View Poll Results: what kind of gas do you put in
Voters: 384. You may not vote on this poll
what kind of gasoline do you put in?
09-19-2006, 07:11 PM
#84
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 426
93 Ultra all day. Its only like $4 extra a tank or somethin so I dont really mind spending it.
09-20-2006, 08:26 PM
#85
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 14
91 is all thats available in my immediate area, 94 is a 40 minute drive away, but every time Im there, I fill her. Gas is cheap(er) again too, so it's working out fine.
09-26-2006, 03:06 PM
#87
Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 57
i dont know about you guys but when i open my gas tank, it says in huge letters
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
09-26-2006, 08:58 PM
#88
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 426
Originally Posted by succamadeek
i dont know about you guys but when i open my gas tank, it says in huge letters
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
10-19-2006, 10:25 AM
#89
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 11
i use premium all the time and once i used cam2 race gas which is 110octane.
10-19-2006, 12:10 PM
#91
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 83
Generally I use premium, however, I have gone down to mid grade...it really is a noticeable loss in power though.
10-19-2006, 12:45 PM
#92
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 47
I have been using 93 since I bought the car(2 months ago, and who knows what the previous owner(s) put in it) but I'm thinking of switching to 89, since the recommended is 91 and I would have to drive into Austin to find anyone that sells 91 octane.
10-19-2006, 01:31 PM
#93
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 43
Sunoco 93 wish they still had there 94 brand
10-19-2006, 01:57 PM
#95
Originally Posted by succamadeek
i dont know about you guys but when i open my gas tank, it says in huge letters
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
PREMIUM UNLEADED GAS IS RECOMMENED FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCES
so i use 91 octane.
i had read an article somewhere where people dynoed a max on regular fuel and on premium fuel
the regular max had 19 HP loss over the one that was ran on premium gas also crappier MPG may arise and as i discovered there is pinging in the engine since at one point i was ran out from gas and the nearest station only had regular, i just filled it up enough and the engine started pinging so when i got home i just drained that fuel and went and got some 91!
10-19-2006, 01:58 PM
#96
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 20
[Taking a deep breath]
OK - amusing arguments here ... a few real good valid points, but folks, since you're on this forum and posting replies, I think it's pretty safe to say that you have decent internet access ... just a few clicks here and there and you can pretty much get abundant info .. some of it uslesss, but info nonetheless.
That being said, here's my $0.02 ... and this is based on papers from various University researchers and our trusty Owners Manual.
Now ... there ARE a whole bunch of myths about this stuff and apparently this issue comes up, oh ... every half-moon, so here are some FACTS about Gasoline (United States) .. and for those who already know these facts, please accept my sincerest apologies for wasting another 240 seconds of your life...
Octane is a mere fancy word that is a measure of Anti-Knock. In other words, it is a number that is used to show a gasoline's resistance to knock. The rating is called octane because the gasoline’s ability to prevent engine knockhas been rated against the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane, which has a rating of 100.The lower the Octane, the higher ability to detonate. Now, that does not mean that lower Octane gas burns any better or more (or less) efficient, just that it is ... in simpler terms ... "packed looser" and can cause "extra" detonation, or uneven burn. Now, this is happening constantly ... aka all the time in an engine without ANY ill effects, but when it starts happening on a larger scale, that is when you start hearing the pinging and knocking. If your car is not knocking, using a higher octane fuel will do absolutely nothing for you but waste your money. Another myth, to quote a rearch paper:
Basically, the above is radically dependent on how lead-footed you are.
10-2 in the Owner's Manual states under the RECOMMENDED Specifications that it should be
(Anti Knock Index)
10-4 contradicts this by saying
... WTF?? 85 ??? And that's in the manual folks.
Now ... all the above being said ... until up to 5 years ago I was pretty uneducated about this so I used to fill it up with the "better" 93 octane. Then I found out the truth about gas and I said hmmm .. if it's better for my pocket, why the hell not? But guess what? It apparently didn't suit my car ... it started to *gasp* knock!!! Not that the gas was bad, it just didn't suit it .. the car had about 80000 miles on it, and it could have been a myriad of variables that caused it to knock, but I switched back to 93. Now, in the interim however, there was absolutely no change in fuel consumption/economy ... I just didn't want my car knocking, because we all know ... knocking = baaaaaad.
So basically ... to reiterate ... if your car knocks on lower octane, move up, if not, save your bloody money and use the cheap stuff ... or the last option ...Don't!
Who gives a bleeding rat's feces what you use in your car!!! It's your car dammit. What ever floats your log, you do it. Just be educated about the whole thing ... thas all.
OK - amusing arguments here ... a few real good valid points, but folks, since you're on this forum and posting replies, I think it's pretty safe to say that you have decent internet access ... just a few clicks here and there and you can pretty much get abundant info .. some of it uslesss, but info nonetheless.
That being said, here's my $0.02 ... and this is based on papers from various University researchers and our trusty Owners Manual.
Now ... there ARE a whole bunch of myths about this stuff and apparently this issue comes up, oh ... every half-moon, so here are some FACTS about Gasoline (United States) .. and for those who already know these facts, please accept my sincerest apologies for wasting another 240 seconds of your life...
Octane is a mere fancy word that is a measure of Anti-Knock. In other words, it is a number that is used to show a gasoline's resistance to knock. The rating is called octane because the gasoline’s ability to prevent engine knockhas been rated against the performance of pure hydrocarbon octane, which has a rating of 100.The lower the Octane, the higher ability to detonate. Now, that does not mean that lower Octane gas burns any better or more (or less) efficient, just that it is ... in simpler terms ... "packed looser" and can cause "extra" detonation, or uneven burn. Now, this is happening constantly ... aka all the time in an engine without ANY ill effects, but when it starts happening on a larger scale, that is when you start hearing the pinging and knocking. If your car is not knocking, using a higher octane fuel will do absolutely nothing for you but waste your money. Another myth, to quote a rearch paper:
use of a high octane fuel will improve fuel economy. The fact is that fuel economy is determined by a number of variables, including the energy content of the fuel and the condition of your vehicle, neither one of which have anything to do with the octane level of the fuel. In fact, two fuels of identical octane could have different energy content due to a difference in composition.
10-2 in the Owner's Manual states under the RECOMMENDED Specifications that it should be
Unleaded Gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI
10-4 contradicts this by saying
...should use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 or 91 AKI. However, you may use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating as low as 85 AKI in high altitude areas ...
Now ... all the above being said ... until up to 5 years ago I was pretty uneducated about this so I used to fill it up with the "better" 93 octane. Then I found out the truth about gas and I said hmmm .. if it's better for my pocket, why the hell not? But guess what? It apparently didn't suit my car ... it started to *gasp* knock!!! Not that the gas was bad, it just didn't suit it .. the car had about 80000 miles on it, and it could have been a myriad of variables that caused it to knock, but I switched back to 93. Now, in the interim however, there was absolutely no change in fuel consumption/economy ... I just didn't want my car knocking, because we all know ... knocking = baaaaaad.
So basically ... to reiterate ... if your car knocks on lower octane, move up, if not, save your bloody money and use the cheap stuff ... or the last option ...Don't!
Who gives a bleeding rat's feces what you use in your car!!! It's your car dammit. What ever floats your log, you do it. Just be educated about the whole thing ... thas all.
10-19-2006, 03:17 PM
#97
Reppin' the 216
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 179
Yeap, so after reading 3 pages of "what gas to put in your car" instructions... I decide to go up one level, from 89 to 93. ;-)
10-19-2006, 03:55 PM
#98
yeah....
I liked eyceman's reply, and if you folks search around the forum I saw the dyno that someone did using 87 vs the 93 and the horsepower difference. Like most of the educated people have said on here, it depends on a lot of variables. If your engine doesn't know, then don't waste your money unless your a performance nut in which case go for it.
When I bought my Max I was putting the 93 in and then I figured what the hell, let me try the 87 and see if I notice a difference. And for the most part, under norma driving conditions (I try not to push my car too hard if not necessary) I haven't noticed a difference. My gas mileage has been around the same ever since.
I also beleive that in one of the posts it noted that cruising on the highway with your car requring less power (vs. stop and go traffic when ur pushing the engine) the 87 will actually perform better on those trips because of the detonation.
When I bought my Max I was putting the 93 in and then I figured what the hell, let me try the 87 and see if I notice a difference. And for the most part, under norma driving conditions (I try not to push my car too hard if not necessary) I haven't noticed a difference. My gas mileage has been around the same ever since.
I also beleive that in one of the posts it noted that cruising on the highway with your car requring less power (vs. stop and go traffic when ur pushing the engine) the 87 will actually perform better on those trips because of the detonation.
10-19-2006, 05:25 PM
#99
You know what, if you guys want to put in 87 then go ahead. But there is a reason why Nissan says put in 91. Of course you dont know the difference in your car because you wont feel it. Gas mileage depends on how you drive. Higher octane is better on the car and helps the engine not to knock. Even if the car doesnt knock with 87, 91-93 is just better for your engine. You dont get better performance from it....
10-20-2006, 02:07 PM
#102
Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 55
I use Chevron premium 92 octane. I also use 114 octane rocket fuel. I mix my own and it is cheaper than otc octane boosters.
10-22-2006, 11:12 AM
#104
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 15
I'm not the biggest expert but I ran regular and premium through my car and carefully recorded the difference in gas milage and it was negligable. I also didn't notice any pinging or other differences between the two. That being said, I like to use the premium because it's supposedly better for the car. At the very least it gives piece of mind.
I've also filled my car 1/2 with 93 and 1/2 with 89 to get a sort of homemade 91-ish octane, anybody else done this?
I've also filled my car 1/2 with 93 and 1/2 with 89 to get a sort of homemade 91-ish octane, anybody else done this?
10-22-2006, 01:17 PM
#105
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (18)
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: bergen county, nj
Posts: 949
threads do really never die.. haha
i put in 91 at sunoco stations. what they do is blend the 89 and the 93, so yea when you go to a station that doesnt offer 91, you can get 5 gals of each to create your own 91
I've also filled my car 1/2 with 93 and 1/2 with 89 to get a sort of homemade 91-ish octane, anybody else done this?
10-22-2006, 03:26 PM
#108
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 18
i put premium i feel a big difference pulls better
10-23-2006, 05:37 AM
#109
just from experience, i bought my car from a friend of mine. he told me he always put 89. then another friend told me about the "premium gas (higher than 89)is recommended", so gave it a try.
before, a full tank will let me travel about 280-300 miles (city) and 300-350 (highway out of town). I thought was pretty average, so i replaced plugs and replaced air filter. after 2 weeks, it didn't show any result. so i tried putting premium gas. in a week, my mpg increased to 300-350 mile for a full tank city and 350-400 highway.
i can't explain it how this thing happened. I did read Eyceman666 post.
before, a full tank will let me travel about 280-300 miles (city) and 300-350 (highway out of town). I thought was pretty average, so i replaced plugs and replaced air filter. after 2 weeks, it didn't show any result. so i tried putting premium gas. in a week, my mpg increased to 300-350 mile for a full tank city and 350-400 highway.
i can't explain it how this thing happened. I did read Eyceman666 post.
10-23-2006, 01:11 PM
#111
Originally Posted by ouzo99max
if i have been putting 91 in my car, i should let it run empty until i can change it to 93? Or will it clog my valves or something like that?
No it will not clog your valves. The 93 as stated before doesnt mean it is more dense it is how it will affect knocking.
10-25-2006, 09:25 PM
#112
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: College Park, MD
Posts: 229
its in the manual...91 or better
10-26-2006, 08:59 AM
#113
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 25
Wow. there's alot of opinions about octane I guess.
I don't know if this is related to octane or not but my mechanic says it might.
I've been putting 87 octane in my car for 3-4 years...
My car has 180k on it and I recently had an engine light code that indicated an EGR system fault, so I figured I'd change the EGR valve, that being the most likely culprit. Shortly into that job it became apparent that I was going to need help. Those bolts were not moving!
My mechanic said he had to use a torch to get them off. Anyway...
After removing whatever he needed to to get at it and removing the old valve he noticed that the exaust gas rebreather ports on the engine were blocked solid with carbon. So he had to clean them out, soak them and then clean them out some more.
I told him that I've been babying it for the last year or two and that I've been putting the cheap gas in it and could that be what caused the problem. He said maybe. He said it's not a bad idea to run the engine hard occasionally. He also said the higher octane fuel runs a little 'cleaner' and you will not get as much carbon deposits.
So now I put in at least 91.
Seems cheaper to pay the extra .20/gal than to have to visit the mechanic every year.
BTW that fixed the engine light.
I don't know if this is related to octane or not but my mechanic says it might.
I've been putting 87 octane in my car for 3-4 years...
My car has 180k on it and I recently had an engine light code that indicated an EGR system fault, so I figured I'd change the EGR valve, that being the most likely culprit. Shortly into that job it became apparent that I was going to need help. Those bolts were not moving!
My mechanic said he had to use a torch to get them off. Anyway...
After removing whatever he needed to to get at it and removing the old valve he noticed that the exaust gas rebreather ports on the engine were blocked solid with carbon. So he had to clean them out, soak them and then clean them out some more.
I told him that I've been babying it for the last year or two and that I've been putting the cheap gas in it and could that be what caused the problem. He said maybe. He said it's not a bad idea to run the engine hard occasionally. He also said the higher octane fuel runs a little 'cleaner' and you will not get as much carbon deposits.
So now I put in at least 91.
Seems cheaper to pay the extra .20/gal than to have to visit the mechanic every year.
BTW that fixed the engine light.
10-26-2006, 01:04 PM
#114
Originally Posted by rouellette
Wow. there's alot of opinions about octane I guess.
I don't know if this is related to octane or not but my mechanic says it might.
I've been putting 87 octane in my car for 3-4 years...
My car has 180k on it and I recently had an engine light code that indicated an EGR system fault, so I figured I'd change the EGR valve, that being the most likely culprit. Shortly into that job it became apparent that I was going to need help. Those bolts were not moving!
My mechanic said he had to use a torch to get them off. Anyway...
After removing whatever he needed to to get at it and removing the old valve he noticed that the exaust gas rebreather ports on the engine were blocked solid with carbon. So he had to clean them out, soak them and then clean them out some more.
I told him that I've been babying it for the last year or two and that I've been putting the cheap gas in it and could that be what caused the problem. He said maybe. He said it's not a bad idea to run the engine hard occasionally. He also said the higher octane fuel runs a little 'cleaner' and you will not get as much carbon deposits.
So now I put in at least 91.
Seems cheaper to pay the extra .20/gal than to have to visit the mechanic every year.
BTW that fixed the engine light.
I don't know if this is related to octane or not but my mechanic says it might.
I've been putting 87 octane in my car for 3-4 years...
My car has 180k on it and I recently had an engine light code that indicated an EGR system fault, so I figured I'd change the EGR valve, that being the most likely culprit. Shortly into that job it became apparent that I was going to need help. Those bolts were not moving!
My mechanic said he had to use a torch to get them off. Anyway...
After removing whatever he needed to to get at it and removing the old valve he noticed that the exaust gas rebreather ports on the engine were blocked solid with carbon. So he had to clean them out, soak them and then clean them out some more.
I told him that I've been babying it for the last year or two and that I've been putting the cheap gas in it and could that be what caused the problem. He said maybe. He said it's not a bad idea to run the engine hard occasionally. He also said the higher octane fuel runs a little 'cleaner' and you will not get as much carbon deposits.
So now I put in at least 91.
Seems cheaper to pay the extra .20/gal than to have to visit the mechanic every year.
BTW that fixed the engine light.
10-29-2006, 10:00 PM
#115
I use only premium. My car is running a KS code and I do not wnat to risk getting engine damage,althought I would be surprised.
12-02-2006, 08:25 AM
#118
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 12
I've been keeping track of my gas mileage since I owned my car, and I've always put premium in my car. I get the best gas mileage when I fill up at Mobil, then Citgo, then Shell. But there are also other factors such as highway/city miles that influence thos miles.
12-02-2006, 08:40 AM
#120
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 12
Since it looks like only 70% use premium fuel, what kind of gas mileage do those of you that don't use premium actually get?