GWM Tank 300 Fuel and GPF Guide: Octane, Regeneration and Converter Care
The GWM Tank 300 takes 91 octane unleaded or higher in Australia, New Zealand and the Gulf states, and 92 or higher in other regions, with a fuel tank capacity of 80 litres. The gasoline particulate filter regenerates automatically while driving. If the instrument shows that regeneration is in progress, keep driving at a constant speed in third gear or above at more than 80 km/h until the message clears, and avoid idling, stopping or shutting the engine down.
Fuel specification
| Attribute | Australia, New Zealand and Gulf states | Other regions |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel type | Unleaded petrol | Unleaded petrol |
| Measurement (minimum octane) | 91 and above | 92 and above |
| Tank capacity | 80 litres, plus or minus 3 | 80 litres, plus or minus 3 |
| Leaded fuel | Never | Never |
| Fuel additives | Avoid | Avoid |
The listed Gulf markets are the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Two rules sit behind those numbers. Fuel must meet the national regulatory standards where you are, and you should avoid fuel additives, because poor fuel quality increases particulate matter and can poison the catalyst.
What the GPF is and why it asks things of you
The gasoline particulate filter captures small particles before they reach the atmosphere. Over time it fills, and it clears itself by burning that material off in a process called regeneration.
When conditions are right, the vehicle starts regeneration automatically and the instrument displays a message telling you it is in progress.
Your job during that window is to keep the conditions right:
- Drive at a constant speed on a road in good condition
- Keep the gear at third or above
- Stay above 80 km/h
- Avoid idling the engine
- Avoid stopping or shutting the engine down
Do not hide the alarm prompt while this is happening. You want to see when it clears.
When the vehicle asks you to make it happen
If the driving conditions are never met, the vehicle cannot start regeneration on its own, and a message appears asking for it.
The response is specific. Start the engine and wait until the water temperature gauge reaches the medium position or above, then drive according to the conditions above and let the regeneration procedure run.
Ignoring it has consequences beyond an annoying message. Failure to regenerate can affect proper operation of the engine and the particulate filter, and can damage vehicle components.
Observe the traffic laws while you do it. An 80 km/h requirement is not permission to exceed a posted limit.
The driving patterns that cause the problem
The manual gives four recommendations for daily driving, and every one of them points at the same failure mode.
- Avoid long or frequent low-speed running at full throttle
- Avoid long or frequent idling
- Avoid frequently stopping the vehicle or shutting the engine down
- Avoid frequent short-distance driving
If the Tank 300 is used mostly for school runs, short commutes and stop-start suburban trips, the filter rarely gets the sustained warm running it needs. A longer drive every few weeks is cheaper than the alternative.
A serious fire warning worth reading once
Flammable materials must not be added to the exhaust pipe, the gasoline particulate filter or the heat shield.
Heat is generated during regeneration, and flammable material in contact with those components can cause a fire.
In practical terms this means being careful about what you park over on a hot day, what accumulates under the vehicle after a trail day, and what you fit near the exhaust path. Dry grass packed against a heat shield is a genuine risk.
Protecting the catalytic converter
The converter turns carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides into carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen. Used correctly, it generally needs no maintenance and should not be removed without cause.
Eight things damage it:
- Leaded petrol, or fuel with more than the standard amount of manganese or sulphur
- Running the tank extremely low. If fuel runs out the engine misfires, which shows up as unstable running or lost power, and that damages the converter
- Idling at high speed for 5 minutes or longer
- Continuing to drive when an engine problem is indicated, such as a shutdown or performance loss
- Operating the engine with the spark plugs removed
- Push starting or tow starting the vehicle
- Adding too much engine oil. Our engine oil guide covers the correct level and the dipstick procedure
- Striking the converter, which is a real consideration on rough tracks
The diagnostic mistake that erases the evidence
This one is worth knowing before you ever visit a workshop.
The engine system malfunction warning light is part of the on-board diagnostic system, and the engine control unit stores fault information, particularly emissions-related faults.
Disconnecting the battery cables clears that stored information, which makes rapid diagnosis difficult or impossible.
So when the engine malfunction light is on and you are trying to find out why, do not disconnect the battery cable. Whatever the light was recording goes with it.
The other emission components, briefly
Oxygen sensor measures oxygen concentration in the exhaust and reports it to the ECU, which adjusts the fuel-air ratio for efficient combustion.
Turbocharger improves fuel efficiency and performance while reducing particulates and nitrogen oxides in the exhaust.
Fuel evaporation control unit routes fuel vapour into the engine to be burned rather than escaping to the atmosphere.
Crankcase emission control unit takes uncombusted fuel vapour, water vapour and exhaust from the crankcase and feeds it back into the intake to be burned again, reducing emissions and improving economy.
None of these should be modified. The manual states plainly that no part of the engine or emission control system should be modified.