Tuning a car in Israel: fuel, heat and the law

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules and prices change, so check with the licensing office and your insurer before you modify your car.

Fuel: 95 and 98, nothing stronger

Israeli filling stations sell 95 and 98 octane petrol. These are RON numbers, the European scale. American tuners quote pump octane, which uses a different scale: US 91 is roughly our 95, and US 93 is roughly our 98. Our guides show both where the tuner publishes them.

95 is sold everywhere, and the Ministry of Energy sets its maximum price every month. 98 is sold only at some stations and its price is not capped, so it costs more.

Choose the file for the fuel you will actually buy. If a file is written for 98 and you fill up with 95 on a trip, the engine computer pulls ignition timing to protect the engine; with an aggressive file that is a real risk, not just lost power. If there is no 98 station on the routes you drive, a 95 file is the safer choice.

E85 is not an option

Many headline figures, especially in American tuning guides, are measured on E85, a blend of up to 85% ethanol. E85 is not sold at Israeli filling stations. Ethanol race fuel is sometimes sold in drums by motorsport shops, but that is a track product, not something to run a daily car on.

So when you read a guide, look at the 95 or 98 figure, not the E85 one. In our Golf R Mk8 guide, for example, APR's Stage 1 goes from 398 hp on US 91 (our 95) up to 442 hp on E85; in Israel the lower figures are the realistic ones. Stage 3 and 4 builds designed around E85 need a different plan here: a file for 98, or a lower power target.

Heat

Israeli summers are long and hot, and a turbocharged engine makes less power when the air going into it is hot. After a few minutes in traffic or a couple of hard pulls, the engine computer reduces boost and timing to protect itself, and a car that felt fast in the morning feels slower.

That makes cooling parts more useful here than in the colder countries most guides are written for. An intercooler upgrade is usually the first piece of hardware worth buying, and gearbox and oil temperatures deserve attention on a car that is driven hard.

The law: Regulation 380

Regulation 380(a) of the Traffic Regulations says: "No person shall change the structure of a vehicle except under a written permit from the licensing authority." The National Road Safety Authority explains that this covers changes to the engine and its software, as well as wheels, seats and steering. Traffic lawyers read it the same way: an engine software tune, an exhaust change or lowered suspension without Ministry of Transport approval breaks this rule.

A change that has been approved and recorded on the vehicle licence is legal. The Road Safety Authority's advice is to ask the licensing office before you modify the car, not after.

Without approval, the police can issue a notice that forbids using the car until it is back in its approved state, and fines apply. Passing the annual test does not make an unapproved change legal.

Insurance

The Insurance Contract Law says that when a "substantial change" happens, you must tell your insurer straight away, in writing (section 17). If you did not and there is a claim, the insurer can pay less, in proportion to the premium it would have charged for the changed car (section 18). It can also cancel the policy once it learns of the change.

If your policy or proposal form asked about modifications or engine changes, a tune is exactly the kind of change the law is talking about. Ask your insurer in writing and keep the answer.

Warranty

The importer can refuse warranty claims on parts affected by a tune. If the car is still under warranty, ask the importer in writing before you change anything.

Before you modify: a checklist

Ask the licensing office what approval your change needs.
Tell your insurer in writing and keep the reply.
Choose the file for the fuel you will buy: 95 or 98.
Plan for heat: an intercooler before more boost.
Fit only exhaust parts with a catalytic converter, and keep the original parts and software.
If the car is under warranty, ask the importer first.

Sources

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