Menzerna Top Inspection?

B

Bobby G

New member
A-hem!



This forum is for discussing ways to save money. I buy expensive cars, but I don't like throwing money away. What can we do to save a few extra coins each month. Share your secrets.



I'll tell you what I have started doing lately with the price of gas. My BMW 330i is rated for Premium fuel. However, when I'm taking long road trips (i.e., low RPMs and little stop and go), I use mid-grade fuel. The car runs fine, even when passing and taking on hills. I save $2-3 per tank.



db
 
Since you mentioned gas, I tend to cross the border to Indiana and fill my car up. On average, gas in IN is around .20/gallon cheaper than it is in Chicago.
 
I got one how about giving room in front of you so you can use your brakes less to save gas and the brakes! Guess this could be in driving huh?



Gas here is cheap anyway $1.15/ gal 87 octane!
 
Our city is located in a high hill, so I have to constantly use the brakes. I try to downshift more often, thus reducing the need of brakes (and cleaning!)



I also try to open the windows, and only use A/C when totally necessary. As for gas, I drive a round finding the cheaper-est gas stations. The cheapest price I can find here is about $1.67 for premium.
 
Buy used, and get a stick! Trying very hard to take my own advice this time...nuttin' but Chevron with Techron in my tanks, though...grade depends on the car, of course.



Keep 'em comin'!



Gary
 
My girlfriend taught me to buy everything on sale. Her family is rich, and they don't buy anything unless it is on sale.



The beauty of this approach is that you can BOTH spend less money AND get nicer stuff. For example, I get my casual shirts at the Gap and Bananna Republic. I have thirty or forty shirts in my closet, and I have not paid more than $12.99 for any of them. I would not have as many shirts if I had paid full price ($49.99) for them.



Now when stuff is on sale, you can stock up! For example, when my toothpaste goes on sale, I buy three or four tubes. This holds me over until the next sale.



I know that this sounds pretty obvious, but if you buy everything- and I mean everything- on sale, your standard of living will improve instantly- and you will be able to save more at the same time!
 
I also buy mid-grade gas (89 octane) for the cars I drive that suggest premium. The only time I don't is if I know I'll be driving serious hills.



Another tip is to use cruise control when highway driving, it tends to use less gas than if you were accelerating manually.



pdthree
 
A funny saying is "Buy only things that you need."

That would include food(bread), water, shelter(a tent) and some clothes(some old towels sewn together), and maybe some soap and deodorant.

If we lived only on our needs we would have an economy like a third world country.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by pdthree [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>I also buy mid-grade gas (89 octane) for the cars I drive that suggest premium. The only time I don't is if I know I'll be driving serious hills.

Another tip is to use cruise control when highway driving, it tends to use less gas than if you were accelerating manually.

pdthree [/b]</blockquote>
Usually, the Maxima gets 89 octane but at least once per month, it gets 93 to flush the system out. :D

To alleviate the air filter expense, I bought a K&N drop-in. The only thing I need to do is clean it. :D
 
Btw, pick up the latest issue of Car and Driver, or wait till next month and go to their site and read a special article about the effects of using different gases. For example, a Honda Accord has more horsepower at the wheels and quicker acceleration when used at [I[<strong class='bbc'>89[/b][/I] octane instead of 92!
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by DavidB [/i]
<strong class='bbc'> I'll tell you what I have started doing lately with the price of gas. My BMW 330i is rated for Premium fuel. However, when I'm taking long road trips (i.e., low RPMs and little stop and go), I use mid-grade fuel. The car runs fine, even when passing and taking on hills. I save $2-3 per tank.

db [/b]</blockquote>Is it really worth cheaping out $2-3 on a $40k car?? I honestly couldn't do it!!! BMW has obviously found that the car performs at it's best on 91 octane. When my dad bought his xi the sales guy told him that he could in fact run the car on 89 with no ill effects. I think it is just a ploy to make Bimmer owners believe that the cost of ownership isn't as high as it really is. Just my opinion but Click and Clack have many columns about this topic here is one:
http://cartalk.cars.com/Columns/Archive/1995/July/01.html I'm not saying that you are wrong David, rather I simply disagree.
 
I've also seen it written that Octane ratings are a funny thing.



Like, for example if you put 3/4 tank 89 octane and 1/4 tank 93 octane gas, it stands to reason that the effective octane rating would be about 90. Well, apparently it's more like 92...



So, if you're into saving money, but keeping that octane rating up, you could try something along the lines of putting a gallon or two of Premium and then filling up with Plus. Not that I do that, or anything, but apparently it should work...



Gary
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by PrinzII [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>

Usually, the Maxima gets 89 octane but at least once per month, it gets 93 to flush the system out. :D

To alleviate the air filter expense, I bought a K&N drop-in. The only thing I need to do is clean it. :D [/b]</blockquote>
Bad news...higher octane fuel doesnt "flush the system out". Octane rating doesnt have anything to do with the quality or quantity of detergent additives thats put in fuel.

If your engine nocks or pings under acceleration then you need to switch to mid grade or premium fuel. If it runs fine with lower octane fuel you dont want or need mid grade or premium.
 
Correct answer Adamah.



Octane can be loosely translated to the ability of a gasoline to be compressed before it will detonate. The pinging is the fuel detonating before the spark plug fires so the gas is expanding before the correct timing point. Almost all fuels from one manufacturer have the same detergents and thingys.



If you want clean fuel change your fuel filter more often. And those Fuel injector cleaning jobs the Oil change place sells are BS.
 
Actually, basically all modern cars that require premium grades of fuel come with one or multiple knock sensors which notify the ECU of pre-detonation (pinging) with the lower octane gas. The ECU then retards igntion timing so the pinging is not apparent anymore. Could there still be some VERY low level pinging that the knock sensor (basically a piezo microphone) is not picking up? Sure, but it is minimal. If you dont drive your car hard, I dont see why you wouldnt put a lower grade of gas in...it wont hurt it but dont expect your car to produce as much power as if it had the appropriate gas in it.



I never personally use lower grade gas than 92 or 93 octane, just for the simple fact that I drive my cars hard regularly and track them quite often too. If there is one advantage to using a higher octane gas in an engine that doesnt require it, it is that the additives in higher octane are usually better for keeping things clean. They will not "flush" things though, per say. That is what changing the fuel filter and cleaning the injectors is for.



To save money, I say put the right gas in, but try and lighten up your right foot a little! :p
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Adamah [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>

Bad news...higher octane fuel doesnt "flush the system out". Octane rating doesnt have anything to do with the quality or quantity of detergent additives thats put in fuel.

If your engine nocks or pings under acceleration then you need to switch to mid grade or premium fuel. If it runs fine with lower octane fuel you dont want or need mid grade or premium. [/b]</blockquote>
Actually, I prefer using mid-grade gas (preferably Mobil) anyway in the Maxima. I have preferred mid-grade in most of my cars (with the exception of the Caprice which required premium :mad:).
 
I really like the idea of buying everything on sale. For example, if you find that there's a certain set of tire that you love on sale yet you still have 1 year left on your current tires, buy them anyway. If there's a sale on your favorite brand of brake pads, buy them even if your current pads are good for another year or so.
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
Will it streak less and leave a "nicer" finish after compunding/polishing compared to IPA?
Click to expand...

I got a free bottle when I placed an order with another store once, honestly I was very disappointed. Top inspection is a very grabby product, not ideal for wiping down perfectly polished paint. IPA isnt slick at all but I prefer it over TI hands down, plus its cheaper, plus you can use different dilutions depending on the task and or paint.

With some paints, and I have found this only on non metallic solid finishes IPA can marr a bit but in most cases you should not have a problem, I prefer using short nap microfiber with it to keep things gliding smooth.

The big fluffer nuffer extra plush 340,000,000XGL gram type towels wont work well.... well they suck on everything to be honest :out:
 
Street Dreams said:
I got a free bottle when I placed an order with another store once, honestly I was very disappointed. Top inspection is a very grabby product, not ideal for wiping down perfectly polished paint.

The big fluffer nuffer extra plush 340,000,000XGL gram type towels wont work well.... well they suck on everything to be honest :out:
Click to expand...
:rofl: @ your last paragraph.

Why do you say TI is not ideal for wiping down perfectly polished paint? Do you feel it doesn't remove oils very well? What do you mean "grabby" product?
 
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