Shipping my ML430 mercedes to Naija.  It takes premium unleaded gas. How do I manage this issue when driving back home?

morpheus24:

Shipping my ML430 mercedes to Naija. It takes premium unleaded gas. How do I manage this issue when driving back home?

Hi, just covered similar issues here -

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-129222.0.html

Please pay particular attention to my post's 4,6 and 8.

Good luck.

Siena,
I am not a guru on cars, but pretty much what I got from reading your emails are I will need to replace a couple of "things" in the car in order to maximize its performance when driving in lagos.

Please explailn " in lay mans terms" how this will apply specifically to a V8 engine on a mercedes and apart from the octane booster, what else can be done to save guard the life of the engine?

Morpheus, you'll need to replace the Lambda Sensors, with ones designed for use with leaded petrol.

There are 4 on the V8 motor in the ML430 - 2 before the catalysts, and 2 after, on each banks of the "V".

New vehicles manufactured for use in SA and other countries where lead-free fuel is not available, are fitted with these Lambda sensors (oxygen sensors).

Your catalysts - again, there are 4, 2 pre-catalysts, and 2 larger main ones will have to be cut open, have the contents removed, and welded back together again.

I'll ring up Mercedes-Benz UK tomorrow, and see if there's any means of sourcing the replacement Lambda sensors. If not, at least, I can get the part numbers, and post them here.

Thanks for the info, Please post the info you get from mercedes as soon as possible and I will look into this issue as well. I thought nigeria used "super" which is unleaded but i am guessing wrong then?

SIENA,

When you say catalysts, are you speaking of the catalytic converters?

morpheus24:

Thanks for the info, Please post the info you get from mercedes as soon as possible and I will look into this issue as well. I thought nigeria used "super" which is unleaded but i am guessing wrong then?

"Super" refers to the octane rating, rather than leaded / lead-free. Both leaded and lead-free have high and low octane, i.e regular / premium and super.

morpheus24:

SIENA,

When you say catalysts, are you speaking of the catalytic converters?

That's right.

Dear Morpheus24,

Just read your post concerning your ML430 from the USA.  From my extensive research and experience of Nigerian petrol you CERTAINLY DO NOT need to make changes/alterations to your lovely car.  I imported my VW TOUAREG V8 from the USA in 2006 without any need to alter the vehicle.

Please refer to the my replies to an earlier post concerning the availability of premium fuel in Nigeria:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-129222.0.html

PLEASE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO MY POSTS (REPLIES) -  Numbers 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 35.

By the way, what is your vehicles year of manufacture; and the capacity of your petrol tank? Also do you have the vehicle's handbook (manual)?

Hope to talk to you soon.