both turbo charged and supercharged

[Draigflag]

Turbo charging and supercharging the same engine is not new, VW group cars have been selling these for some time. I'm looking forward to the new generation of electric turbos, wave goodbye to turbo lag!

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by BlueRover

So I live in a Mountainous Province with elevations much higher than Montana and we do not sell low octane fuel.

Because you have more charged engines, and their nature overcomes the limits of lower pressures and thin air.

It also may not economically viable to make lower octane fuel(many of the octane booster compounds are valuable for other uses) if your region/population is small.

Besides who wants to drive something that has to "suck" rather a vehicles that is "blown"

Someone that doesn't want turbo lag

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by trollbait

Because you have more charged engines, and their nature overcomes the limits of lower pressures and thin air.

It also may not economically viable to make lower octane fuel(many of the octane booster compounds are valuable for other uses) if your region/population is small.

Someone that doesn't want turbo lag

Yes there are only a few million people within a few kilometres from my house so that must be why we have no low octane gas, not like the huge population of Montana.

In the 80's there was turbo lag but since early 90's lag has never been a problem with modern turbo charged cars usually obtaining maximum torque around 1600 R.P.M.
If anything the turbo's in most modern cars spool up so fast that you have to just tickle the accelerator when starting. Of course I have only been driving high output turbo charged cars since 1982 so you may have more experience.

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by BlueRover

Yes there are only a few million people within a few kilometres from my house so that must be why we have no low octane gas, not like the huge population of Montana.

In the 80's there was turbo lag but since early 90's lag has never been a problem with modern turbo charged cars usually obtaining maximum torque around 1600 R.P.M.
If anything the turbo's in most modern cars spool up so fast that you have to just tickle the accelerator when starting. Of course I have only been driving high output turbo charged cars since 1982 so you may have more experience.

I was thinking you were in the UK, but see that is wrong. The elevation of Surrey is 440 feet. If the major population centers of British Columbia are located in low lying parts, distributing different regular octanes in the region may not be cost effective. Most of the population is going to need 87, so storing and delivering 86 or 85 for much smaller populations within the same area could cancel any gains made by selling that lower octane stuff.

The lowest towns in Montana are over 1900 feet. Most are over 3000, with some over 5000. While there is less people there, the area of high elevation is more consistent. It is large enough that the people driving within it greatly outnumber those along the border region where they have to be concerned about driving down to areas where the lower octane will be bad for the car.

The area of low octane also isn't just Montana, but pretty much all the western states approaching the continental divide. What octanes are available in Alberta and Saskatchewan?

Then there is a factor not mentioned yet; regulations. Canada doesn't dictate minimum octanes on the federal level, but the provinces could be doing so. This law seems to imply that 87 is the lowest that legally be sold in British Columbia.
Cleaner Gasoline Regulation

Compared to the Sonic, the accelerator response on the Sable is, um, just beautiful. I know it isn't a like comparison between the two, and I have no doubt turbo response has improved over the years, but the torque delivery between a NA and charged engine is different. like preferences in transmission types, some people will just like one more than the other.

[BlueRover]

Nice to know that you have so much information regarding Canada. But no where do they sell low octane fuel. Wonder why you would think I was in the U.K. since looking even quickly before replying you would see clearly I am in Canada

Low octane fuel helps non fuel injected cars in high attitudes because of the mechanical connection between jets and throttle on a carburetor equipped engine. Fuel injected cars measured the air coming in and then the amount of fuel needed is calculated.

Oh we do not have a major refinery in B.C. so all our fuel is trucked in .

No comment re the Sonic.

[Draigflag]

Originally Posted by BlueRover

Nice to know that you have so much information regarding Canada. But no where do they sell low octane fuel. Wonder why you would think I was in the U.K. since looking even quickly before replying you would see clearly I am in Canada

At a glance you see "Surrey" a County in England near London, and "British" by your username, so it's no huge surprise. Remember North America/Canada has only recently been discovered, a fair few of the place names there originate from Britain

[trollbait]

Search engines are useful programs.

At a glance, I saw Surrey, British, and you brought up the octane of Europe earlier.

Lower octane at high altitude doesn't really help any engine. With lower effective compression ratios up there, NA engines can just operate with lower octane without knocking. Which likely lets the oil companies make more profit.

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

At a glance you see "Surrey" a County in England near London, and "British" by your username, so it's no huge surprise. Remember North America/Canada has only recently been discovered, a fair few of the place names there originate from Britain

At a glance I see Country = Canada
City Surrey, "British Columbia"

I think North America has been here for eons and inhabited for 10's of thousands of years.

I have travelled to the Surrey in England and I believe they copied our name

[Corry_El]

Re turbo lag that's indeed hard to discern on the F30 generation BMW 328i, especially with the Dinan tuner (but does the tuner also increase mpg? the original topic). 'Turbo lag' with F30 3 series is IME just something older 3 E90 generation (non turbo 6 cyl) say as part of the car purist argument that the older car was the better performing overall. But the F30 is faster stock, and most definitely with the tuner (which applies basically to a turbocharged car, changes the turbocharger mapping to give more boost). The flat part of the torque curve goes down to around 1500rpm, and if you put it in 'sport' mode the transmission will relatively rarely have the engine running that slowly anyway. The power is pretty seamless, and noticeably more with the tuner: highly recommended for fun, a little extra mpg might be an additional bonus.