V6 Ron Switch?

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:04 pm

Long time no post mainly due to an almost total loss of faith in the 'bra
recently had fuel reg replaced after major leak and its been a dog ever since.

So I......

found error 73 in ecu - cleaned air m meter plate and contacts

Disconnected battery for 1 hour (reset ecu i think)

Noticed a big difference on the fuel reg adjuster and the settings shown in the exellent plug and cooler guides - changed to like position and crossed fingers.

All better!! - Just tried some Ron 99 and now not so good, ok but not great.

Question 1 On the fuel/Ron switch Is A 95 or 98 ?
Question 2 Is supermarket ron 99 - any good/safe/waste of money?

MarkV6 · by **MarkV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:28 am

<span style="font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><span style="color:#000080"><span style="color:Black"><div class='quotetop'>(V6Calibra.com)</div><div class='quotemain'>V6 Regional Coding Plug - Often mistaken for a Fuel Octane Plug but it isn't. Located in the upper right corner of the engine bay (near the diagnostic socket). A small brown plastic plug. Changing this plug round from A to B will increase the target idle rpm by 100 (from 700 to 800); other effects of changing this from A to B have been debated on the clubcalibra forums. If there are any gains to be made swapping this plug around then they are subtle.</div></span>

<span style="color:Black"><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Verdana">The small plug you have found isn't a fuel ron plug so swapping it around shouldn't make any difference. Though some people claim it makes a big difference to their car.

On the fuel side: I have run mine on Tesco's 99 any under hard accleration in any gear it just doesn't feel as smooth as using ordinary 95.
Also the RON number is just an indicator of how resistant the fuel is to detonation or 'pinking' but then you also have the calorific value (or how much power) is in a specific quantity of fuel to consider as well.
I'd run 3 to 4 tankfulls of each type of fuel to compare performance and fuel economy before making a decision.
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**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:12 pm

Thanks could'nt find that info on the plug anywhere.

You said that 95 felt smother, but i thought that the V6's were supposed to run on 98 if possible beacuse of the "pinking" issue?

I'll will try a fuel comparison and feedback cheers.

RobbieV · by **RobbieV** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:32 pm

Didn't think V6's had a "pinking" issue due to the use of 2 knock sensors.

<a href="http://www.v6calibra.com/common/v6calibra_knocksensor.htm" target="_blank">http://www.v6calibra.com/common/v6calibra_knocksensor.htm</a>

MarkV6 · by **MarkV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:17 pm

@ Rhino

Because of the age of the Calibra, 98 ron wasn't really widely available as it is now and the cars were ECU 'mapped' for 91/95 ron from Vauxhall. Hence using 98/99 will give marginal improvements for some people.
Chipping the ECU may allow for using 98 with greater improvements.

The new VW's I work on are factory mapped for 95/98.

@ Mr V

My pinking comment was aimed more at the fuel quality rather than the car. With a higher ron you should be able to run a higher compression ratio which is where 'forced induction' engines will benefit more.

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:30 pm

Have checked ecu - only No 73 which I rectified I hope. Do occasionally get a "pinking" or "ticking" noise on startup but usally goes away if stopped and restarted, although I put this down to being well over due oil and plugs?

But I thought I read somewhere that hard acceleration was not advised on 95 RON - must have been 91 RON

MOT 9 AM tomorrow if she passes I might change the oil but its a big IF.

Do the water jets have to work for the ticket?

MarkV6 · by **MarkV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:43 pm

<div class='quotetop'>(RhinoV6)</div><div class='quotemain'>Do occasionally get a "pinking" noise on startup but usally goes away if stopped and restarted, although I put this down to being well over due oil and plugs.</div>
That is probably the hydraulic tappets 'ticking' as they will be low on oil, on a cold start ie left overnight. That noise should go away as the oil pressure builds up again.

Unless something is SERIOUSLY wrong you will not get 'proper' pinking when the engine is at idle speed. It should only occur under heavy load or hard acceleration.

<div class='quotetop'>(RhinoV6)</div><div class='quotemain'>hard acceleration was not advised on 95 RON?</div>
Doesn't seem to bother mine..... I get no pinking, and it goes very well :icon_nod: if you know what I mean.. :tongue:

EDIT: yep your windscreen washers have to work for the MOT

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:05 pm

Noise can last for quite a while and sounds awful. thin oil?

RE:Washers - 10 hours to the MOT and a fault to fix! This is what its all about eh! cheers for info.

**dicky** · by **dicky** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 12:48 am

If you have a tapping noise on start-up from cold then as Mark says sounds like the hydrolic lash tappets.

This is normal on high-mileage Vauxhalls, you could try using a 5w/40 or 0w/40 oil as this will aid in cold starting.

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 1:11 pm

She passed !!!! (Went to school with tester - that helps!)

Will try some 5w/40 ASAP now Ive got her for another year.

The noise sounds like only one or two tappets if that makes sense?

As on a budget have seen some very cheap 5w/40 in supermarket - stay clear?

original thread - changed fuel toggle back to 'A' for the ticket - first impression is, doesnt 'feel' as fast in 1st. Ill try a couple of tanks and compare that also.

**dicky** · by **dicky** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 5:18 pm

Valvoline, Havoline, Silkoline, Mobil1, Castrol.

There are lots of 5w/40 or 0w/40 oils, how much you want to spend?

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 8:04 pm

Will probably get Mobil, but the stuff from supermarket was blue and said 5w40 petrol engine and was Very Very Cheap. I nearly bought it but I've never seen a post saying "tried cheap oil, evereything great" at a difference of Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£15 its another evening I wont be spending in the pub.

Original thread - Since adjusting fuel regulator no tapping noise?

@ Dicky

Checked your 'Calibra History' and I know what your mean by bad luck - first trip home from work in the calibra and I got rear ended causing over Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£1000 of damage since then its been bambi and fantastic mr fox both front bumper damage another Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£150 and the list goes on..............

**dicky** · by **dicky** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:17 pm

The Mobil1 0w/40 is a good oil.

So you had a AFPR, if so if it were runing to lean you woul here it pinking.
If it was the std FPR then I suppose leaving it disconnected to vacum would cause some pinking.

I can't get away from Calibras and am actually saving up for a turbo now, have wanted one for a while now.

**RhinoV6** · by **RhinoV6** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:51 pm

I dont want to sound dim but whats difference between 'AFPR' and 'Std FPR'

**dicky** · by **dicky** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:42 pm

Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator.
Standard Fuel Pressure Regulator. (3.0bar)

V6 Ron Switch?

V6 Ron Switch?

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