Octane Rating - what do you use?
Octane Rating - what do you use? I've typically used 93 octane in my '99 Z28 M6 for quite awhile.
Do you use a lower octane rating (89 or 87)? If so, any issues such as knock? Anyone document a MPG difference?
Thanks
Do you use a lower octane rating (89 or 87)? If so, any issues such as knock? Anyone document a MPG difference?
Thanks
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I have been using 87 for about six years on my camaro without any problems, sometimes I use 89 though. And I don't know about the power loss, because I still smash mustangs left and right.
For the .20 a gallon difference it is to run the higher octane in our cars that is worth the extra $3-4 per fill up if you ask me. For a stock car you may never have a problem but it's not worth taking any chances over a few bucks in my opinion.
12 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,847
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well you can run lower octane and be fine on a stock car because it will compinsate for it but on a moded car thats tuned the car will run like crap and you will get a lot of knock retard and lose some power.
I hate to 
, but instead of posting another topic about it, anyone know the true difference between cheap and expensive fuel of the same octane? Such as Spectrum or something similar compared to Chevron or Shell?
, but instead of posting another topic about it, anyone know the true difference between cheap and expensive fuel of the same octane? Such as Spectrum or something similar compared to Chevron or Shell? 
However, I ALWAYS go out of my way to find a gas station that doesn't use ethanol in their gasoline. I'm of the opinion that there's no way that crap is of any benefit to your car and is just a ploy by the gub'ment to justify huge corn subsidies with no place else to put the stuff.
Thats just my two cents.
I had a conversation a couple of years ago at a conference with some chemical engineers from a large international petroleum company and they swore up and down that the thing to do is to go for Top Tier gasoline. (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html BTW - this list changes all the time.) The Top Tier retailers exceed the government specifications for additives and meet the higher specs defined by the allied car OEMs.
The engineers even put other company's gas in their car because their own company doesn't sell to the Top Tier spec. At the time, they also said that two companies even exceeded the Top Tier spec., but I can't remember who they were and I'll bet its changed by now. Unless you are a chemical engineer/analyst, the Top Tier list is the best thing I know to go by.
On the octane rating of the gas, 93 is the safe bet in all conditions. A lot of other things go in to the knock equation, like altitude and ambient temperature. Someone in LA during the summer may have a totally different experience on 87 octane than someone in Denver during the winter.
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 38
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when mine was stock i switched between 93 and 87 and the difference was 87 you save a couple bucks you get little bit less performance and less mpg.
highway driving i got about 26mpg on 93 and 23-24mpg on 87.
Also the amount of gas you get, say you put $20 in your tank there is like a .2-.3 gal difference per $20. So its really not even worth using 87. Hell once i did this little experiment i put 93 in my 1994 honda accord
highway driving i got about 26mpg on 93 and 23-24mpg on 87.
Also the amount of gas you get, say you put $20 in your tank there is like a .2-.3 gal difference per $20. So its really not even worth using 87. Hell once i did this little experiment i put 93 in my 1994 honda accord
high octane wont help cars that are made for 87. Our cars are made for 93 stock, but the computer will retard the timing hardcore to compensate if you decide to be a cheap bastard and put 87 in. Cars made for 87 octane wont, however, do much to make use of 93.