Jonny98max

iTrader: (2)

since the gas prices are sooooo high these days and also sicne i am a poor A S S college student i was wondering if there is even a big difference in gas qualities.....how much better is PLus than Regular.....how much better is Supra then PLus glasoline??? is it worth it to go with Supra than Plus???

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

if u are you are doing for the short-runs, it shouldn't be a problem. but in the long-run it's not good for ur engine to use lower octane. the car won't combust as well as the higher octane, therefore result in poor performance, bad gas mileage, and shorten the life of the engine. your knock sensor will most likely going into the safe mode and screw up ur entire air/fuel ratio across the RPM. basically just don't run lower octane.

in fact i'm having budget problem too. i drive the corolla mostly these days. the max is just sitting in the garage. it's actually nice to let my max rest in the garage... she worked hard in the last couple months.

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...3&postcount=42

there's a detail explanation regarding lower octane and knock sensor.

credit goes to stevtec

Jonny98max

iTrader: (2)

well i bought my car when it had 75000 miles on it....ive been using REGULAR ever since i got it year and a half ago...the engine is not at 97000 miles....is it too late to start filling up with premium gas?

Taken2DaMax

iTrader: (5)

it's never to late to use 93 octane.

My question is related to this. What happens if you have been using 93/higher octane then suddenly started using lower octane rated gas (89 or 91)? Would it mess up the car in the long or short run?

Frank Fontaine

USA today pretty much showed that it really doesn't matter if one uses regular or premium, to include MB and BMW. They cited the "guilt" factor as being a big reason that people use super. Even a MB spokesperson said they mfg. vehicles that must be used in so many diff. countries, including those that have only regular.

I use super for 2 reasons--a) I hear less pinging when using it b) super is just so doggone cheap relative to regular--on Tue. I get it for as little as 5-7 cents more than regular. Compare that to when premium was 20 cents more when regular at 1.099 and you get it.

Since you said you are poor, being relatively cheap is of no consequence. You need to watch expenses so if I were you, I'd fill it with regular.

Wills98MaxSE

I'd rather stick w/ premium for my max, and even w/ gas prices going up, i'll be filling up when the gauge reaches b/w 1/2 and 1/4 tank

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Here is the deal.
I have been converted.
I used to just use 87 octane gas, because I thought this talk about premium was all a bunch of bunk. Well, it is not.

A little while back, I started having some hesitation about halfway up the rpm band, and I couldn't figure out what was causing it.

Well, I decided to try using some better gas. I went up to 93 octane(because we don't get 91 here in Mississippi......91 is fine....the manual recommends it. 93 is really overkill.). Well, at first, I didn't notice any difference, but after about 3 tanks of the premium, I noticed a big difference in power.

My max stopped hesitating and started pulling harder all the way to redline.

What is more is that I started getting about 1.5-2.0 mpg better with the premium gas. I calculated it up, and with the cost that is is to get premium over regular, I save just about all that with the better gas mileage. It only ends up costing me an additional $.25-$.50 more per fill up than regular gas.

I used to not believe, but now I do.

Ant96GLE

iTrader: (4)

The first thing I would do by saving up my pennies is buying a college dictionary.
Its Super NOT Supra

What your talking about is in the stickies up top. Its been discussed a bazillion times before.

Your engine is going to have knock and pinging and your knock sensor is going to kick in and retard your timing and screw up your HP... its as simple as that. Minimum is 91 octane... get 93 if its available

Jonny98max

iTrader: (2)

yea too bad they DO have gas stations where it is called SUPRA ***! why dont u spot being such a douche bag

Ant96GLE

iTrader: (4)

I just found it hilarious...

Because it makes no sense in saving a few cents or barely a dollar everytime you fill up. What your posting is nothing new, it all relates to the knock sensor issue. In most gas stations theres 3 types of octane, here in NY its 87 89 and 93. When the gas is made theres only really 87 and 93. To make the middle octane rating, the gas is mixed. So there isnt really any difference in the gas itself... Just the octane rating.

What Frank said is correct about Mercedes not really caring about what gas is used. In reality there are more different types of Mercedes cars and trucks running around in this world than Maximas and I'm sure half those places in the world dont even know what octane is.

However, since we do need to use atleast a minimum of 91 before knock is detected by the knock sensor, why would you use anything less? Its not really going to hurt your engine, but because the knock sensor retards your timing its cutting your HP to save your engines lifespan. So do you want to run 15HP short of your potential to be cheap and save 40 cents next time you fill up? Thats on you, I know what I would fill it up with.

heh by the way... stop not spot

Bgohan

The brand of gas can make more difference than the Octane. Just use whatever does not make it ping. Period.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

To some extent. I mean, I would not go out of my way to get some gas over another, but cheap (no-name brands) are sometimes worse.

It really has more to do with how long the gas has been sitting in the tank. If you go to a place like Walmart, for instance, they are not a name brand gas like Amoco or Conoco or Chevron. However, their tanks get enough use because people are always going there, that the gas does not have a chance to settle, get moisture in it, or go bad for the most part.

I have, however, heard really good things about the cleanliness of Chevron gas with the Techron stuff.

deezo

iTrader: (3)

See Spot run.

The only way to save on fuel is to drive slower.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

The only true way to save on fuel is to not drive at all. ha ha

puppetmastermg

will one tank of regular mess up the timing

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

I don't think it should.
I ran it for about a year before I switched over to Prem. I got my power back after a few tanks too.

formz

Damnit people how many times will we go over this? EVERY CAR IS DIFFERENT. Just because you, or you and 5 of your friends got better gas mileage with 93, doesn't mean everyone will.

And you will not hear pinging with your ears, seriously I don't know one person who actually knows what they're talking about ever say they've heard knock in their car.

I've been in cars with over 40 counts of knock at all RPMs and you can't hear a damn thing.

Oblongshapes

iTrader: (1)

cant you just reset your ecu when you switch up/down to an octane to allow it to adjust the ratios?

Cutler

iTrader: (3)

There is no gas named Supra, that's a Toyota.... Don't try and flame me, you will lose

Andyman692

at what RPMs will you hear knocking? Is it only when you go WOT? I've been switching between 91 and 89 for the past few months, but i dont seem to have much power below 3.5k, do you think its a knock??

formz

It could be 1000 different things. One of the more common maxima problems is a bad knock sensor. Even though your check engine light isn't on, it may be throwing a code. Check it out.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Then, you are deaf sir!
I have heard knock plenty of times. Not in my maxima, but in other cars. It happens, and it is audible sometimes.
The first car I had to drive was a 1983 Chevy Caprice Classic Station Wagon. After it got over 200k miles on the original engine and tranny, it knocked all the time. It was audible, which means I heard it with my ears.

formz

It probably was ROD KNOCK. Not engine pinging. There is a reason they sell automotive stethescopes.

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Formz, I'm very concerned. I think you need to go to a doctor and have your hearing checked. I'm serious!!! Maybe you have hearing damage from listening to loud music or something. Or maybe a high fever and ear infection when you were a child. Don't wait, make an appointment as soon as you can, I fear you are going deaf. We are very concerned for you.

formz

Riiiight... when you actually do some SERIOUS tuning with a datalogger on a dyno, come talk to me. 99 out of 100 people can't hear knock.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Well, 99 out of 100 is not consistent with:
now is it?
Does doing some SERIOUS tuning with a datalogger on a dyno make you go deaf?

formz

$100 says you're mistaking either lifter tick or rod knock with preigntion

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

I definitely know what lifter tick sounds like(you have to if you own a Nissan)
as well as knowing what rod knock sounds like.

I have heard preignition though.

formz

Then you're a freak

Frank Fontaine

*lol* loud music does more damage than people think. Why do you think musicians often have earplugs when they jam?

Anyway, no joke, I remember walking in Ottawa on the street, seeing a sterling maxima make a left turn, and hearing it ping. I said to myself "he uses regular." I used regular when super was relatively expensive, ie 1.299 to 1.599. Once regular broke the 1.499 barrier, super became cheaper and I've used it ever since. Today super is 2.149 in my neighborhood, so cheap relative to regular on Tue. when it's 6 cents off. In absolute terms, I don't like the fact that gas is officially over $2 gallon. But hey, someone has to make money, why not those in the petroleum business? They were hurting when we were pumping away at 0.899 only what in 2k1? or 2k? I don't remember....

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

This was done out on the open road, not on a dyno. Does it count?






If you're ever in Austin I'll raise the AFR back up to 13:1 and you can hear what detonation sounds like, unless you truly are deaf. On second thought, no, now that I've got the engine tuned to where I want it, I don't want to subject it to that kind of punishment again.

formz

I never said you wont GET knock on a road. I've built and tuned enough motors on the open road... nothing like putting words in my mouth.

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

Is the discussion about hearing or not hearing pinging still going on?
Let it get back to the type of gas like the title says.

formz

The answer to every single gas thread:

Every car is different, some don't mind 87, some do. Find out what works best for you. END OF THREAD.

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Forgive me for being a little dense this morning. What words am I putting in your mouth?

Brudaddy

iTrader: (2)

If you want performance = 91+
If you don't want performance = 87
That is end of thread.
I used to be against paying for 91+, but I am a believer now that I have much more performance and no hesitation, just for the help. That is one case that I have been converted.