RON95 Q&A with Caltex

 

 

Proton

Can my Proton Saga 1989 engine Magma 8-valve use RON95? Thank you. 012 9561771 

Proton's manual says the manual transmission cars must use minimum RON97, and now RON95 also can! - 012-3554900 

Can I use RON95 for my Saga Megavalve 1.5 auto 1991 model? - 012-3385395 

Can my Proton Wira 1.5 1994 auto carburetor version use RON95. If yes, what is the timing rating required? At present, my timing is set at 9. - 016-206 8030

From my understanding, an old engine with carbon deposits is a "no" to RON95. but my mom's Wira 1.3 injection has just been fully overhauled. In other words, it's as smooth as a brand new car now. Can safely switch to RON95 now? - 016-6805685 

- Yes

Can I use RON95 for my Proton Saga 1.3 manual 1990 make? Can a half cut Kelisa imported from Japan with four-piston twin cam L5 660cc auto use RON95. 013 3091843 

Do Proton people really know what they are doing or is it a case of apa pun boleh. Manual cars, they say, must use minimum RON97 and now RON95 also can! - 012-3554900

- Proton has confirmed that all of their cars can use RON95. As for your imported Kelisa, you need to double check with the Japanese manual.

 

Hyundai and Inokom

I own a 2004 Hyundai Accent. Is it all right to use RON95? - 016-7319122

Can the Hyundai Accent 1.5 2004 year model run on RON95? - 012-2688379 

Can my Inokom Matrix year 2005 run on RON95? 013 9666555

Reply: Yes, but according to Leonard Khong, an ex-rally driver and mechanical engineer by training, and who's also the PR advisor for Hyundai, all current Hyundai petrol car models are built for a minimum of RON92. "Personally, I always recommend to use the best fuel for better combustion and smoother running," he said.

 

Nissan

Can my 1997 Cefiro 2.0 V6 run on RON95? - 012-4585751 

I drive a Nissan Serena Highway Star year 2002. Can the MPV use RON95? - 013-3655519 

Can my 1996 and 2003 Sentra run on RON95? - 017-3762802

Can my 1997 Cefiro 2.0 V6 run on RON95? - 012-4585751

I drive a Nissan Serena Highway Star year 2002. Can the MPV use RON95? - 013-3655519

Can my 1996 and 2003 Sentra run on RON95? - 017-3762802

- Nissan has confirmed that all Nissan cars sold by Edaran Tan Chong Motors can run on RON95.

 

Honda 

Can my 1996 Honda Civic run on RON95? TQ. 013 3507918

Reply: Yes. According to Monique from Honda Malaysia, "All this while, our development for Honda models across the range for the Malaysia market is based on RON92."

Can the 2002 Honda CRV 2nd generation model run on RON95? 012-3021450.

Can my CRV 1997 model use ron95? - 012-6520729

Yes. All Honda Malaysia vehicles are RON95 compatible.

I am using a Honda CRV imported model. Can I use RON95? - 016-3788525

Yes. All Honda Malaysia vehicles are RON95 compatible. What is the engine spec, as Honda Malaysia have no imported version of the CRV as all CRV's are made locally.

 

Ford

I own a Ford Escape XLT 2.3 year 2004. Can it run on RON95? - 
016-2187708

Yes. According to the Sime Darby Auto Connexion rep, all petrol vehicles sold by them are RON95 compatible.

 

BMW

I own a 1984 BMW 320i E30 model. Can I use RON95? - 012-3880838

Is it all right for BMW vehicles to use RON95? - 010-2145098

It is perfectly fine for current BMW vehicles to use 95 RON. In fact, it is the recommended grade in the owners manuals (only the M cars have a recommended grade of 97/98 RON).

The E30 was built to run on 91 RON, therefore 95 RON is more than sufficient!

 

Mercedes-Benz

My owner's manual specifies RON98/MON88 minimum for my Mercedes-Benz 124 230E. How can I use RON95? 013 3510766

Reply: the short answer to that is YES, you can use the new RON95. This new RON thing can be quite confusing for owners of older cars. The full answer as provided by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's after-sales department is as follows:

Leaded or Unleaded Fuel

It is important to note that the specifications in the Vehicle Owner's

Manual i.e. on newer generation cars, has the following qualifier:

"Refuel using only unleaded premium grade petrol with a minimum octane number of 95 RON/85 MON conforming to European standard EN 228"

It means the petrol grade recommended is based on "unleaded premium

grade petrol".

RON means Research Octane Number

MON means Motor Octane Number 

Minimum Petrol Grade

If recommended fuel is not available, the car can use regular unleaded petrol 91 RON/82.5 MON. However, this may reduce engine performance and increase fuel consumption. But we should not use petrol below this minimum petrol grade. In Owner's Manual of older cars, this is not mentioned, only one grade is stipulated.

 

Kia and Naza

Can I use RON95 for my Kia Picanto Novus 2005. 017 9203132

Can the Naza Bestari 206 use Ron95? 012 7892347

Reply: Yes.

 

 

MODEL             ALTERNATE                   FUEL             RON            EMISSIONS

Naza Ria           Kia Carniva                   Petrol            91                 2

Naza Citra        Kia Carens                    Petrol            91                 2

Naza Suria        Kia Picanto                   Petrol             91                2

Naza Citra II

Rondo               Kia Rondo                    Petrol             91                 3

Kia Sportage                                        Petrol              91                2

Kia Optima                                           Petrol              91                2

Kia Spectra5                                        Petrol              91                2

Kia Spectra                                                                91                  2

Naza 2006

Bestari              Peugeot 206                Petrol            95                 3

Peugeot 407                                         Petrol            95                 4

Peugeot 308

Turbo                                                    Petrol            95                 4

Peugeot 308

Vti                                                         Petrol            95                 4

Naza Forza                                          Petrol             93                  2

 

Suzuki

Can I use RON95 on my Suzuki ER-V? 019 3174321

Reply: According to Suzuki, the ER-V can run on RON95. The only Suzuki model that doesn't is the Suzuki Swift Sport, which runs on RON98 and above.

 

Toyota  

I drive a 1977 Toyota Corolla hardtop. Can it run on RON95? It's an old car and I've lost the manual. 012 5233409

Reply: We checked with UMW-Toyota and their customer support executive Affendi said that this model would be a KE series using a K-series engine. "By right, there will be no problem for this Corolla that is orginally installed with a 2K engine to use Ron95. The K-Series engine is in its seventh generation as the 7K engine in the Unser and the K series engines are built to operate from RON95 and above. If there's engine knocking when it's operated on RON95, it doesn't mean that it's the wrong fuel grade but it could be something else like engine timing.

Can the Toyota altis 1.8G (2009) use RON95? 012 3883893

Reply: Yes. It can use RON91 and above, including RON95.

 

My car is a Toyota Corolla 1990 model with a 1998 4AGE blacktop 20-valve engine from Japan. Is RON95 suitable?  - 012-2880312

Reply - The Toyota Corolla 1990 with original engine would be compatible. However, UMWT cannot comment on the compatibility of the 1998 4AGE blacktop engine.

 

Can my Toyota Harrier year 1998, 3.0, V6. use RON95? - 012-3060098

Can my Toyota Estima 2.4 auto year 2000 model use RON95? - 012-6543581

Can the Toyota Wish D4 vvti Japan spec run on RON95? - 012-7122171

Reply - These are grey market vehicle that are specified for foreign country. Therefore, they are not compatible with local requirements. The best way to get answers is to check the owner's manual specification in the fuel section. 

Are the Vios and Atos able to run on RON95? - 019-9501465

Reply - Yes, the Vios is compatible until RON91.

Can my Toyota DX 1980 model use RON95 petrol? - 019-6596052

 Reply - This model of Toyota DX is not in our database. The best way to get the answer is to check the owner's manual specification on fuel section.

 

Chevrolet

Is RON95 all right for the Chevrolet AVEO Lux? - 012-3078373

Reply - The Chevrolet AVEO Lux is compatible with RON95

 

Peugeot

Can a 1995 Peugeot 405 run on RON95? 012 4273138

Reply - The Peugeot 405 1995 model will not have any problems running on the RON95.

 

Perodua

It seems the fuel indicator in my Kelisa falls faster for the same 
amount of petrol if I use RON92 petrol instead of RON97. Is that possible?
Or is it just my illusion? - 012-9265838

Reply - If you've been continuously using 92R after a switch from 97R, there is a possibility that your car's recommended RON is higher than 92R and that's why you'd experience lower fuel economy.

Is RON 95 suitable for my week-old Myvi manual transmission? 012 9505682

Can the Myvi 1.3 manual use regular RON92 petrol? - 012-9714228

Reply - Perodua has confirmed all of their cars are able to run RON95 without any problem.

IT seems the fuel indicator in my Kelisa falls faster for the same amount of petrol if I use RON92 petrol instead of RON97. Is that possible? Or is it just my illusion? - 012-9265838 

Reply - If you've been continuously using RON92 after a switch from RON97, there is a possibility that your car's recommended RON is higher than R9R and that's why you'd experienced lower fuel economy.

 

Others

Of late, there has been plenty of talk and publicity about octane ratings as RON95 petrol is being introduced nation-wide to replace RON92. Here a fact known to few people the same model of vehicle may be tuned differently for different markets. For example, a Porsche 911 for Scandinavia uses octane 101 petrol. For Indonesia, the same model has been de-tuned to use octane 95 as higher grade petrol is not easily available there. - 012-7077077  

Everyone is talking about RON95. What happened to Euro 2 diesel? - 012-2909778 

Reply - It'll be implemented by Sep 09.

Will the diesel EURO2M grade be enforced in September along with RON95 petrol? - 016-6994382

Reply - Yes!

 

1. RON Confusion 

 

I find the Chevron article on RON in CBT’s Quarterly Review 

confusing. Chevron’s product engineering manager, Greg Engeler is 

first quoted as saying “It is a misconception that the higher RON 

petrol gives you more performance”, but in a subsequent paragraph, 

he goes on to say that “If your driving style is aggressive, then you 

may need a higher RON petrol”. I may be wrong and obviously still 

confused about RON, but I can’t reconcile the two statements – it 

seems to me that what he is saying is that RON is still a factor in 

performance. So does RON make a difference in how the engine 

performs or not, assuming that the engine is compatible with both 

RON95 and RON97? – davidoy@westcoast.com.my 

Reply: David, thank you for your query.  The RON or octane rating of petrol used for 

your car should be chosen based on what is recommended for your car engine 

– this information can be found in your car owner’s manual or at the back of 

your petrol filler lid. If your car owner’s manual recommends the use of 

RON95, you may opt for RON97 but you may not necessarily experience 

better performance.  

An engine’s octane number requirement is defined as the octane number fuel 

that will produce the first signs of detectable knock (abnormal combustion) 

under the most severe speed and load conditions. Simply, the harder you 

drive the higher the engine’s octane number requirement. If you drive 

normally, avoiding wide open throttle acelerations, your engine’s octane 

number requirement will be lower than if you drive aggressively. Other factors, 

such as an inefficient cooling system or combustion chamber deposits, can 

also increase an engine’s octane number requirement. In such situations, a 

higher RON fuel is required if you want to enjoy better performance. 

- Mr Greg Engeler, Product Engineering Manager, Product 

Engineering, Regulations and Technology, Asia Pacific, Chevron 

 

 

2. RON Confusion: Why the Disparities  

 

Chevron’s product engineering manager Greg Engeler was first 

quoted as saying contradicting statements on RON differences has a 

bearing on performance. The reply given on NST Sunday Times on 

July 2 is even more contradicting because he says if the RON required 

is 91 then the fuel used should be 92 to prevent knocking on hard 

acceleration. Therefore, most cars today have a requirement of 

RON97 so they have to use RON98 which is not available or we 

Malaysians just use what we can get. Now the Government is 

introducing RON95 and says it is the best, where is the data to prove 

its worth? Either there is a hand and glove game going on between 

the industries players and writers or just herd mentality to play 

along. Although there is so much data available from developed 

countries, why not just learn from their experiences and implant the 

best for our country. We can’t learn from our trials and errors by 

bulldozing it through by just saying is cheaper by 5 cents. Please 

open your minds with these limitless options and once and for all 

close this subject on RON performances. – Ananda Jagadev, 

(ananda1957@gmail.com) 

Reply: Ananda, thank you for your query. Allow me to clarify the misinterpreted 

statements by referring you to my response to “RON Confusion” (the initial 

printed reply on July 28 was courtesy of the Editor). That being said, let’s look 

at the data supporting RON95’s implementation. 

RON95 fuel is widely accepted worldwide, particularly in Europe. The usage of 

RON95 is over 80 per cent in Europe because of the European standards fuel. 

In Australia and Thailand, it accounts to about 20 per cent, gradually 

becoming the main grade fuel around the world. This indicates Malaysia has 

been doing her homework.   

Malaysia is not far behind in introducing the fuel, despite its availability in the 

early 1990s. Advantages of using RON95 depend on the specification and 

engine design of the cars. For example, if a car is designed to run on RON95 

but uses RON97, motorists may not necessarily experience better 

performance. And, if a car needs RON97 and uses RON95, it may not be a 

good thing either. It all comes back to using the fuel that the engine is 

designed to run. 

An added bonus to the introduction is that it positions the country to take 

advantage of the latest technologies from Europe and Japan, engines of which 

typically run on RON95. 

For more information on octane and octane requirement, do visit: 

http://chemistry.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.faqs.org 

/faqs/autos/gasoline%2Dfaq/part1/ 

- Mr Greg Engeler, Product Engineering Manager, Product 

Engineering, Regulations and Technology, Asia Pacific, Chevron 

 

 

3. Why now only introducing RON95? Why make us pay “extra” from our 

hard earned money on RON97 for so many years? Is it just an octane 

gimmick? - 012-3736153  

Reply: The introduction of RON95 is in line with the Malaysian government’s 

mandate to replace subsidized RON92 with subsidized RON95 products. 

Indeed, from the information gathered, the majority of manufactured cars are 

able to run on RON95, which means current users of RON97 will enjoy greater 

savings if their cars are able to run on RON95. That being said, there is a 

government mandate on the RON grades (RON95 and RON97 on September 1, 

2009) of fuels being sold by oil companies and final decision on pricing 

remains the Government’s to make.  

- Mr Greg Engeler, Product Engineering Manager, Product 

Engineering, Regulations and Technology, Asia Pacific, Chevron 

 

Issues for older cars: 

1. The owner's manual of older cars does not make the distinction between leaded or unleaded probably because there was no unleaded fuel at that time. We can safely assume the recommended minimum petrol grade is meant for leaded petrol.

Eg. in the owner's manual of our W123 cars (before W124) produced approx. between 1976 - 1984. In the Owner's Manual, it is stated: "A minimum octane rating of 98 according to Research Method (RON) and one 88 according to Motor Method (MON) is necessary".

2. In Malaysia, Petronas was the first to introduce "unleaded petrol" - in July 1990.

 

I own a Mercedes E240 V6 2.6 (year 2002). Can my car use RON95? - 
019-2175978

Reply - Generally all Mercedes vehicles mentioned are RON 95 compatible. These owners should be advised to keep an ear for detonation (only occurs if engine is poorly maintained) caused by cylinder head carbon build-up. This indirectly translates to higher engine compression but can be easily cured by using higher RON rating of 97 and above. If in doubt the highest RON usage is recommended.

 

Can a Mercedes 200 use RON95 without adjustments? - 012-2095052

Reply - Generally all Mercedes vehicles mentioned are RON 95 compatible. *Note: More specific details needed but we assume following model:  1980s W123 MB 200.

 

I drive a 1999 MB E200. Can I use RON95 for my car? - 012-2092603

Reply - Generally all Mercedes vehicles mentioned are RON 95 compatible. These owners should be advised to keep an ear for detonation (only occurs if engine is poorly maintained) caused by cylinder head carbon build-up. This indirectly translates to higher engine compression but can be easily cured by using higher RON rating of 97 and above. If in doubt the highest RON usage is recommended.

 

I own a Ssangyong Chairman 2.3L made in 2003 which uses the Benz old 
W124 engine. Can I use RON95? - 017-3266805 

Reply - According to Ssangyong representative, the W124 engine is compatible with the RON95.

 

I have a Mercedes E230 model 1977. Can I use RON95? - 012-

Reply - Generally all Mercedes vehicles mentioned are RON 95 compatible. These owners should be advised to keep an ear for detonation (only occurs if engine is poorly maintained) caused by cylinder head carbon build-up. This indirectly translates to higher engine compression but can be easily cured by using higher RON rating of 97 and above. If in doubt the highest RON usage is recommended.

Can the Volvo 240 GL year 1984 run on RON95? - 012-6232607

Reply: RON95 is acceptable for normal road driving users. Higher RON will be more suitable for performance junkies.