What kind of gas is everybody on the list running?  I've never put anything
but regular gas in my vanagons and never had any problem... should I be
using a higher octane?  (sounds like I'm opening up a huge thread, eh?)

BTW, in Hilo, Hawaii (the Big Island), regular gas is $1.97/gallon... in
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (the other side of the Big Island - read tourist
central) the same gas is $2.15.  Go figure.  Cuz they can I guess.  My
mileage seems real consistent at 17 - 18 MPH, but I have a hell of a time
getting an accurate read... the syncro gas tank is the hardest to top off of
any tank I have ever had.  After it clicks off the first time, I can (very,
very slowly) add another four gallons!  But it takes forever.  Is this a
typical syncro gas tank situation or do I have a restriction of some kind?
Bus is like brand new otherwise.

Mick Kalber
89 Syncro Westy "Daddy-O"
Tropical Visions Video, Inc.
62 Halaulani Place    Hilo, Hawaii  96720
ph. 808-935-5557    fax 808-935-0066
hotlava@interpac.net
www.volcanoscapes.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of David Del Ben
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2000 1:58 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: petrol consumption

No,
5 speed manual.
Optimax is a relatively new petrol in Oz - costs 7c/litre more, but has the
98 Octane rating and a lot of 'get-up-& go'
It's really good stuff as it gives more performance, better fuel
consumption, more responsive engine - and claimed to clean your engine by
eliminating carbon build-up and have much cleaner exhaust emmissions.
I'm currently doing a fuel consumption test - 5 tanks of this new Shell
Optimax - get the average - then 5 tanks of normal unleaded (92 Octane
rating) to get a good comparison of fuel consumption between the 2. If
anyones interested - I'll email them the results.

Also.....ooooooops.
Make that 21 mpg for my fuel figures below. I forgot about the US Gallon
differnce - I was using UK gallons. In any case - it's 11.2 litres / 100
km.

BTW - just out of interest - how much is petrol in Canada? In USA?
Ours has just shot from abot 75 cents per litre to the present $1/litre in
the past 7 months!!!!!

David Del Ben
85 - 1.9 Vanagon

-----Original Message-----
From:   Dan Landry [SMTP:landry_skidd@hotmail.com]
Sent:   Tuesday, September 05, 2000 7:24 AM
To:     ddelben@airinter.com.au
Cc:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        RE: petrol consumption

Hello,

Is your's an automatic?

We are in Canada - but still can't get 98.  Highest I can put in is 94,
which I do.  No fuel additives but engine is treated very kindly

Danl

Bedford, Nova Scotia

----Original Message Follows----
From: David Del Ben <ddelben@airinter.com.au>
Reply-To: "ddelben@airinter.com.au" <ddelben@airinter.com.au>
To: "'Dan Landry'" <landry_skidd@hotmail.com>,
"vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM"      <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject: RE: petrol consumption
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 09:48:43 +1100

Sorry Bud,
I consistently get approx. 11.2 l/100km [25.2 MPG] in combined highway/city
driving.
By:
Using Optimax high octane (98) unleaded - do you have that in USA?
Nulon Engine treatment
Kid glove treatment of car

David Del Ben
85 - 1.9 Vanagon

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.com.