Certainly is a 5 speed. A ZF I thought? Could be wrong?
Gearboxes prior to VIN M45254 were a 4 speed auto box I think?
Its not often I see them in the titanium colour either.
The car is a late 2002 facelift MK1, if that makes sense?
Before they changed the body shape.

 

ie: motorcycles with carbs and yes E10 fuel is bad when left for any time in the gas tank and carbs.
In the same way as supermarket fuel goes off after about 8 weeks in the tank and modern fuel injection bikes run like a tractor until the tank is refilled with Shell super unleaded. or similar. I know that now, since I learned how fast fuel goes off with my first Suzuki Hayabusa.
Some bikers are using fuel addatives in the tank if the bike is not going to be used over winter or for any fair length of time. A lot has to do with E10 fuel absorbing too much moisture.
I tried asking the oil companies about E10 fuel compatability 2 years ago and they were very cagey to tell me anything, some just did not respond.
There are quite a few car brands and models out there which E10 fuel is not compatible with. The entire Ford KA range is one example. I found the information in Australia not the UK or US.
The ethanol in fuel is a whole, XXL size can o worms.

 

Well, this went off the rails in a hurry.

Why don't we just drag out all the myths for a beating.

Nitrogen in the tires anyone?

 

Speaking for myself Mikey, my comments are from my experiences and two biker mates who are also top level engineers at BP.
These guys have several bikes and cars each and know very well about fuel.
The problems with ethanol content fuel are well documented online.
So I am not going to be entering into any pissing matches.

 

Great. The ethanol debate has well and truly been beaten to death far too many times and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the subject at hand which is fuel additives/top tier.

I resisted the temptation of hijacking the topic towards the octane topic where you apparently believe that using high octane fuel (98RON) has some benefit over 95 RON, which your vehicle was designed to use. But it's rude to hijack other peoples topics.

BTW- NO S-type ever came with a 4 speed gearbox. The pre-face lift cars came with a 5 speed Ford unit. The post face-lift (like yours) have a six speed ZF unit.

 

As I said I'm not being drawn into any pissing matches.

 

Early autos were 5 speed. All the rest, 6 speed.

I never heard of a 2.5 with a 5 speed auto box.

The VIN break at M45254 is not a certain guide, just usually.

Easy way to tell is what max gear number is on the J-gate? Hard to tell from the pic but looks like 5 so that's a 6 speed ZF box as I originally posted.

 

Not in an S-Type (and probably most other modern cars). It's fine for months. Maybe longer but had no reason to find out.

 

Given that 'supermarket' fuel comes from the same refinery as brand name fuel and is identical in every way other than (maybe) the additives, none of which alter the shelf life, why on earth would it go off faster?

More myths.......

 

Dennis Catone, I hope you got the info you wanted from the first few posts, because the conversation has drifted all over the place since then. You may already have read all the posts on these other subjects, so I'll give you my opinion on the questions you ask.

Refineries do not add detergent additives to gasoline. That is done at marketing terminals, by the guys who sell and distribute the gasoline. So, it's entirely possible that some buyers will cut costs by not requesting Top Tier specs. However, Costco gas is Top Tier, as good as any other major brand.

Jaguar recommends a minimum octane of 95 RON for S-type engines, so I would definitely prefer Costco premium. The 91 AKI Costco premium is, in fact, the same spec as 95 RON. You can expect both improved performance and better mileage from premium.

Some gasoline brands are ethanol-free, but not Costco. Unfortunately, S-type engines may include components that are susceptible to ethanol. I myself had a VERY expensive fuel rail repair bill because the Viton ring in the damper was leaking, and new rings were no longer available after the manufacturer found that they were attacked by ethanol. In addition, ethanol is fully miscible with water, and gasoline with ethanol can absorb free water from the sludge at the bottom of the fuel tank. So now, I only use ethanol-free gas.

My .02 cents worth...

 

Thanks for that JKagV8
A long day yesterday and a senior moment combined.

 

Reflects my understanding on all those points, thanks for putting it so clearly.

While there is a list produced by the UK organisation the "Motorcycle Industry Association" of motorcycles which are ethanol fuel compliant and which are not I could not locate one for UK car models last time I looked.
The ethanol attacks anything rubber and plastic which are made from materials which are not ethanol resistant. E10 effectively reduces fuel consumption on all cars whether compliant or not. This to some degree negates the claims of it being green fuel, but the use of ethanol is a government initiative and not generated by the motor industry.

This is the Australian site with ethanol compliant cars and its good to see that all Jagaurs post 1986 are compliant.

Can my car use E10 ethanol fuel?- Car News | CarsGuide

The MIA site with a .pdf list of E10 compliant motorcycle models:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...vm=bv.89947451

But also % of ethanol content varies from country to country.
ie: in Thailand they are or were testing out 20% ethanol content fuel which the majority of current vehciles will not be compatible with.

If anyone can work through the utter tedium of this UK website the latest news and intentions with fuel can be found.

Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership | Biofuels, Electric Cars & Hydrogen Fuel Cells

IMO here we are with major climate change happening and the corporate muppets are tinkering with percentages of ethanol content.

 

Again-what has ethanol and motorcycles got to do with the subject at hand?

I thought you weren't interested in provoking a pissing contest?

 

Sigh....
This is abroad and inaccurate statement. The ethanol content of Costco gas can vary state by state, province by province and also by octane level.

Just like any other brand of gas. Choosing top tier or name brand is no assurance of ethanol content, one way or the other.

 

Just curious, what is the general consensus on constantly switching brands vs. sticking with one brand. This is assuming all are Top Tier.

I'm a stickler for running one brand as much as possible. This is based on my own very unscientific personal experiences. However, I'll freely admit my Jag doesn't seem to care what fuel brand I use. (Typing very quietly now, but my non-FI vehicles sure have a preference and will make known their displeasure.)

It does seem that fueling at the supermarket is the equivalent of fueling at Shell for one tank, then maybe Mobil for the next, followed by perhaps Texaco, etc. Even though all are Top Tier, there must be some differences. What they are, I can't tell you, but I've noticed Shell, for example, has a very pungent odor.

Don't our engines go through a learning process with changes in fuel? Notice I'm not saying any particular brand is better than another for our FI cars. I'm just wondering to what extent the computer responds to differences in fuel. I'd think there would be some minor relearning in response. If so, are we doing our engines any favors by constantly switching brands? Or in the case of supermarket fuel, letting the grocer do the switching randomly.

All but Mikey , discuss amongst yourselves...

 

I buy whatever is cheap that means I don't have to detour (which would make it cost more) and enter every fill's details into my PC, then watch (graph) MPG every now and then.

No signs (over 7+ years) of it mattering what fuel I bought (but all 95RON).

Almost all of it has been supermarket fuel as I live near two (different brands) and fill up at whichever I'm at.

I've only done about 60,000 miles over those 7+ years so it's hardly a test.

 

This info mainly for the benefit of Dennis Catone (if you're still watching)...

I had thought Costco were just being careful with the wording on their website when they said:
"Costco uses ethanol-compatible filters designed to catch sediment, water or phase-separated ethanol and water mixtures for locations that sell gasoline with ethanol".

Costco's website does not make it absolutely clear about the distribution of ethanol in their gasoline brands, so I decided to ask them directly. Here's their answer:

"Kirkland Signature Regular gasoline can contain up to 10% ethanol and Kirkland Signature Premium gasoline does not contain ethanol."

That's good news. I came across an article dated May 2016 in the Globe and Mail that stated "Other studies have shown that automobile engines produced prior to 2007 showed damage to valves, valve seats, seals, hoses and other components". I would guess that even the 2008 S-types are included here.

 

Dennis made no mention of the ethanol subject. It's got nothing to do with additives or Top Tier.

Not sure why people are intent on hijacking.

 

Dennis wanted more info about Costco gasoline, trying to reconcile an apparent mpg increase when using Shell. Hardly a hijack of the thread.

Why don't you let Dennis decide? Then, check the last sentence in post #35.

 

interesting that Costco premium is ethanol free in Canada. Here in my area of Texas I believe that all grades of fuel and brands must contain 10%.

We have used Costco fuel since we bought our STR about 8 years ago without issue.