Is there any benefit to using premium fuel?

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Is there any benefit in your opinion to using 98/95 RON fuel over 91, or even any science to prove that premium fuel is "better"?

I have a Ford BA XR6 turbo sedan and once had to put 91 in it and noticed ZERO change.

Currently listening to a news piece on CBS and they are saying that there is no difference.

In Oz premium fuel can cost up to 20c more per litre (80c/gal).
 
Yes, but apparently not for you. Knock sensors are a real part of virtually all engine management systems now, and part of a feedback loop vs just retarding timing in an emergency.
 
Yep, if the engine calls for Premium. Otherwise, no.

Most modern cars that require Premium have a computer mode that adjusts the timing via a knock sensor that will detect 87/89 and will put the engine down on power, but most users don't actually use the maximum power anyway and would not notice.
 
In the US, they typically have 93 on the east coast and 91 on the west coast. Not exactly sure why now, might just be the way it is, I think there was more demand for super on the west coast at one point. Anyway, the car I drive just calls for 91 as a minimum so I occasionally mix 1/3 regular with 2/3 super to end up a 91 mix instead of using straight 93. Don't notice any difference regardless of whether I use the mix or not. Gas mileage is about the same.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
Yep, if the engine calls for Premium. Otherwise, no.

Most modern cars that require Premium have a computer mode that adjusts the timing via a knock sensor that will detect 87/89 and will put the engine down on power, but most users don't actually use the maximum power anyway and would not notice.


Mine recommends 95 min.
Perhaps that is what happened to mine when I used 91, as there was no knocking or any power loss, but I was only doing 100km/h, maybe 110.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
In the US, they typically have 93 on the east coast and 91 on the west coast. Not exactly sure why now, might just be the way it is, I think there was more demand for super on the west coast at one point. Anyway, the car I drive just calls for 91 as a minimum so I occasionally mix 1/3 regular with 2/3 super to end up a 91 mix instead of using straight 93. Don't notice any difference regardless of whether I use the mix or not. Gas mileage is about the same.


Spent 2 weeks recently driving around in a 3.8l Mustang and used all diff kinds and noticed no change.
Power seemed about the same too.
Not sure if that car requires premium tho.
 
Originally Posted By: Greatwhite7
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
In the US, they typically have 93 on the east coast and 91 on the west coast. Not exactly sure why now, might just be the way it is, I think there was more demand for super on the west coast at one point. Anyway, the car I drive just calls for 91 as a minimum so I occasionally mix 1/3 regular with 2/3 super to end up a 91 mix instead of using straight 93. Don't notice any difference regardless of whether I use the mix or not. Gas mileage is about the same.


Spent 2 weeks recently driving around in a 3.8l Mustang and used all diff kinds and noticed no change.
Power seemed about the same too.
Not sure if that car requires premium tho.


Not sure about Mustang but my Mercedes does say so on the gas filler door that the minimum octane rating is 91. If the Mustang just requires regular, I wouldn't expect you to notice any difference.
 
lol since ur case is same with me in Indonesia.

need or not,it depends on ur car. since u use RON same like me here.

for example if ur manual book says at least RON 91 and it better use 1-2 level from standard like 92 or 93.

use 98 so much waste u can count in every dollar spent..

and u just mess up with the injection timing. RON 98 is used with super high compression or high turbo boost.
 
From the owners manual in my BF Falcon (note, BA may be different).

"All petrol vehicles can use unleaded petrol with a minimum octane rating of 91 (RON). Higher octane unleaded petrol may be used without detriment. Premium unleaded petrol with a minimum octane rating of 95 (RON) is recommended for use in XR6 Turbo and XR8 vehicles for maximum performance. These vehicles are also calibrated to run on unleaded petrol."

I take that to mean it'll run just fine on 91, especially if you're just loafing along the highway at 2,000rpm most of the time.

If it were me, I'd do 5 tanks on 91 and accurately measure the fuel consumption. Then I'd do 5 tanks on 95 and check the economy. In theory, the 95 "should" deliver better fuel economy, but if the better economy doesn't cancel out the extra cost, I'd stick with the 91. This is, of course, assuming the engine runs OK on 91, with no pinging, loss of power, poor idle, etc. Hopefully that makes sense...
 
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More gas engines in vehicles in North America than not are designed to run on 87 octane.

Mazda has higher compression in the Skyactiv engine used in Europe than in North America.
Mazda supposedly told the auto press they use lower compression here due to us being addicted to 87 octane.

Europe's low octane is most places is equivalent to our 91 octane fuel. There highest octane at the pump is equivalent to what would be 96 octane here.

If 87 octane was replaced with 91 octane as the lowest octane gas at the pump here in the U.S., the auto makers would have higher compression
engines with a tad more power and fuel economy.

GM isn't gonna make a Chevy Cruze tuned for 91 octane that would otherwise break ring lands on 87 octane.
We are having a chicken or the egg thing with our junk gas.
 
When I'm pooping around town I use regular gas and rely on the knock sensors to keep things quiet. Plus I drive quite conservatively.

When I go out of town I'm in hilly, if not mountainous, regions so I throw some premium in so the engine can do any 'performing' it can with its spark advance.

I think my 2007 5 cylinder Volvo (2.435cc-20 valve-168hp) takes mid grade.

Also, there in no difference in heat content among grades of gas. Running premium in your 230 Chevy six or Chrysler Slant six gets you nothing.
 
My Jeep will occasionally develop some knock. I used to run a couple bottles of fuel system cleaner through it and do an Italian tune-up, and that would make it subside for awhile. I then decided it was no more expensive to run a tank or two of V-Power (93 octane) through it. Two tanks of V-Power work much better. The knock disappears for about 6 or 8k miles, maybe more. I seem to notice the knock more when going from winter to summer formulated gas, too. The old 3.8 feels very noticibly better when running 93, and even when running 89.

It also runs much better on 87 octane gas that has no ethanol. Wish I had that close to home. It noticeably increases mileage and power, too. Not sure how it effects knock, since I don't run it often enough.

I used to have an 06 Solstice with a 2.4 Ecotec engine. It allowed for 87 gas but the owners manual specifically stated it would produce slighy more horsepower with 91 Octane. I could tell a small difference, and it got slightly (very slightly) better mileage with premium.

My 99 E430 says "Premium Fuel Only", meaning at least 91 octane. I run 87 in it much of the time, and feel no difference at all, with no difference in mileage. I don't worry about it, because guys on a Mercedes forum have run the 4.3 engine on nothing but 87 for hundreds of thousands of miles with no issue. Also, I've seen E class cars in parts of the world where the fuel quality would be suspect, so I doubt MB made this engine highly sensitive to fuel. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on my assumptions, but the car runs like new.

All of my other engines see no difference in performance, mileage, sound, or feel, between 87 or 93 octane.

Interestingly, I had a 93 Johnson 60hp outboard that went into limp home mode when run for awhile on 93 octane. It indicated an overheating condition, so ever since, I've steered clear of anything other than 87 in my outboards.
 
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Originally Posted By: Throt
http://www.consumerreports.org/fuel-econ...emium-gasoline/


True, in most cars. However, they didn't mention nor drive my Solstice or my Jeep. Drive my Jeep when knocking, then run a couple tanks of VPower (Btw, it isn't the octane that is the primary reason I'm running it. It is the higher concentration of detergents), then drive it. Going from knocking to no knocking is a performance increase, in my book.

I'd agree, though, that in most cases, no percieveable benefit exists. I'm still not sure why my Mercedes specifies it, when there is no percieveable benefit in that particular application.

My Ford truck? No advantage to it. Ford Transit? Again, no advantage.

In an engine where timing advance is variable to the octane, and is designed/programmed to take advantage of higher octane, there IS an advantage. In some engines with spark knock issues, there IS an advantage. Another that comes to mind is one of my Dad's old Astro vans with a 4.3 that had a chronic knock. On 93 octane, the knock disappeared. I'd call that a performance advantage, even though it didn't necessarily impact horsepower or fuel economy.

I also agree with them on Top Tier fuel. That's all I run in my vehicles. Guess what, though? The pinging/knocking still develops over time in the 3.8 Jeep, in spite of the Top Tier fuel. I'm convinced it is from deposits caused by oil burning. That's why I'll run the higher detergent V-Power and do a couple Itialian Tune-ups, so that it cleans and burns it out. It seems to work well. I'm on my 4th or 5th tank of 87 after doing this again, and no knock/ping. Mission accomplished, and I don't see it as a waste. The knock/ping is really not bad, though. It just bugs the heck out of me, and I can especially hear it with the doors off.
 
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I will run 91 in the Focus or the F-350 if I am towing. According to the scanner it is able to advance the timing a hair more. Less ping is good. I'm sure there's a 0% performance increase. I was actually suggested to run 91 in the F-350 for towing.

The Jeep doesn't usually get anything other than cheap E10 87 unless it's going to be super warm or I'm going on a trail ride. The fuel in the injectors boils with higher ethanol content, so it gets ethanol free 91
 
Start out with regular. If it does not like it, it will tell you (knock, ping, loss of power). If nothing happens, you know what to use. Regular has less additives and less issues
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The Lincoln below says premium fuel recommended. If I use premium fuel I've noticed more power(esp over 3000 rpm, because the engine has runners that open) and a bit better gas mileage.

If the car does not specify it you ware wasting money. Many years ago premium fuel had cleaners in it. Now ALL gas is legally required to have cleaners. If you get a top tier gas you will do much better than premium. Mobil for example is an excellent gas. There were actually tests done on different brands and deposits on valves were carefully weighed. Top tier gas can actually clean an engine. Supermarket or no name gas may have the legal minimum detergent in any grade.

Premium fuel is used to reduce detonation in high compression engines. That being said if you have lots of deposits on a piston, your engine compression will increase and regular gas may cause knock. So, if you hear knocking you may want to move up a grade, preferably with a top tier gas.
 
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