[Psshaw]

Bit like the diesel petrol power debate……………….petrol 💪

Each has its merits…fossil fuel💪 🥴

 

[McTrucky]

Obviously the talk about LSPI missed you.

Yes, haven't read anything about that on here. My bad.

So you are saying Kugas suffer from this on longer journeys, but are fine on shorter ones. 🤔 Weird.

 

[Ozekuga]

Yes, haven't read anything about that on here. My bad.

So you are saying Kugas suffer from this on longer journeys, but are fine on shorter ones. 🤔 Weird.

The 2.0L EcoBoost can make use of the extra octane, it can even run on 91, but the gearbox is programmed to change up to the highest gear in the shortest time.
This can make the engine lug, which in turn can cause LSPI.
If it travels around town there are no major inclines so it isn't an issue.

 

[smartguy69]

Obviously the talk about LSPI missed you.

I have had an interest in motorbikes and cars for more than 40 years and at times done more than just change discs and pads. Up until a few months back I had never heard of LSPi. No doubt a technical acronym for the modern era. I remember the term pinking from way back with 2 star petrol before we went to unleaded.

I have always been against small capacity turbo charged engines and we now see 1 litre, 1.2 litre, 1.4 litre, 1.5 litre, 3 cylinder turbo engines putting out more power than the old 1.6, 1.8 and 2 litre engines of old. Something has to give at some point but so long as these cars get past the manufacturers warranty period, the manufacturers won't care. All to do with emissions and helping the environment, but at what cost. Perhaps it's time manufacturers put some faith in the small engines that have become common place and give them a decent warranty. Not seen any reports on the Kuga regarding LPSi but if your car suddenly start to develop a slight misfire, then it could be time to move it on.

 

[The Painter]

LSPI only affects petrol engines.

LSPI occurs when fuel injected into the combustion chamber may create a liquified solution with a thin residual layer of oil that sits on the cylinder wall. This fuel-oil solution is then forced upwards by the piston during the compression stroke and pressure may cause it to ignite, resulting in an unplanned combustion pressure wave. This is the LSPI event.

Afterwards, the spark plug ignites the remaining fuel-air mixture above the piston that results in a second combustion shockwave. The combined force of the shockwaves is enough, in the long run, to create cracks in the piston and eventually to cause sections of the piston to break away completely.

As far as I’m aware supermarket or top grade petrol has no influence on LSPI.

 

[smartguy69]

LSPI only affects petrol engines.

LSPI occurs when fuel injected into the combustion chamber may create a liquified solution with a thin residual layer of oil that sits on the cylinder wall. This fuel-oil solution is then forced upwards by the piston during the compression stroke and pressure may cause it to ignite, resulting in an unplanned combustion pressure wave. This is the LSPI event.

Afterwards, the spark plug ignites the remaining fuel-air mixture above the piston that results in a second combustion shockwave. The combined force of the shockwaves is enough, in the long run, to create cracks in the piston and eventually to cause sections of the piston to break away completely.

As far as I’m aware supermarket or top grade petrol has no influence on LSPI.

Didn't see much pertaining to ford on LPSi when I was researching what had happened on my daughter's Astra SRi. A few other manufacturers came up and I can't recall one case on here reference the Kuga petrol.

What was interesting was when I rang the Vauxhall agent I first asked if there were any outstanding recalls on the car which they said no. I then said we have a problem with the car and he asked what the symptoms were. I said it's missing and the EML light is on. I got a big OH. He was very non-committal with my next set of questions. My assumption was he knew they have a problem with that engine. My daughter said it had been missing under 2k revs ever since she owned the car. I know Vauxhall had a recall to try and sort the LPSi out so her car was either missed or it had the later software at the factory. She got lucky in the end as she managed to part ex it with the light on back to the dealer she bought it from.

 

[The Painter]

It would appear the problem is due to the newer high compression turbo petrol engines, oil and fuel mixing causing an unwanted combustion inside the piston ring area. Oil companies have tried to reformulate the oil to prevent this from happening with mixed results.

My K series Astra 1.4 turbo had its oil changed to from Dexos 2 Generation 1 to Dexos 1 Generation 2 but the LSPI was still present at low speed under moderate acceleration.

 

[smartguy69]

The dealer said it should be run on Dexos 1 and in order for Vauxhall to offer any "sympathy" warranty, they would test an oil sample to see what it had been running on Dexos 1 or not. That's interesting as it would appear that her manual say Dexos 2 as well is ok so just wondering how Vauxhall, as an example, inform all of their owners that what they have shown in the owner's manual is either incorrect at time of press or later found to be incorrect or superseded. The same applies with my car which is specified as having 5-30 oil but is now 0-30.

I would hazard a guess that most cars are serviced by the main agent when in warranty and then not so after then and any risk is then with the owner and is no longer the manufacturer's concern. It would be nice to see some form of duty of care where if something is established where, something as severe as an engine failure could occur, that the manufacturer should at least try and make contact with all owners.

In the manufacturer's defence, a decent independent garage should also check with the main agents to keep up to speed with the recommended oil as the days of any engine will do are long gone.

 

[The Painter]

My K series Astra was a dealer pre-registered vehicle that was put into storage. I bought it when it was 9 months old with only 9 miles on the clock. the first time I heard the LSPI was when it was about 12 months old, 3500 miles and due a service.

Spoke with a Vauxhall dealer who played dumb about the problem, looked on a few owner forums and read several posts about the problem and dealer denial. Fortunately I have a mate who works at Vauxhall Ellesmere Port Plant, (home of the Astra). He confirmed rumours that Astra turbo engines had a pre-ignition issue.

A few weeks later he told me Vauxhall had put out a service bulletin to dealers to change the oil from Dexos 2 generation 1 to Dexos 1 generation 2, but this should only be done when the vehicle reached a service interval and an oil change was due.

I phoned a local Vauxhall dealer who wasn’t aware of the bulletin or aware of the updated Dexos oil, so I sourced the updated oil and had my local garage do the service.

Not convinced that the upgraded oil was the answer because it still suffered from LSPI when under moderate load.

My Astra was the SRi model with a sport button. Use of the sport button often caused the LSPI to appear.

About 13 months later I part exchanged it for a 68 plate Focus.

 

[smartguy69]

My K series Astra was a dealer pre-registered vehicle that was put into storage. I bought it when it was 9 months old with only 9 miles on the clock. the first time I heard the LSPI was when it was about 12 months old, 3500 miles and due a service.

Spoke with a Vauxhall dealer who played dumb about the problem, looked on a few owner forums and read several posts about the problem and dealer denial. Fortunately I have a mate who works at Vauxhall Ellesmere Port Plant, (home of the Astra). He confirmed rumours that Astra turbo engines had a pre-ignition issue.

A few weeks later he told me Vauxhall had put out a service bulletin to dealers to change the oil from Dexos 2 generation 1 to Dexos 1 generation 2, but this should only be done when the vehicle reached a service interval and an oil change was due.

I phoned a local Vauxhall dealer who wasn’t aware of the bulletin or aware of the updated Dexos oil, so I sourced the updated oil and had my local garage do the service.

Not convinced that the upgraded oil was the answer because it still suffered from LSPI when under moderate load.

My Astra was the SRi model with a sport button. Use of the sport button often caused the LSPI to appear.

About 13 months later I part exchanged it for a 68 plate Focus.

You got rid at the right time. Eventually it will crack a piston which is what I suspect happened to my daughter's. It's gone now and now we just need to concentrate on getting rid of the wife's Mokka which has a similar engine but I don't think hers is direct injection and puts out 10bhp less.

 

[Duple]

I've used both E5 and E10 in my PHEV and it makes very little difference, obviously the weather plays it's part in range but I'd say maybe 5-10 miles more on E5 - definitely not worth it. It made a difference in my Puma, that would easily do 50+ more miles on E5.

 

[Phil Doggo]

I can never make my mind up either, but I've currently been running on Esso's E5 99 Super - I swap between their E10 95 regular for a few months...

 

[Gregs24]

For those of you trying different fuels....

Remember the car will respond quickly to a reduced RON fuel but take several tanks to improve with higher RON fuel. In effect it can retard the ignition quickly to save the engine but only creeps forward from the base state.

In a PHEV there is no advantage to super unleaded fuel (other than detergents) as the engine is running a maximum efficiency cycle not power. The compression ratio is much lower because of the way the valves work.