You are the fist person that answered my question. I have a 2002 Ford excursion V10, it has 160k miles. The owners manual calls for 87 octane but it says that it might ping lightly. I live in AZ so is kinda 🔥 hot .. So I ran multiple time seafoam in the gas tank. The engine still pings at lower rpms. Example: I'm going 45mph and the rpms are at 1200.. I step on the gas and the engine pings until 3rd gear kicks in.. So I have to run 91 octane so I don't get any ping and the truck runs pretty smooth..
You have a faulty knock sensor in your motor try using a high quality Factory knock sensor replacement I had plenty of vehicles that did this and when I changed those it stopped pinging
Nice vid. Higher octain is usually a better idea in forced induction engines for the same reasons. I see way too many people trying to run regular in a gtp and it never works out well.
I put high octane gasoline in my 2007 Mazda 6 and it shifts better now. The high octane gas worked much better than the fuel system cleaners. I'll try regular gas next time.
@@yvetterenee8256 There are people saying higher octane does have higher energy output which is why even if you attach a bunch of upgrades to your car (cold air intake, supercharger, etc) and run 87 vs 93 octane you will see the 93 octane has more energy in it. Some dispute this saying it's the *upgrades* that make the car have more energy not the fuel itself. In the video, as the man mentioned it's about compression of engine and that fuel needs higher/lower compression so it's more about the fuel type I would say. I will say you aren't wrong, I can attest I have a Ford Edge with a natural aspirated V6 and running some 93 octane did make it perform better for sure even though my owners manual says 87 octane is recommended to use and to NOT use higher octane for engines like that. Although I did hear pinging a couple of times when I used 93 octane lol I hope the ping sensor adjusted for it.
I just put racing fuel into my truck well it was 1 litres of racing fuel in my full tank of unleaded and it’s fixed the bogging and I’m guessing cleaned the injectors cause it had a blocked injector and now it doesn’t I don’t think as car runs fine again
I don't see a reason why it would hurt it, especially if you're keeping up with spark plug changes. 600,000 miles is incredible btw, is it still going?
Whether premium gas gives you any benefit is dependent on whether the engine is designed to adjust ignition timing with enough latitude to make the best of whatever octane it gets. Some vehicles are relatively stupid and you don't get much benefit from premium; some vehicles have a lot more latitude in their ignition timing automatic adjustments and you get a benefit. The only way to know is to run several tanks and see.
I compared 95 vs 100 octane on my lexus ct200h hybrid. I didnt recocgnize any power benefit, but consumption was from 5% to 10% lower. I measured it with the actual fuel pumped and kms, several times on the same home/work travels. Curious thing, the onboard computer gives even lower consumption values, so I'm pretty sure something happens and is recognised by the car, the 100 octane fuel is also different in conposition and smell.
A lot of people always believe that high octane fuel is a waste of money. But if you want to keep your car longer than 500,000 miles then premium gas might be your best friend. A lot of times people just jump their cars after a certain amount of time passes
Straight to the point perfect I own a Mercedes and decided to put cheap gas and started to here a kick at high accelerations just use what the manufacturer says period on high end cars🙌👌👍
Flash tune for higher octane is the real way to benefit from higher octane..it does ignite better and burns cleaner..for that I always ran high grade in my simple vortex 4.8..it hated lower oct..spoiled the dang thang..but when a friend of mine played around with a palm tuner..nothing professional just enough to flash for fuel grade..and man o man.. nothing but a stock motor..no power parts at all.. and the truck preformed amazing.. averageing 30+ mpg..and the higher end of the revs and it jumped up and was gone..and made it the lower end of the revs way more torque..played with shift points alittle and bam..a fun little truck out on the back roads..no stranger to getting ya off the line going through town..higher octane does help most vehicles..but a tune changes the game even if it's stock.. got the proof out in the driveway.
I have 2005 F150 4.6 v8 and I bought the truck with 100k on odometer and have ran premium 91 or 93 for 50k miles now and ever since my gas mileage and overall running of the truck has improved. I'm a believer in better fuel
Subaru Boxer engines are notorious for carbon buildup. My 2000 Impreza Outback RS with 116,000 miles after 20 years of life began suffering from lower mileage, louder engine noise, sluggish performance. I found and tried Chevron Techron Fuel System Cleaner in combination with 93 octane fuel has restored 32 mpg mileage hwy, decreased engine noise and increased overall performance. Lesson learned owning a Subaru Boxer Engine. Points to take away: If you suspect carbon is fouling your engine's performance try Chevron Techron FSC and 93 octane. I would name the several other brands of fuel additives tried but sparring you the chase and jumping to the capture. Both of these items clean well with carbon fouled engines. It's hard to find information stating the benefits of high octane. Trying it will help eliminate one possible problem in your hunt to diagnose engine problems and potentially save more money and time.
I saw a low compression antique engine ruined by running AVGAS through it (avgas was used to allow for better fuel preservation). What ruined the engine? The fuel continued to burn as it was being ejected out the exhaust valves and it wore down the valve seats VERY quickly.
This is very interesting. I recently had a misfire code on my number 3 cylinder. I had replaced that injector about 2 years ago an assumed it was that injector. I accidentally put about 5 gals of 90 octane no ethanol regular in my tank. The next day miraculously the misfire was almost completely unnoticeable. So I’m assuming my number 3 cyl fouled out that injector. Then when I ran the 90 octane no ethanol fuel through it, it cleared that cylinder of debris and the injector became unstuck or cleaned out. As my mech told me the injector was intermittently firing. And trust me I noticed when I started it the next morning. Now I’ll clear the codes and see what my scanner tells me.
What about high compression engines that have egr and direct injection? Newer Camry’s have 13:1 compression ratios but the manual still recommends 87 octane? Could the car be smart enough to take advantage of higher octane fuel?
I'd like to learn this as well. I know for a fact that my direct injection 2019 Hyundai Accent with 11/1 compression runs better with 91 over the 87 minimum it recommends. Running 91 octane makes the engine faster, less likely to suffer from heat stroke symptoms, and increases it's MPG significantly.
Me & friends switched to high octane fuel with great results. An article starting out biased makes one question the author's motive when real world use proves the author's claims inaccurate. By experience higher octane fuel has provided better performance & higher mpg for all of us making the switch. If not, why would any of us pay the dollar more per gallon?
I'm confused by this post. Are you saying that he is wrong just because you had a good experience with high octane gas in your low octane engine? I think he did a great job of explaining why you will temporarily see good results with that. However, just as he has stated, once the carbon buildup that caused your low compression engine to temporarily become a high compression engine is cleaned out, it's better that you go back to a (quality) low octane fuel. Bottom line, and I say this as an engineer, it is ALWAYS better in the long run to use the fuel recommended by the engineers/manufacturer that designed your car.
Occasionally, some stations in some parts of the country may offer only their premium fuel ethanol-free. So, those who fill up with the pure gas premium are rewarded with better gas mileage and possibly better performance. This is another instance when people may claim that "premium runs better in my car" and they are actually correct. Most of the time, people are wasting money. N/A engines also require lower octane ratings the higher you go in altitude. :) I think Denver for example has 85 or 86 octane regular. I could be wrong though. It might be a bit higher.
I know this is a bit of an older answer, but I went out of my way to try ethanol free fuel in my modern car. I saw zero gain in MPG from running it over the standard ethanol blend they sell most everywhere else. Pretty disappointed, as I'd seen "testing" done previously that indicated it was a given that you'd get better mileage. It was definitely not worth the drive nor extra expense, in my case.
Great video bro I’ve been debating with myself on whether to use 87 in my sxt challenger or just continue to use 93 like when I was in my Cadillac ats thanks for the help!!! Ima just start using 87!! Much cheaper too😮💨
I thought it also depended on whether or not your engine has knock protection, where if your engine has a lower octane fuel than what is optimal for performance, it will retard timing at full throttle to avoid knocking. That would hypothetically mean that if a car is rated for 87 fuel, it would run better on a higher octane fuel. Is that true or bullshit?
Thanks man very informative video i bought a toyota wish 1.8 4 cylinder engine 5 months and it was at first giving 5.5 km/L then i Tune it throttle body wash the catalytic converter change the spark plugs change the transmission oil wash the injectors change the fuel pump But even after all that my cars only do best 8 km/ L then two months ago i started high octane Petrol and it goes up to 10 km/L I think there is a lot of carbon in my engine thats why it was doing to much low mileage what do you think i should keep using high octane for some time will it clean my engine from carbon buildup and i have not been using full tank of high octane my tank is 60 litres so i use 30 30 litres every time and 30 litres simple petrol and every month i use 1 bottle of fuel system cleaner
For what its worth cars are different from one another. My uncles volvo would only run on a mix of regular and high test, he used to literally put in half and half at the pumps. I ran high octance 93 through it and when I turned it off it ran on like you would not believe, chug chug chug for like 20 seconds. Our 97 Plymouth Neon non-turbo 2.0 loved the medium grade stuff, we tried low, high and medium and it just purred on medium. I think a lot of it has to do with the 02 sensor and the computer chip interpreting things. Science behind my observations? No. But this is what I experienced. Oh and that old Neon, we ran that up to 250K miles! not km, miles. Should have beenn in the Smithsonian - Ha!
Yes. The computer is what senses knocking and it retards timing at the cost of efficiency and power. The difference is not huge, but u might notice it. I do. Better MGP's too.
If an econobox could do just fine with just 87 octane, then what is the purpose of the knock sensor? Isn't it that the knock sensor is there to advance the ignition timing to reap benefits of higher octane fuel?
Like my sierra 5.3 2016 after 5 years it's start to knock with 87 some times , and i noticed the engine had to decrease the power due to the engine knock , when i put higher octane its run much faster and much smoother in all the situations
Had a Ford F-150 and it called to use 89oct. I tried to run 93 several times and at idle the engine ran shitty. While driving it didn’t seem to make any difference. But it didn’t like the 93 at idle. Funny, you would think it wouldn’t have made it run shitty like that.
You have to give the computer time to adjust the timeing because high octane burns much slower so that why is not idling right but give it time and computer will fix that it's called a nockback.
You are talking about 95 Ron probably right? That is a different measuring system its the same grade fuel as us far as I know. We can get 100+ octane race fuels here they're not at all the pumps though
Question, if I have to go long distance constantly above 140 km/h speed for 5 hours, can I use Hugh octane though my car is recommended to use low octane..
I sticking with the high octane gas ⛽️ on my 2008 Prius because it keeps my Catalytic converter clean. If you check how much a original Catalytic Converter cost you will change to 93 octane on your 2008 Prius. Original Catalytic converter for 2008 Prius 1,500 plus another 300 that 1,800.
At $1 more per gallon, how much extra eo you spend every year? Over 5 years? I bet it’s more than $1800, and there is no guarantee your catalytic converters will ever fail.
High octane matters for anything with high compression. Anything high compression is considered 10:1 and up. Considering the ls1 is 10.2:1, you’re wild to run anything less than 91 in these cars
Turbocharged Engines= usually needs a higher octane fuel compared to Non Turbo Engines to prevent pre-ignition/pinging Cars made after 2010 that has a compression ratio of 10:1 or higher would need atleast 93-95 octane gas to prevent pinging/knocking/pre ignition pre-2010 cars with compression ratios 9.5:1 or lower usually doesn't need high octane gas 🤷♂ you can put the absolute cheapest 85-87 octane pump gas and still get 20-35MPG although if you put a very low octane gas the ECU would squirt a bit more fuel / delay the ignition timing if it detects a knock which could affect the fuel consumption
Hey, my motorcycle manual says 93 octane or higher. At the place where I live I have options of 91, 97 and 99 Octanes (all sold by different gas stations). I fill 99 because it’s a little cheaper than the 97 ( again different companies). Is it okay for my motorcycle which calls for 93 or higher? (I care a lot for her). Thanks in advance 😊
Can anyone explain to me why my 87 octane engine has a deeper, less whiny sound when I put higher grade fuel? Also seems to spend more time going through 2nd and 3rd gear, possibly from timing?
So if I have a 2001 chevi s 10 truck with a v6 vortec can I run a Higher octane because it is over 20 years old. Or should I just stay with regular gas
Running the recommended fuel will give you the advertised power, while lower octane fuel will cause a little bit of knock, which the ECU will sense, and then it will make adjustments to timing and fuel; it will make slightly less power and consume a little more fuel to save itself from knock.
@@blackgt19 dude that thing has 12:1 compression there is no way in hell I'd use anything below premium. That trash gasoline don't have as good of additives in it so it will clog up the fuel system quicker it will pull a decent amount of timing lowering power thus making it work harder making it use more fuel. Dont run below premium in that awesome gen 3 coyote don't be a cheap skate. If you are too cheap to buy good gasoline for that awesome car sell it and buy an old pos cavalier or something.
It won't increase power itll have advertised power using less than premium will cause knock and it will pull timing lowering your power and mpg. Don't use trash gas in a turbo car....
@@midnight347thanks, you don't have to worry I've been putting 93 in it. I usually get shell or chevron. I'm sure you know about the lack of additives in walmart gas stations and any other random gas stations
Regarding a 1999 ford ranger: the manual calls for a 87 octane, however, it pings on acceration. This is a v-6. When using a higher octane, it does not ping, and appears to have a little more power. My 2006 Chevrolet has a V-8 and calls for 87 octane, however, when It burns 91, it appears to have more power. I used to have a 1973 LTD which called for 91 octane. A mechanic told me I could burn 87 octane, as he would retard the timieing , and it would loose a little power. I had this done, but from burning the 87, it would use 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. When using 91 octane it went the 5000 miles between oil changes, and using no oil between oil changes.
I don't notice any difference until the tank is half way empty. Last time my turbo had regular gas and I used premium. It ran better for 2 days then went back to normal.
I would just use whatever the owner's manual calls for unless you are trying to diagnose the carbon build-up issue. A higher octane shouldn't give anything better MPGs unless the engine was designed for it in the first place.
Hey Jesse! The one thing I haven't seen covered much is that higher octane fuels now almost always come with higher levels of cleaning agents and other conditioners which are supposed to be good for your fuel system. I'd love to see actual testing on that, but obviously it's an expensive and long term proposition.
Yes, because that top tier gas doesn't actually clean anything. Ethanol is what actually cleans carbon. Go for a higher-ethanol content rather than octane. However, the engine computer will need time to adjust to the ethanol, and you should stop using it after a while, and then the computer will need time to adjust back. Performance will suffer while the computer is learning new fuel maps.
I have a moped and it says it takes 89 but it has been getting filled with 93 and i get knocking and really low rpms at 70% to full throttle could the 93 has something to do with it or do you have anything in mind
EGR is probably malfunctioning. It keeps the combustion temperatures down by cycling exhaust back into the intake and diluting the fuel charge to reduce NOx gasses. When it malfunctions then combustion temps will be much hotter than normal. Knock can also be caused by carbon buildup. If you suspect that it's carbon, use a few treatments of seafoam.
It can, but usually when paired with other issues. Usually what you end up with when running too low of an octane is premature ignition, not no ignition at all.
@@CarsSimplified Well I bought a 91 E30, I read that its suppose to take 89 or higher and I’m almost certain 87 was put in it. I read that it can damage the fuel injectors. I only drove it for about an hour after topping off the 1/4 of a tank. Then it started stalling
Can you explain please in my owner manual 87 octane or higher . 2018 Honda Accord sport 1.5 turbo . Does that mean i can use all grades ? 10.3:1 Thanks !
Yes but since its turbocharged it will run better and have more power if you consistently use premium. If you dont care about that and just want it to run and save money just use 87.
I had a civic with that same 1.5L turbo engine. The manual stated 87 was fine but running premium 91 or higher would increase 6 hp and 1 mpg. I didn’t notice much in the 6 hp aside from smoother acceleration but I did notice the increase in gas milage.
@@alexyoungberg5232 you spend less at the pump but since it will get lower mpg the difference is not as much as people think. Lower grade usually has less additives leading to the fuel system and engine being gunked up quicker not to mention you have less power. Any turbo or high compression engines should have premium fuel and in this case its both turbo and higher compression id def not put below premium. I honestly think in the long run with everything considered cost probably isn't that much more.
I think the type of engine makes a difference because a 4 stroke will always prioritize tourque even the smallest 4 stroke but 2 stroke engine are rpm prioritized so I do believe that you will achieve more horse power using 4 stroke.
On modern GDI turbo charged engines the higher the octane the better, low octane few detonates poorly it pre combusts and can lead to cylinder head gaskets giving up prematurely and the head warping and water getting into the chambers and wrecking the engine over time through overheating of the block, people cheap out on fuel and buy lower octane below 91 this is a ticking timebomb if you value your expensive engine and turbo charger.
Higher octane gas burns slower than lower octane gas because the ignition temperature is higher. At high RPM you would want faster burning fuel to keep up with the piston that's moving very fast. This could also lead to wasted fuel, especially at high RPM and if the engine computer doesn't adjust well for the higher octane fuel. It's a marketing gimmick to say that high octane fuel perform's better or cleans carbon. The best thing to clean carbon is ethanol (which is one of the active ingredients of seafoam). High octane fuel is commonly perceived by many to perform better, but that's because it's intended for HIGH COMPRESSION engines that already perform better. If you have a standard compression or low compression naturally aspirated engine (no turbo, no supercharger) then you'll want 87 octane.
@@juansolo1617 ok thanks that helps because i was like i have a twin turbo set up so would it help with higher octane gas because im using forced induction but now i understand
With a 3.63 inch bore and 3.65 inch stroke, the engine features a nearly square bore-stroke ratio. ... FORD 5.0L MODULAR V-8 SPECS. Engine: Ford 5.0L "Coyote" V-8 Cylinder Stroke: 3.65" (92.7mm) Compression Ratio: 2011 - 2017 Ford F-150 10.5 : 1 2011 - 2017 Ford Mustang 11.0 : 1
@@cherokeefit4248 my si used to get about 28-30mpg highway. Your fuel consumption is probably you flooring it so much lol 😂. But they do call for premium cause of the high compression and the newer models going smaller engine but turbo putting out same power
@@cherokeefit4248 yea it’s only like 12 gallons. Fill up and see how many miles you go and at next fill up divid the miles by gallons to see your average. Like I said I would get 28-30 highway but city I would get lower 20s
Not on a modern vehicle. Mine is 10:1+ (I'd have to look in the manual) and specs strictly 87 octane. No knocking or pinging whatsoever, and it's approaching 100,000 miles. Back in the day even 9:1 was high compression, but nowadays it's pretty standard to be in the high 9's or 10's and still spec 87.
I don't currently have a video explaining knock, but here's one by @EngineeringExplained - ruclips.net/video/maZyPJIOknE/видео.html Basically it's combustion with the timing and location being not ideal, and it can apply stresses to engine parts. Damage can occur, and in some scenarios, catastrophic damage.
Actually you kind of missed the reality of knock sensors.... Back in the day, and likely before your time.... High compression engines needed high octane fuel. If your engine compression was higher than about 10 to 1 it knocked like crazy on regular and very possibly would barely run. The first unleaded engines had about 7.6 to 1 compression ratios... (the smog engines) and they ran very nicely on 87 octane fuel. Back in the late 1960's and early 1970's there were some engines that ran at about 9.5 to 1 and they pinged a little with 89 octane fuel under heavy load, but otherwise were fine with "regular leaded gas". Yes all cars had advance in the timing, but the engineers pretty much calculated it based on a fixed ignition to rpm ratio,. Now modern cars have knock sensors and the computer retards or advances the timing to avoid pinging... up to a point. There are now lots of engines that run 9.5 to 1 compression that can run on 87 octane because the computer retards the timing when under load (at the cost of some power and fuel economy). These engines will actually benefit from higher octane fuel. They will run smoother, have better fuel economy and produce higher horsepower. Mainly, the computer will read the knock sensor data and advance the timing. Therefore certain engines (that run on regular) will actually do better on premium fuel, but they will do just fine on regular gas. If you have one of these engines and you can buy premium and regular gas for the same price, your car and you will benefit from the premium. BUT if the price of premium is substantially higher than the regular the relatively small increase in power and fuel economy will be lost to the higher fuel cost. So look up the compression ratio for your car... If the compression ratio is around 8 your car will pretty much run only on regular. If the compression ratio is about 10 you are best off on premium Engines above 9 to 1 can pretty much go either way assuming they have a computer and knock sensor. Footnote: Mazda has been doing some really innovative things with Skyactive direct injection technology... I haven't played with any of these engines and they seem to be working with some pretty high compression ratios and regular fuel.... It's something I'd discuss if anyone is actually interested...
@@roberth912 Your compression is right on the borderline and your computer will adjust the timing. The best thing to do is run a couple tanks of each and see which one gives you the best fuel economy, then adjust your math to come up with how much it costs you per mile based on the fuel prices around where you live. For example, my car gets more power and fuel economy on premium. But premium costs so much more, I save money by using regular. In the old days without a computer and knock sensor 89 would have been my choice and I think it will give you a little better power and fuel economy.. but where I live the better gas mileage gets eaten up by the extra cost per gallon... But with fuel prices coming down... that might change.
@@roberth912 My retired Police Interceptor gets noticably more power and 2 MPG better fuel economy on Shell Premium, but when I did the cost benefit analysis, 2 MPG for sixty cents more per gallon wasn't worth it and the car has plenty of power for a family sedan either way. If the difference were 10 cents per gallon, premium would be a no brainer. Now, if I were an actual cop with the tax payers footing the bill for my gas... oh yea, I"d be running premium all of the time.
Direct injection, variable valve timing, sequential injection, aluminum, and improved engine physics (bore/stroke, piston and combustion chamber among other things) are far more important to octane tolerance than timing control. 10:1+ on 87 octane is becoming the standard. 2015 Kia Forte (bottom end car) is 10:1+ on 87, 2019 Chevy 5.3L is 11:1 on 87 octane, as two examples. They aren't building the engines for high octane fuel, advertising them as such, then choking them back via timing, that is counterproductive. Otherwise manufacturers would make the engines as cheap as possible, using the lowest octane, with little regard for the tech required to run "cheaper" gas but higher compression.
this is definitely wrong , from personal experience using high octane in a low engine octane is very safe , my car supposed to work with 90 oct , first year i stick with it , but i get bunch of problems (mostly valves) , then i change it to 95 and everything goes supper till now (6 years) ! ,
Always run 93 octane ,,MOTOR RUNS CLEANER ,, AND LESS RATTLES UNDER LOAD , IN A TRUCK My 2004 RANGER ,is loaded with 3000 to 3,500 pds of tools if run lower octane it rattles , and 30% less power BOUGHT IT NEW ,, IN 2005 ,, My ranger has over 3,030,000,, all original factor clutch even, Story ,, had my truck about year ,, left out of state ,,, left with my father ,, drove it 2 days and parked it, told me when got home it run like shit , and Nosie on a big hill I laughed told him // before I left to run high test ,,said he was trying save money ,lol,lol thought I was nuts,, went filled up with good high test, ,, with in 10 miles ran like a BEAST LOL,LOL,, LOL, 3.0 NEED ALL OCTANE CAN GET ,,LOL, WHEN WORKING TRUCKS ,, my truck is built out ,, 3/4 suspension, EVER THING UP GRADE WITH IN THE FIRST YEAR ,, LOL I HAVE A.R.E ,,, (( topper )) ON TRUCK AND slide BOXES ,in the back AND JUMP CAB,, ,,
I’m Sorry but, my 2008 Prius gets more power and gas mileage on 93 octane. Plus my Catalytic converter say clean. Not all cars that run on 87 get this benefit if they switch to 93 octane
You’re the first person to directly say yes or no at the beginning of the video, thank you.
Bull Shit, it depends where you are, and what car you have.
Dick Vermaas wtf are you talking about?
Ikr 😎
And the first NOT to ask to click subscribe and click the notification
But it’s not that simple. It can certainly help in some instances.
This was straight to the point and factual unlike most other popular channels
You are the fist person that answered my question. I have a 2002 Ford excursion V10, it has 160k miles. The owners manual calls for 87 octane but it says that it might ping lightly. I live in AZ so is kinda 🔥 hot .. So I ran multiple time seafoam in the gas tank. The engine still pings at lower rpms. Example: I'm going 45mph and the rpms are at 1200.. I step on the gas and the engine pings until 3rd gear kicks in.. So I have to run 91 octane so I don't get any ping and the truck runs pretty smooth..
You have a faulty knock sensor in your motor try using a high quality Factory knock sensor replacement I had plenty of vehicles that did this and when I changed those it stopped pinging
Nice vid. Higher octain is usually a better idea in forced induction engines for the same reasons. I see way too many people trying to run regular in a gtp and it never works out well.
I always forget about forced induction when talking about higher octane fuels! Thanks for catching that!
@@CarsSimplified well, its easy for me to remember because its why i spend soo much money on gas every week. Lol..
Heh, that will do it!
I put high octane gasoline in my 2007 Mazda 6 and it shifts better now. The high octane gas worked much better than the fuel system cleaners. I'll try regular gas next time.
What was the problem with your engine that you used high octane fuel for ?
@@abdben1101 , I have no clue. It was just a bit sluggish at accelerating.
@@yvetterenee8256 There are people saying higher octane does have higher energy output which is why even if you attach a bunch of upgrades to your car (cold air intake, supercharger, etc) and run 87 vs 93 octane you will see the 93 octane has more energy in it. Some dispute this saying it's the *upgrades* that make the car have more energy not the fuel itself. In the video, as the man mentioned it's about compression of engine and that fuel needs higher/lower compression so it's more about the fuel type I would say.
I will say you aren't wrong, I can attest I have a Ford Edge with a natural aspirated V6 and running some 93 octane did make it perform better for sure even though my owners manual says 87 octane is recommended to use and to NOT use higher octane for engines like that. Although I did hear pinging a couple of times when I used 93 octane lol I hope the ping sensor adjusted for it.
I just put racing fuel into my truck well it was 1 litres of racing fuel in my full tank of unleaded and it’s fixed the bogging and I’m guessing cleaned the injectors cause it had a blocked injector and now it doesn’t I don’t think as car runs fine again
I'm working for BP and ultimate 100 unleaded have those results and benefits in low octane engines..thank you for showing this point of benefits!
i have an corolla with over 600,000 93 gives it more kick dont know if im hurting a half mill engine but so far 2 years going strong!!
I don't see a reason why it would hurt it, especially if you're keeping up with spark plug changes. 600,000 miles is incredible btw, is it still going?
@@Shade_Tree_Mechanic Yes still runs don't drive it everyday anymore since I started bringing company car home!!
Whether premium gas gives you any benefit is dependent on whether the engine is designed to adjust ignition timing with enough latitude to make the best of whatever octane it gets. Some vehicles are relatively stupid and you don't get much benefit from premium; some vehicles have a lot more latitude in their ignition timing automatic adjustments and you get a benefit. The only way to know is to run several tanks and see.
Yes. No one talks about the computer in these videos.
Thanks . You’ve made a video that has actual specific information in it. What a concept.
Again. Thank you, I just subscribed.
Thanks! I try to keep making them all that way!
I compared 95 vs 100 octane on my lexus ct200h hybrid.
I didnt recocgnize any power benefit, but consumption was from 5% to 10% lower.
I measured it with the actual fuel pumped and kms, several times on the same home/work travels.
Curious thing, the onboard computer gives even lower consumption values, so I'm pretty sure something happens and is recognised by the car, the 100 octane fuel is also different in conposition and smell.
A lot of people always believe that high octane fuel is a waste of money. But if you want to keep your car longer than 500,000 miles then premium gas might be your best friend. A lot of times people just jump their cars after a certain amount of time passes
My dude you def break it down. Been a while since i read my tuning book and this is def a quick refresher
Straight to the point perfect I own a Mercedes and decided to put cheap gas and started to here a kick at high accelerations just use what the manufacturer says period on high end cars🙌👌👍
My motor is rated to run on normal pump gas but when I run premium it does run better I run premium like ever other tank
Same here, makes a big difference
I run it every tank. No sense messing with success.
@@rodneyjhackenflash4865 honestly from what I’ve experienced it actually seems like it gets up and goes better with 87 but smoother with 93
Awesome video . Glad it’s short, simple and to the point . Thank you
Flash tune for higher octane is the real way to benefit from higher octane..it does ignite better and burns cleaner..for that I always ran high grade in my simple vortex 4.8..it hated lower oct..spoiled the dang thang..but when a friend of mine played around with a palm tuner..nothing professional just enough to flash for fuel grade..and man o man.. nothing but a stock motor..no power parts at all.. and the truck preformed amazing.. averageing 30+ mpg..and the higher end of the revs and it jumped up and was gone..and made it the lower end of the revs way more torque..played with shift points alittle and bam..a fun little truck out on the back roads..no stranger to getting ya off the line going through town..higher octane does help most vehicles..but a tune changes the game even if it's stock.. got the proof out in the driveway.
Great explanation of the different octanes and need for each type!
Ooooh what a good video. He answered it in beginning.
I have 2005 F150 4.6 v8 and I bought the truck with 100k on odometer and have ran premium 91 or 93 for 50k miles now and ever since my gas mileage and overall running of the truck has improved. I'm a believer in better fuel
Subaru Boxer engines are notorious for carbon buildup. My 2000 Impreza Outback RS with 116,000 miles after 20 years of life began suffering from lower mileage, louder engine noise, sluggish performance. I found and tried Chevron Techron Fuel System Cleaner in combination with 93 octane fuel has restored 32 mpg mileage hwy, decreased engine noise and increased overall performance. Lesson learned owning a Subaru Boxer Engine. Points to take away: If you suspect carbon is fouling your engine's performance try Chevron Techron FSC and 93 octane. I would name the several other brands of fuel additives tried but sparring you the chase and jumping to the capture. Both of these items clean well with carbon fouled engines. It's hard to find information stating the benefits of high octane. Trying it will help eliminate one possible problem in your hunt to diagnose engine problems and potentially save more money and time.
I saw a low compression antique engine ruined by running AVGAS through it (avgas was used to allow for better fuel preservation). What ruined the engine? The fuel continued to burn as it was being ejected out the exhaust valves and it wore down the valve seats VERY quickly.
Thank you so much man this video has everything that I needed to know I subbed
This is very interesting. I recently had a misfire code on my number 3 cylinder. I had replaced that injector about 2 years ago an assumed it was that injector. I accidentally put about 5 gals of 90 octane no ethanol regular in my tank. The next day miraculously the misfire was almost completely unnoticeable. So I’m assuming my number 3 cyl fouled out that injector. Then when I ran the 90 octane no ethanol fuel through it, it cleared that cylinder of debris and the injector became unstuck or cleaned out. As my mech told me the injector was intermittently firing. And trust me I noticed when I started it the next morning. Now I’ll clear the codes and see what my scanner tells me.
What about high compression engines that have egr and direct injection? Newer Camry’s have 13:1 compression ratios but the manual still recommends 87 octane? Could the car be smart enough to take advantage of higher octane fuel?
I'd like to learn this as well.
I know for a fact that my direct injection 2019 Hyundai Accent with 11/1 compression runs better with 91 over the 87 minimum it recommends. Running 91 octane makes the engine faster, less likely to suffer from heat stroke symptoms, and increases it's MPG significantly.
87 Octane plus Marvel Mystery Oil on every fill up. Your vehicle will love you for this.
Me & friends switched to high octane fuel with great results. An article starting out biased makes one question the author's motive when real world use proves the author's claims inaccurate. By experience higher octane fuel has provided better performance & higher mpg for all of us making the switch. If not, why would any of us pay the dollar more per gallon?
I'm confused by this post. Are you saying that he is wrong just because you had a good experience with high octane gas in your low octane engine? I think he did a great job of explaining why you will temporarily see good results with that. However, just as he has stated, once the carbon buildup that caused your low compression engine to temporarily become a high compression engine is cleaned out, it's better that you go back to a (quality) low octane fuel. Bottom line, and I say this as an engineer, it is ALWAYS better in the long run to use the fuel recommended by the engineers/manufacturer that designed your car.
Ok riddle me this! What if I have a very high compression ratio but my car calls for regular gas... such as the Mazda skyactive engine.
Ha! I just commented on this. My SkyActiv runs noticeably better on 93 vs 87. 435,000 miles and still runs great.
I’ve been using midgrade my 2022 Mazda CX five. Naturally aspirated. When I use 91 octane, I can notice a performance difference.
Occasionally, some stations in some parts of the country may offer only their premium fuel ethanol-free. So, those who fill up with the pure gas premium are rewarded with better gas mileage and possibly better performance. This is another instance when people may claim that "premium runs better in my car" and they are actually correct. Most of the time, people are wasting money. N/A engines also require lower octane ratings the higher you go in altitude. :) I think Denver for example has 85 or 86 octane regular. I could be wrong though. It might be a bit higher.
I know this is a bit of an older answer, but I went out of my way to try ethanol free fuel in my modern car. I saw zero gain in MPG from running it over the standard ethanol blend they sell most everywhere else. Pretty disappointed, as I'd seen "testing" done previously that indicated it was a given that you'd get better mileage. It was definitely not worth the drive nor extra expense, in my case.
Great video bro I’ve been debating with myself on whether to use 87 in my sxt challenger or just continue to use 93 like when I was in my Cadillac ats thanks for the help!!! Ima just start using 87!! Much cheaper too😮💨
I thought it also depended on whether or not your engine has knock protection, where if your engine has a lower octane fuel than what is optimal for performance, it will retard timing at full throttle to avoid knocking. That would hypothetically mean that if a car is rated for 87 fuel, it would run better on a higher octane fuel. Is that true or bullshit?
Thanks man very informative video i bought a toyota wish 1.8 4 cylinder engine 5 months and it was at first giving 5.5 km/L then i
Tune it throttle body wash the
catalytic converter change the spark plugs change the transmission oil wash the injectors change the fuel pump
But even after all that my cars only do best 8 km/ L then two months ago i started high octane
Petrol and it goes up to 10 km/L
I think there is a lot of carbon in my engine thats why it was doing
to much low mileage what do you think i should keep using high octane for some time will it clean my engine from carbon buildup and i have not been using full tank of high octane my tank is 60 litres so i use 30 30 litres every time and 30 litres simple petrol and every month i use 1 bottle of fuel system cleaner
I have always agreed with this until I got a newer Mazda (SkyActiv) that is 13:1 but only calls for 87. My car actually runs much better on 93
For what its worth cars are different from one another. My uncles volvo would only run on a mix of regular and high test, he used to literally put in half and half at the pumps. I ran high octance 93 through it and when I turned it off it ran on like you would not believe, chug chug chug for like 20 seconds. Our 97 Plymouth Neon non-turbo 2.0 loved the medium grade stuff, we tried low, high and medium and it just purred on medium. I think a lot of it has to do with the 02 sensor and the computer chip interpreting things. Science behind my observations? No. But this is what I experienced. Oh and that old Neon, we ran that up to 250K miles! not km, miles. Should have beenn in the Smithsonian - Ha!
My 2002 6.0 gas Silverado has 248,000 currently and still going!
My Honda has direct injection so does it make a difference choosing 91 over 87?
Yes. The computer is what senses knocking and it retards timing at the cost of efficiency and power. The difference is not huge, but u might notice it. I do. Better MGP's too.
If an econobox could do just fine with just 87 octane, then what is the purpose of the knock sensor? Isn't it that the knock sensor is there to advance the ignition timing to reap benefits of higher octane fuel?
Like my sierra 5.3 2016 after 5 years it's start to knock with 87 some times , and i noticed the engine had to decrease the power due to the engine knock ,
when i put higher octane its run much faster and much smoother in all the situations
Dosen't 91 Octane have More Detergents in the Gasoline to Clean your Pistons free from Carbon?
👌
Mobil 1's premium is by far the best in my experiences
Had a Ford F-150 and it called to use 89oct. I tried to run 93 several times and at idle the engine ran shitty. While driving it didn’t seem to make any difference. But it didn’t like the 93 at idle. Funny, you would think it wouldn’t have made it run shitty like that.
You have to give the computer time to adjust the timeing because high octane burns much slower so that why is not idling right but give it time and computer will fix that it's called a nockback.
Interesting information. Thank you.
Could I put 89 in my 2010 Malibu 3.6 ?
Well made video but my question is ...why They don't use 95 octane fuel in the US? Here in Italy we use 95 and 98 and sometimes 100 octane fuel
What you recommend for Alfa Romeo petrol engines ?
Some places have those, I can get 104 not far from me, but most gas stations on the highway system here will have 87/89/93 for the choices.
You are talking about 95 Ron probably right? That is a different measuring system its the same grade fuel as us far as I know. We can get 100+ octane race fuels here they're not at all the pumps though
Question, if I have to go long distance constantly above 140 km/h speed for 5 hours, can I use Hugh octane though my car is recommended to use low octane..
I sticking with the high octane gas ⛽️ on my 2008 Prius because it keeps my Catalytic converter clean. If you check how much a original Catalytic Converter cost you will change to 93 octane on your 2008 Prius. Original Catalytic converter for 2008 Prius 1,500 plus another 300 that 1,800.
At $1 more per gallon, how much extra eo you spend every year? Over 5 years? I bet it’s more than $1800, and there is no guarantee your catalytic converters will ever fail.
High octane matters for anything with high compression. Anything high compression is considered 10:1 and up. Considering the ls1 is 10.2:1, you’re wild to run anything less than 91 in these cars
Turbocharged Engines= usually needs a higher octane fuel compared to Non Turbo Engines to prevent pre-ignition/pinging
Cars made after 2010 that has a compression ratio of 10:1 or higher would need atleast 93-95 octane gas to prevent pinging/knocking/pre ignition
pre-2010 cars with compression ratios 9.5:1 or lower usually doesn't need high octane gas 🤷♂ you can put the absolute cheapest 85-87 octane pump gas and still get 20-35MPG
although if you put a very low octane gas the ECU would squirt a bit more fuel / delay the ignition timing if it detects a knock which could affect the fuel consumption
Hey, my motorcycle manual says 93 octane or higher. At the place where I live I have options of 91, 97 and 99 Octanes (all sold by different gas stations). I fill 99 because it’s a little cheaper than the 97 ( again different companies). Is it okay for my motorcycle which calls for 93 or higher? (I care a lot for her). Thanks in advance 😊
99 i am guessing that isn't USA.
Can anyone explain to me why my 87 octane engine has a deeper, less whiny sound when I put higher grade fuel? Also seems to spend more time going through 2nd and 3rd gear, possibly from timing?
So if I have a 2001 chevi s 10 truck with a v6 vortec can I run a Higher octane because it is over 20 years old. Or should I just stay with regular gas
You'll Be Fine.. It will Clean out your engine and your Truck will even Run Better. I Always Run 91 in my Truck.
my quastion is does 98 fuel damage tuned scooter 65cc does it damaging parts?
What about cars (example Mustang Ecoboost) that recommend 91 but can run on 87/89? Is there any research to suggest that using 91 will increase HP?
Running the recommended fuel will give you the advertised power, while lower octane fuel will cause a little bit of knock, which the ECU will sense, and then it will make adjustments to timing and fuel; it will make slightly less power and consume a little more fuel to save itself from knock.
@@CarsSimplified if have a 2019 mustang gt. Do you think there is a much of a difference between 89 and 93 that's worth paying for?
@@blackgt19 dude that thing has 12:1 compression there is no way in hell I'd use anything below premium. That trash gasoline don't have as good of additives in it so it will clog up the fuel system quicker it will pull a decent amount of timing lowering power thus making it work harder making it use more fuel. Dont run below premium in that awesome gen 3 coyote don't be a cheap skate. If you are too cheap to buy good gasoline for that awesome car sell it and buy an old pos cavalier or something.
It won't increase power itll have advertised power using less than premium will cause knock and it will pull timing lowering your power and mpg. Don't use trash gas in a turbo car....
@@midnight347thanks, you don't have to worry I've been putting 93 in it. I usually get shell or chevron. I'm sure you know about the lack of additives in walmart gas stations and any other random gas stations
Same with small engines?
Regarding a 1999 ford ranger: the manual calls for a 87 octane, however, it pings on acceration. This is a v-6. When using a higher octane, it does not ping, and appears to have a little more power. My 2006 Chevrolet has a V-8 and calls for 87 octane, however, when It burns 91, it appears to have more power. I used to have a 1973 LTD which called for 91 octane. A mechanic told me I could burn 87 octane, as he would retard the timieing , and it would loose a little power. I had this done, but from burning the 87, it would use 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. When using 91 octane it went the 5000 miles between oil changes, and using no oil between oil changes.
What if my car needs 87 octane but there is only 86 octane available here?there is 86,88,91 here which should I use
I would put the 88 then. Never go lower then what the car needs.
I have a car Cuore 93 model. Can I use Hi octane petrol in it.
I bought a 2012 Chevy sonic 1.4 turbo should I use premium or not
I don't notice any difference until the tank is half way empty. Last time my turbo had regular gas and I used premium. It ran better for 2 days then went back to normal.
@@Monster33336 ok ty I have the automatic not the manual from what I read midgrade and premium is better for the turbo engine but not sure
@@Ro6sTech I would stick to mid grade & add a bottle of lucas cleaner & lubricant
Like for saying the response at beggining.
Can I use 93 premium gas in my 2014 prius?
If I can will i get better mpg?
I would just use whatever the owner's manual calls for unless you are trying to diagnose the carbon build-up issue. A higher octane shouldn't give anything better MPGs unless the engine was designed for it in the first place.
Another great video, well done man!!
Thanks! I think you were in the 802 Garage live video chat when I mentioned this topic and right after that I decided to make a video about it.
@@CarsSimplified yeah I was there. This was definitely a great topic to bring up, I myself tend to run higher octane than necessary.
Hey Jesse! The one thing I haven't seen covered much is that higher octane fuels now almost always come with higher levels of cleaning agents and other conditioners which are supposed to be good for your fuel system. I'd love to see actual testing on that, but obviously it's an expensive and long term proposition.
@@802Garage well said, I usually run 89 or 91 in my ej25.... I'm not sure if it's necessary.
@@802Garage looking forward to your next video!!
Is there any benefit to using a fuel system cleaner if you already use so-called "top tier gas"?
Yes, because that top tier gas doesn't actually clean anything. Ethanol is what actually cleans carbon. Go for a higher-ethanol content rather than octane. However, the engine computer will need time to adjust to the ethanol, and you should stop using it after a while, and then the computer will need time to adjust back. Performance will suffer while the computer is learning new fuel maps.
No
My car use 0,1 l less fuel pr 10 km with 98 oct compared to 95. It also run smoother.
I have a moped and it says it takes 89 but it has been getting filled with 93 and i get knocking and really low rpms at 70% to full throttle could the 93 has something to do with it or do you have anything in mind
EGR is probably malfunctioning. It keeps the combustion temperatures down by cycling exhaust back into the intake and diluting the fuel charge to reduce NOx gasses. When it malfunctions then combustion temps will be much hotter than normal. Knock can also be caused by carbon buildup. If you suspect that it's carbon, use a few treatments of seafoam.
can using a lower octane cause stalling ?
It can, but usually when paired with other issues. Usually what you end up with when running too low of an octane is premature ignition, not no ignition at all.
@@CarsSimplified Well I bought a 91 E30, I read that its suppose to take 89 or higher and I’m almost certain 87 was put in it. I read that it can damage the fuel injectors. I only drove it for about an hour after topping off the 1/4 of a tank. Then it started stalling
Can you explain please in my owner manual 87 octane or higher . 2018 Honda Accord sport 1.5 turbo . Does that mean i can use all grades ? 10.3:1 Thanks !
Yes but since its turbocharged it will run better and have more power if you consistently use premium. If you dont care about that and just want it to run and save money just use 87.
I had a civic with that same 1.5L turbo engine. The manual stated 87 was fine but running premium 91 or higher would increase 6 hp and 1 mpg. I didn’t notice much in the 6 hp aside from smoother acceleration but I did notice the increase in gas milage.
You answered your own question. 🤦🏻♂️
@@alexyoungberg5232 you spend less at the pump but since it will get lower mpg the difference is not as much as people think. Lower grade usually has less additives leading to the fuel system and engine being gunked up quicker not to mention you have less power. Any turbo or high compression engines should have premium fuel and in this case its both turbo and higher compression id def not put below premium. I honestly think in the long run with everything considered cost probably isn't that much more.
Can high octane help if you're idelling your vehicle a lot more that you'd like.
Any answer?
great video good sir
hi, i have a 9.5:1 compression ratio in my motorcycle, is it high or low compression?
91 octane
But if you have a weak spark lower octane may be easier for engine to start
Hi Steve, my name is Steve to! Lol.
I think the type of engine makes a difference because a 4 stroke will always prioritize tourque even the smallest 4 stroke but 2 stroke engine are rpm prioritized so I do believe that you will achieve more horse power using 4 stroke.
On modern GDI turbo charged engines the higher the octane the better, low octane few detonates poorly it pre combusts and can lead to cylinder head gaskets giving up prematurely and the head warping and water getting into the chambers and wrecking the engine over time through overheating of the block, people cheap out on fuel and buy lower octane below 91 this is a ticking timebomb if you value your expensive engine and turbo charger.
Thanks for the info man
I have a low octane car but trust me, it runs much smoother and quieter on higher octane gas 91 and up. It's not in my head, it's remarkable!
I cant thank you enough!!
So would it be cool if i ran 91 octane on my 2016 explorer sport instead of 87
Higher octane gas burns slower than lower octane gas because the ignition temperature is higher. At high RPM you would want faster burning fuel to keep up with the piston that's moving very fast. This could also lead to wasted fuel, especially at high RPM and if the engine computer doesn't adjust well for the higher octane fuel. It's a marketing gimmick to say that high octane fuel perform's better or cleans carbon. The best thing to clean carbon is ethanol (which is one of the active ingredients of seafoam). High octane fuel is commonly perceived by many to perform better, but that's because it's intended for HIGH COMPRESSION engines that already perform better. If you have a standard compression or low compression naturally aspirated engine (no turbo, no supercharger) then you'll want 87 octane.
@@juansolo1617 ok thanks that helps because i was like i have a twin turbo set up so would it help with higher octane gas because im using forced induction but now i understand
Great video.. new subscriber.
Never seen someone answer a question as soon as the video start. For that ill sub
can i use 100 octane with 2017 mustang gt?
Depend on your engine compression or see the car manual book about it's recommended fuel
Yep with no benefit without it being tuned for it
With a 3.63 inch bore and 3.65 inch stroke, the engine features a nearly square bore-stroke ratio.
...
FORD 5.0L MODULAR V-8 SPECS.
Engine: Ford 5.0L "Coyote" V-8
Cylinder Stroke: 3.65" (92.7mm)
Compression Ratio:
2011 - 2017 Ford F-150 10.5 : 1
2011 - 2017 Ford Mustang 11.0 : 1
Tune it
No need. But with the mustang ecoboost I’d dump a hundred octane fuel in that b****. Ecoboom is real.
2014 si coupe needs 91 grade. I wonder if 93 is good too?
I had a 07 Si sedan with the K20 engine it called for 91 and I always ran 93.
I noticed my Si runs amazing on 93 but the fuel consumption is brutal.
@@cherokeefit4248 my si used to get about 28-30mpg highway. Your fuel consumption is probably you flooring it so much lol 😂. But they do call for premium cause of the high compression and the newer models going smaller engine but turbo putting out same power
I nurse my cars. It’s brutal. I know it’s a small tank.
@@cherokeefit4248 yea it’s only like 12 gallons. Fill up and see how many miles you go and at next fill up divid the miles by gallons to see your average. Like I said I would get 28-30 highway but city I would get lower 20s
what if it just pings when going up hills ? thanks
You actually mean Top Tier gasoline, right?!
Trying to figure out what grade fuel to put in my 2020 palisade limited
E Gonsales regular
I just put 93 octane in my mom 02 ody and it has better mpg with 93 oct but 87 oct it ok.
Not always. Someone put premium in say a 1963 Corvair and after that it cried fir that fuel. Wasted money.
My car recommended fuel is ron90 but the lowest fuel in my country is ron95..
Wonderful World where u from?
Good advice.
Well ....... only if the engine is designed for high octane fuel . otherwise performance will decrease
In malaysia there is only ron 95,97 and 100
I'm probably not the first one to say this, but you look like Nick Frost.
Is 10.3:1 considered a high compression?
For a petrol car yeah. For a bike, nah. For a diesel, definitely not.
Not on a modern vehicle. Mine is 10:1+ (I'd have to look in the manual) and specs strictly 87 octane. No knocking or pinging whatsoever, and it's approaching 100,000 miles. Back in the day even 9:1 was high compression, but nowadays it's pretty standard to be in the high 9's or 10's and still spec 87.
I accidently filled up with 97 gas and I'm watching this video trying to get better about it. Didn't help.
Why is knocking not good for your engine?
I don't currently have a video explaining knock, but here's one by @EngineeringExplained - ruclips.net/video/maZyPJIOknE/видео.html
Basically it's combustion with the timing and location being not ideal, and it can apply stresses to engine parts. Damage can occur, and in some scenarios, catastrophic damage.
Actually you kind of missed the reality of knock sensors.... Back in the day, and likely before your time.... High compression engines needed high octane fuel. If your engine compression was higher than about 10 to 1 it knocked like crazy on regular and very possibly would barely run. The first unleaded engines had about 7.6 to 1 compression ratios... (the smog engines) and they ran very nicely on 87 octane fuel. Back in the late 1960's and early 1970's there were some engines that ran at about 9.5 to 1 and they pinged a little with 89 octane fuel under heavy load, but otherwise were fine with "regular leaded gas". Yes all cars had advance in the timing, but the engineers pretty much calculated it based on a fixed ignition to rpm ratio,.
Now modern cars have knock sensors and the computer retards or advances the timing to avoid pinging... up to a point. There are now lots of engines that run 9.5 to 1 compression that can run on 87 octane because the computer retards the timing when under load (at the cost of some power and fuel economy). These engines will actually benefit from higher octane fuel. They will run smoother, have better fuel economy and produce higher horsepower. Mainly, the computer will read the knock sensor data and advance the timing.
Therefore certain engines (that run on regular) will actually do better on premium fuel, but they will do just fine on regular gas. If you have one of these engines and you can buy premium and regular gas for the same price, your car and you will benefit from the premium. BUT if the price of premium is substantially higher than the regular the relatively small increase in power and fuel economy will be lost to the higher fuel cost.
So look up the compression ratio for your car...
If the compression ratio is around 8 your car will pretty much run only on regular.
If the compression ratio is about 10 you are best off on premium
Engines above 9 to 1 can pretty much go either way assuming they have a computer and knock sensor.
Footnote: Mazda has been doing some really innovative things with Skyactive direct injection technology... I haven't played with any of these engines and they seem to be working with some pretty high compression ratios and regular fuel.... It's something I'd discuss if anyone is actually interested...
My truck is 9 to 1 ratio with knock senors. Am I better off using 89 instead of 87?
@@roberth912 Your compression is right on the borderline and your computer will adjust the timing. The best thing to do is run a couple tanks of each and see which one gives you the best fuel economy, then adjust your math to come up with how much it costs you per mile based on the fuel prices around where you live. For example, my car gets more power and fuel economy on premium. But premium costs so much more, I save money by using regular. In the old days without a computer and knock sensor 89 would have been my choice and I think it will give you a little better power and fuel economy.. but where I live the better gas mileage gets eaten up by the extra cost per gallon... But with fuel prices coming down... that might change.
@@RJ-vb7gh I've noticed that my truck gets better fuel economy and more power in acceleration using 89. I think I'll stick with that.
@@roberth912 My retired Police Interceptor gets noticably more power and 2 MPG better fuel economy on Shell Premium, but when I did the cost benefit analysis, 2 MPG for sixty cents more per gallon wasn't worth it and the car has plenty of power for a family sedan either way. If the difference were 10 cents per gallon, premium would be a no brainer. Now, if I were an actual cop with the tax payers footing the bill for my gas... oh yea, I"d be running premium all of the time.
Direct injection, variable valve timing, sequential injection, aluminum, and improved engine physics (bore/stroke, piston and combustion chamber among other things) are far more important to octane tolerance than timing control. 10:1+ on 87 octane is becoming the standard. 2015 Kia Forte (bottom end car) is 10:1+ on 87, 2019 Chevy 5.3L is 11:1 on 87 octane, as two examples. They aren't building the engines for high octane fuel, advertising them as such, then choking them back via timing, that is counterproductive. Otherwise manufacturers would make the engines as cheap as possible, using the lowest octane, with little regard for the tech required to run "cheaper" gas but higher compression.
What about turbos, I have a 2019 ford edge it says I can use regular gas. Would it be good or bad to us premium fuel?
I read at least 89 octane is better for a luxury car.
Yes putting it simply because of carbon built up
this is definitely wrong , from personal experience using high octane in a low engine octane is very safe , my car supposed to work with 90 oct , first year i stick with it , but i get bunch of problems (mostly valves) , then i change it to 95 and everything goes supper till now (6 years) ! ,
Always run 93 octane ,,MOTOR RUNS CLEANER ,, AND LESS RATTLES UNDER LOAD , IN A TRUCK My 2004 RANGER ,is loaded with 3000 to 3,500 pds of tools if run lower octane it rattles , and 30% less power BOUGHT IT NEW ,, IN 2005 ,, My ranger has over 3,030,000,, all original factor clutch even, Story ,, had my truck about year ,, left out of state ,,, left with my father ,, drove it 2 days and parked it, told me when got home it run like shit , and Nosie on a big hill I laughed told him // before I left to run high test ,,said he was trying save money ,lol,lol thought I was nuts,, went filled up with good high test, ,, with in 10 miles ran like a BEAST LOL,LOL,, LOL, 3.0 NEED ALL OCTANE CAN GET ,,LOL, WHEN WORKING TRUCKS ,, my truck is built out ,, 3/4 suspension, EVER THING UP GRADE WITH IN THE FIRST YEAR ,, LOL I HAVE A.R.E ,,, (( topper )) ON TRUCK AND slide BOXES ,in the back AND JUMP CAB,, ,,
I’m Sorry but, my 2008 Prius gets more power and gas mileage on 93 octane. Plus my Catalytic converter say clean. Not all cars that run on 87 get this benefit if they switch to 93 octane
I’m sorry that you have issues that higher octane gas solves.
well played my friend. you can't say use it, wink wink...