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using 87 octane...

Old Sep 2, 2005 | 10:15 AM
  #41  
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Bobo- forgot to use 'American' gallons. Yes, I was quoting Imperial gallons. And I also happen to drive hard in the city, and at 75mph on the freeways and still I get 400 miles in a tank. If I'm highway driving, I get 500+ miles on a tank.

Couple of points
- my tire pressure is always perfect (I'm ****)
- I use K&N airfilter (slight increase in fuel economy)
- I always use cruise when possible (it's hard to control such a powerful beast without accidentally speeding)
- I turn off my climate control or air conditioning if I can
- I always drive with my windows up
- 100% Synthetic oil Mobile 1 in the engine.
- car is always kept in top shape.

BTW - tire pressure has a huge impact on fuel economy. I think for every psi, your fuel economy is thrown a few %. For example, I had a couple of tires on my old beater that were low, fuel economy was terrible for a week (filled up 100 miles sooner). Pumped up the tires, and presto, regular fuel consumption restored.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 10:22 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Fork
Bobo- forgot to use 'American' gallons. Yes, I was quoting Imperial gallons. And I also happen to drive hard in the city, and at 75mph on the freeways and still I get 400 miles in a tank. If I'm highway driving, I get 500+ miles on a tank.

Couple of points
- my tire pressure is always perfect (I'm ****)
- I use K&N airfilter (slight increase in fuel economy)
- I always use cruise when possible (it's hard to control such a powerful beast without accidentally speeding)
- I turn off my climate control or air conditioning if I can
- I always drive with my windows up
- 100% Synthetic oil Mobile 1 in the engine.
- car is always kept in top shape.

BTW - tire pressure has a huge impact on fuel economy. I think for every psi, your fuel economy is thrown a few %. For example, I had a couple of tires on my old beater that were low, fuel economy was terrible for a week (filled up 100 miles sooner). Pumped up the tires, and presto, regular fuel consumption restored.
I also follow most of the above points, including having a K&N air filter.

I have never run synthetic oil, but am switching to it after my AutoRX clean and rinse. I am going to use Esso XD3, 0w30, full synthetic year round.

It is the perfect oil for your Calgary climate and is significantly cheaper than Mobil 1 and is showing better UOAs on BITOG. Do yourself a favor and deep six the Mobil 1. Read all about the XD3 on bobistheoilguy.com

No charge to join and search function works and is easy to use.

PS you neglected to add that it is as flat as a pancake in Calgary and for miles around, unless you get into the foothills west of the city.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 10:38 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by NCSU_MAX
mythbusters says that you can add moth ***** to your 87 octane filled gas tank to bump the octane near 93

not sure about long term effects tho............

Make sure there mapathlene or whatever ones, but i still wouldnt put em in my tank, im sure they will leave some crap behind.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 11:01 AM
  #44  
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^^^^
haha, yea not sure i would try it
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 11:09 AM
  #45  
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http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasc.../chem00485.htm


There you go
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 12:22 PM
  #46  
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haha, good find. dont think ill be trying that
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 12:39 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by HomerMAC
i dont think ur knock knows what octane ur putting in .. nor can it sense what octane... it is cluelesss to octane it only senses the knocks.. and the knock wont retard timing just cause u put 87 ocatane.. it will retard teh timing even with 93 granted u have knocks.. the knock sensor cant sense the octane jsut the knocks.. the 87 give smore knocks... (popular belief.. that I follow as well) thus the ECU will change timing....


im jsut saying... incase im misinformed please let me know.. so i dont sound like an idiot at one of the meets.. = )
No no no. The knock sensor is a simple piezoelectric sensor that just senses knocking. It's like a little ste thoscope on your engine, that's all. If your engine knocks, it retards timing. Simple as that. But yes, the knock sensor doesn't care what grade of gas you use. The ECU, however, might take a little while to adjust its timing maps if you suddenly switch to lower octane gas. If you use lower octane gas, knocking will be more likely and the ECU will retard timing, which reduces performance.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 08:09 PM
  #48  
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for those of you getting 400+ to the tank. What are your driving conditions?

I mostly drive 70% highway. I go in at work very early so I can usually do about 80-90MPH
At arounf 85mph my rpms are at 3.3-3.5K rpm. Its gets hot in here like so use my A/C all the time.
I don't blame my wheels because even with my stock wheels I get the same around 320-350miles to the tank.
hate these gas prices
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 08:41 PM
  #49  
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I thought we couldnt speak of gasoline anymore?
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 08:59 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by MidwestMaX1
Alcohol is a type of fuel source too, ya know.. I heard if you dump a Bud Light in your Max it'll run forever.

hmm i dont know.. the iRide and i are trying to take a few inches off the gutt.. so i dont know if bud would be good.. too many calories...
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:06 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by optimus310
for those of you getting 400+ to the tank. What are your driving conditions?

I mostly drive 70% highway. I go in at work very early so I can usually do about 80-90MPH
80-90 mph is not good for the mileage! Try 65 or less and see what happens.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:09 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by crazy97
80-90 mph is not good for the mileage! Try 65 or less and see what happens.

Thats no fun
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:13 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by kcryan
Thats no fun
You got that right! But neither is getting lousey mileage driving to fast for no reason and paying $$$$$ for gas.
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:20 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by crazy97
You got that right! But neither is getting lousey mileage driving to fast for no reason and paying $$$$$ for gas.

this is true as well
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:22 PM
  #55  
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well guess I'm stuck with bad gas milage.
Freeways here are very new and wide. Everyone drives at those speeds so in order to flow with traffic I must go at those same speeds. These are the times when I wish the Maxima had a longer 5th gear so I could do 90 at 2-2.5K
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:25 PM
  #56  
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with 87, your maxima will self destruct within 2k..........


no not really

it realy only ends up being about 2-3$ more if you buy 93, and you drive longer on it so in the end it evens out..
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:28 PM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by optimus310
well guess I'm stuck with bad gas milage.
Freeways here are very new and wide. Everyone drives at those speeds so in order to flow with traffic I must go at those same speeds. These are the times when I wish the Maxima had a longer 5th gear so I could do 90 at 2-2.5K

Or a real long 6th
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 09:46 PM
  #58  
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okay, i don't want to get flamed.

if you don't care about the performance,

i guess it's okay to put in 87. i put in 87 because im a cheap man and needs to save money

im still wondering how you guys get 30 mpg..
Old Sep 2, 2005 | 10:29 PM
  #59  
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hey use 110 octane then you notice a real difference
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 06:31 AM
  #60  
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i mix some toulene in with my 110 octane
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 12:51 PM
  #61  
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A common myth is when having your A/C on, on the highway, eats more gas than having your windows open. A special new cast on channel 7 did an investigation on this. Having your windows open on the highway creates alot of wind drag, wind going in the car, slowing the car down, unless of course, you have no rear window and the air just flows through. Having no wind resistance on the highway, ( windows up ), A/C on, will give you better fuel economy. Just opposite around town.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 01:25 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by MAXIMABOY
A common myth is when having your A/C on, on the highway, eats more gas than having your windows open. A special new cast on channel 7 did an investigation on this. Having your windows open on the highway creates alot of wind drag, wind going in the car, slowing the car down, unless of course, you have no rear window and the air just flows through. Having no wind resistance on the highway, ( windows up ), A/C on, will give you better fuel economy. Just opposite around town.

You still have wind resistance on the highway with the windows up, just much less.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 07:14 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Fork
- Putting in 87 will eventually destroy the engine. Because the engine is designed to run on a higher octane, it trys to compensate by changing the timing, and as a result, the engine runs hotter from the pings-misfires. It WILL damage your engine, over time. P e r i o d.
Nope.

It doesn't run "hotter", nor will it do any damage to the engine. The only thing running 87 will do is annoy you and give jerky acceleration when the ECU is constantly pulling timing since the ignition map is set for premium. There are people here with very high mileage that have run NOTHING but 87 octane and the engine is perfectly fine.



Originally Posted by Fork
- MATH TIME. With gas running $3.50-4 a gallon, remember, if your car gets poorer fuel economy, the savings might not be worth it. For example, if your Maxima gets 30mpg, you get ~500 miles on the tank (what I get). If putting in 87 octane nets you 430 miles, that's a 13% drop in fuel effiency. If premium 13% more in price, then yes, it's economical. If it's not, then you're actually wasting money buying a cheaper fuel.
87 octane will actually give you BETTER highway mileage than premium. 87 combusts more efficiently under light load conditions, and actually has a slightly higher energy content than 93. I've verified this personally over all of the highway driving I do. Running 87 gave maybe a 1 mpg improvement on the highway. Of course, whenever I step on it, especially around town, the lag and surging from the ECU pulling timing is annoying. With the 90F+ weather I've been sticking with premium. Now that it's cooling off though, and in lieu of very high fuel prices, I'll be going back to 87 or 89. And do no damage whatsoever to the engine.



Originally Posted by Fork
More info: http://www.msgroup.org/TIP037.html

There are hundreds of articles on this issue of octane misfiring.
The description of what knocking is is wrong too. Knocking does not occur "before" the spark plug fires. That's called "pre-ignition" which is different.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 09:11 PM
  #64  
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I always ran my Max on premium (mostly 91 where I lived, except in Houston for 8 months I ran 93) and my 95 C 280 I just sold would flat out die on less than 91 octane.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 10:32 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by goldtooth
I will be hiding in 500 yards away and will be aiming the sniper at you at the gas pump. The moment you press any button other than Premium, you can be damned sure that my bullet will take out you and your car. The armor piercing bullets will finish you first and then take out your car by hitting the gas tank. Your car will then thank me.
Nah, Im just joking dude. Hope that scared you away from low octane rating.
Hehe, hate to burst your bubble but a bullet in the gas tank doesnt do ne thing. It was on Mythbusters on discovery. LOL, yea anyways just run 93 if its a 17 cent difference your just gunna get worse mileage and have to buy more gas in the long run.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 11:01 PM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by Albert
what is the worse that can happen?
The so-called experts say that nothing should happen, other than a performance hit on cars that require premium - like suggested by Nissan for the Max.

But my Nissan dealer told me that lower octane gas could damage the O2 sensors. I personally believe that is pure BS.

Having at least 3 O2 sensors fail - at costly repair costs to my wallet - I'm sure was due more to a lousy Nissan-spec'd O2 sensor.

I figure that Nissan O2 sensors must be a horribly bad design to be so easily affected by lower octane fuel, so I spend the extra 2-3 bux per fill - and keep the performance where it should be.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 11:30 PM
  #67  
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I have seen 35+ mpg with my max.
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