Kruppa

iTrader: (1)

I have read so many threads on regular vs premium gas on this site, and the conclusion is certainly to use premium on the maxima (which i think says to use 91 octane rating). I decided to see for myself and filled up with regular and read odometer then did same again and saw the gas mileage with that and then did the same with premium and i actually got worse gas mileage with the premium. I believe i drove the same with both of course it could be predjudiced bc I mighta accelerated harder with the premium to test any noticeable performance gains. Regardless it did not help on this end of the argument and with the prices i dunno if it's worth it if you don't drive the car into the ground bc i know plenty who run maximas on regular and it never pings or knocks. Just wanted to see if anybody else has actually tested this or has strong opinions on the issue.

Zero Deuce SE

91 octane and above for me. I knew the fuel requirement before I bought the car since I'm driving my 3rd Max. I don't ever plan on skimping on the gas I put in my carriage.

TXT-1

iTrader: (1)

I put in premium every other tank. When the gas prices go back down, I'll do premium every tank. Not sure if this matters or not, but hey, it makes me feel better.

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

If you can't afford premium, then you shouldn't be driving the damn car...

Zero Deuce SE

You's a cold **** fo sho.

Larrio

iTrader: (10)

i bought a used car that was run on regular gasoline. When I changed out the plugs, they looked frosted from all the detonation with only 30k miles on the car.

i'm sure you can afford premium, afterall its not a civic... its a maxima

Trance Artur

iTrader: (2)

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!

6spmax

Look around this site. Any time this subject has come up, a large percent of people who have tried regular in their car have knock problems. That's enough for me not to even think about trying it.

xUltra

So 93 Octane??

† ErV †

http://hondacars.com/models/model_ov...elName=Insight

Enjoy.

(Again)

ihavea5spd

i generally use premium, but once in a while i end up at a station that doesn't have it. in that case, they usually have 91 octane corn, so i'll use that.

Triple8Sol

iTrader: (29)

We get 92 octane here...I'll never use anything but premium. $42 to fill up today dammit, but it comes w/the territory...

silversurfersg

i had a mustang before so im used to using premium but since the max say it only wants reg, i use special (medium) grade. Prices are too high for special and premium is nice but its a maxima... top 10 engines of the year for 10 years. The VQ has performance but it is efficient. Premium max over do it esp with these prices. Big if u dont like performance stick with reg. no biggie but i like special for now.

6spmax

We speak English in these parts.

emhc1999

first off enough of these posts about fuel, I think everyone is overdoing and I hate myself for even participating in this. To say you bought an expensive car therefore buy the premium isn't enough for common wisdom. Since Gas is almost an intangible for many, some will choose the cheapest way out. I have found that my car runs better on premium, maybe yours will run fine on regular. I do not recommend it but if you feel no difference enjoy but know there is the possibility of detrimental effects.

Skier

iTrader: (1)

I run 91 if it's around. I run 93 if not. The way I look at it, is that gas prices are what they are and we have no control over that. That said and understood, think of it this way. If the good stuff is 10 cents more, that's what, about $1.70 more per tank to run the good stuff? Most pay that without a thought, for a large Dunkin Donuts coffee.

No brainer... run what you should... Be kind to your Max

Y2KMaxGXE-R

iTrader: (4)

I run whatever I feel like paying for, and don't really care what anyone's opinion is, so to all the haters STFU. These prices are damn ridiculous to pay for premium especially the car is not used for racing but for regular commute. No pinging or anything, everything works fine. Insignificant difference in gas mileage and performance.

TXT-1

iTrader: (1)

Well put.

BP

iTrader: (1)

short term yes long term no. i liken it to drinking dirty water. you can get by on it but eventually you'll get sick or it'll negatively affect you're health in some way when compared to drinking clean water.

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

That is so cluless and wrong I can't believe it. If you take two exact Maximas and use regular gas in one and premium in the other (both driven the same), the premium one will have less engine problems, have better overall mileage, and have more power on reserve for any situation that comes about. If you think otherwise, you're just lying to yourself. It's been proven by guys who have doctorates in engineering over and over again...and even by some people on this very board. But like you said...it's your car. The difference is only going to be about $12-$15 dollars a month for Pete's sake...so just lay off the junk food and Cokes!

Sometimes the stupidity of this board amazes me...

$12-$15 savings a month, and $1500+ in engine damage 4-5 years later. The numbers do not add up...

03maximan

Premium only here, like it was said earlier; the additional cost of a fillup is not much really, less than the cost of a lunch. I have found that premium gets a little better MPG so I say it's at least a wash on the cost and you get better combustion, not to mention it's what is recomended.
Been getting 20-21 MPG with 90% of the driving under 50 MPH on the 93 octane.

Y2KMaxGXE-R

iTrader: (4)

let me say this for you and other non-believers. If you read the manual, it says that the car can be driven on 87 and + octane gas if the premium is not available. Further, the sticker on the inside of the fuel filler door says "Use of premium is recomended". Recomended, but not required! Do you see the difference? In manual, there is nothing that says that if you keep driving on regular gas then the engine will be damaged. More than that, the Nissan backed this up by a 60K mi powertrain wtty! Now, how many Maximas do you personally know that run on regular and had $1500+ of engine damage in 4-5 yrs??? First of all, not many ppl keep their cars that long. Second, you gotta be smoking, $1500 worth of damage means you gotta replace the engine. The worst that will happen is will have to replace the spark plugs before 100K mi and clean my throttle body one extra time.

Run the numbers now. If you are saving even $15/mo that is a savings of $180/yr. The difference in gas mileage is like 1 MPG. The lesson is, to each his own.

PimpShiFus

premium and regular, what's the other one?? if regular is the lowest grade, and premuim is the highest, what about the middle grade? how come no one mentioned the middle grade?

sheidt

One other thing people might not realize about stating to put "premium" in your tank is that octane levels at the gas pumps can differ state to state. Here in FL, we run 87/89/93 for low/mid/high grades. So, we do not even have a "91" octane choice here locally. Of course, since it mixes linearly, I can put half a tank of 89 and half a tank of 93 to get a tankful of 91. But, I think it might be a little unnecessary for me to put only the premium 93 octane in the car. Plus, if you go for the mix of premium and mid method, it's even less of a difference between your cost and the cost if you got the lowest octane, but your still getting a relatively high octane.

SC02Max

Check to see if the Premium you used had Ethanol or Methanol in it to bring the octane up. The energy value of these is less than gasoline and WILL reduce gas mileage. I am not sure with the new hoses, seals and such but just a few years ago most manufacturers recommended not using fuel with these additive because they shortened the life of any rubber or synthetic seal or o-ring in the fuel system.

SC02Max

VERY VERY WELL SAID>>>>>> Quicksilver; relax some just don't get it....yet.

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

I know I can't convince people like you, but it's a proven fact. Yeah, you can drive on 87 octane, and you can drive on your spare tire...BUT THEY ARE FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY! You don't use or drive on them for extended periods of time b/c the tiny problems they cause are cumulitive...meaning the more you use them, the worse things get. And the sticker on the gas door says that for maximum performance (which means power, mileage, and engine useful life). Remember this, the knock sensor is there to protect your engine from harmful preignition, but it only retartds timing AFTER it senses the predetonation. Predetonation WILL cause damage if the engine is forced to run under such conditions for extended periods of time (IE- using a lower quality gas, bad gas, bad plugs...etc). Rest assured that your engine is experiencing preignition when you are using that 87 octane fuel. You can't hear all of it (don't even pretend that you can), but when you pull your plugs and see how nice and frosty white they are from your engine blowing itself up, you'll begin to understand. It is an indisputable fact.

EDIT -- And about the warranty, Nissan will most likely NOT cover any engine damage under the 60K powertain warranty due to the negligence of the owner (using lower than reccommended fuel octane ratings). They also "reccommend" that you change the oil (at least in my car) at 3750 or 7500 mile intervals, but I guess you could go 30K miles between changes since it's "just a reccommendation" in the service manual... And as for replacing and engine for $1500...in your wildest wet dreams. How many people do you think here on this site can get the total cost down to that level (by doing the entire amount of work themselves, and by using a used engine)? Maybe a handful or two at best (myself being one of them). If you're extremely lucky when taking your car to the dealer for an engine R&R, that $1500 MIGHT be labor plus some of the smaller parts...MAYBE!

As I have stated, people like you need to just suck it up and not go out to fast food lunches twice a month to cover the cost difference. You purchased or chose to drive a car that runs the longest and best on premium fuel. So I say, either choose another car, or use the correct fuel. End of line...

Driver72

iTrader: (1)

When gas prices rose above $2.00 a gallon here in CA, I tried a tank of regular 87 octane and noticed a few pings when I was going up some inclines. ( I live in a hilly area).

I then tried the mid-grade (89 Octane) and so far pretty much so good. I did notice a ping or two once when going up a pretty steep road at about 25 mph. But I don't go up that road too often (maybe once a month) so it hasn't been a problem on any other road.

It's NOT about whether you CAN or CANNOT afford premium gas. I can surely afford it. It's the point. Kinda boycotting the gas prices. These d@mn oil companies make BILLIONS and BILLIONS every year, at these prices I don't want to give them any more than I need too.

If (which may NEVER happen) the gas drops back below $2.00 a gallon, I'll go back to premium. It was bad enough that a few years back they switched from 93 Octane to 91 Octane here in California (and other states too) but the gas companies continued to charge the same .10 a gallon more over the mid-grade 89 Octane. So what's up? If it supposedly cost more money to MAKE higher octane gas, why didn't the price of premium drop then when the octane rating dropped?

The oil companies are crooks. Only the insurance companies are worse!

Mikeb120

ok well anyways........if you do the math its not really a big difference.

in MD the difference between reg & premium is at most 20 cents.

so suppose you go 15k miles/year acheiving 20 miles/gallon (all hypothetical).

With this you would need 750 gallons of gas. if you multiply that times the 20 cent difference you come out with 150 bucks......yes in a year the premium will only cost 150 more.......
granted that can be a 15% difference but as the prices keep rising that % difference will go down.

Truth is this how we looked at it. We did not want a car that takes premium cause we did not want to pay the extra cash....but we think 150 more a year in gas is worth it to have the maxima.


just my 2 cents.

Mike

Y2KMaxGXE-R

iTrader: (4)

Quicksilver, you did not answer my question. Do you know of anyone who's had problems with their Maxima because of driving on regular gas?
The Nissan wtty will be honored as long as you can show proof that the recommended maintenance was performed on time, and most of the times ppl on org are denied coverage because of mods.
You can not tell me on what to drive, and what grade of gas to use because you are not paying my bills. Don't judge the ppl just because their opinion is different.

maximo-SE

iTrader: (7)

my 2 cents...i rather be paying the boosted prices here in the US, then paying the crazy 4-5 bucks per gallon in london.. then again, they tax people a lot.

Just think, just by paying a bit more for premium gas will help you avoid fuel injection buildup and future problems....

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I personally know people who have used regular gas in their 2003 Altima and a 2000 Maxima (they weren't "enthuasiasts" like most of us are), sustained engine damage, and had their warranty basically voided on the engine for just such a thing. My own mother in law had it happen to her when she used to drive her S/C'ed Bonneville. She just didn't know any better (or really pay attention). It's not just Nissan I speak of here folks. The Nissan warranty will not be honored in most (and by most I mean 95% of the instances) because you can not prove that you used the recommended fuel grade. Just like if your engine suffers an oil starvation failure and you can't provide proof that you did the regular maint, you will have your engine warranty revoked. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt (had to ferry this idiot around for a few weeks due to the issue)...

Like I said...it's a fact. The majority of Nissan service sucks as it is...don't give them a reason to screw you more than they already do.

PS-- The damage to the VQ35 powered Altima was either two or three (can't recall which for sure) broken piston rings, cylinder wall scarring, piston scarring and severe damage due to structual failure brought about by severe preignition. How it happened was that he was turning right onto HWY 78 here in Snellville, GA, from the road where my office is located, had to punch it due to idiots running the red light at the intersection, and then heard what he described as "shatterd and broken pieces of glass bouncing around" inside his engine. That's ONE session of preignition for you. Do not doubt the seriousness of the matter...

JimmyH

iTrader: (2)

the Maxima does not REQUIRE premium fuel. It is recommended. My mom has an 01 Max with 85000 miles, and has put 87 in it since the day she bought it. Not a single problem. I drive her car quite regularly, and I never heard any pinging.

I have a 2000 with 96000 miles and have put premium in all but a couple times. I found I get a mile or two more per gallon with it. And with regular I would get pinging ever so slightly only at very low engine speeds (less than 1000 rpm when slipping the clutch.)

Zero Deuce SE

What is your Moms driving style? I would guess that she does not fully utilize the full potential of the engine at any time. If you were to take your car in for service with a pinging concern, the tech would ask you right off the bat if you are using high octane fuel before doing any work on the car.

Virus

iTrader: (1)

This is hilarious to me. It'll cost you no more than maybe $2 more a tank full to put in premium. In an earlier post someone said it's a savings of $180 a year, let's just make it an even $200. If you are seriously worried over $200 a year, I don't think a Maxima is a car for you. Nissan is required by law to put in provisions that allow you to run 87 if 91 isn't available. May I suggest a Hybrid for those worried about gas prices. $2 to $4 a week and people are worried. Priceless

JimmyH

iTrader: (2)

If that is true, why isnt Ford? My stepdad had a Lincoln Mark VIII, which required 91 octane minimum due to its compression ratio.

dont get me wrong, I agree with you. I use premium, and I think it is worth it. Not everyone agrees with me, including my mom. She thinks it a waste of money. And no charliekilo3, your right, she is far from an aggressive driver. But my point is I never experience any pinging in her car at all, even when I push it.

I am not an expert in this matter. Just relating my experiences for those keeping score.

Bobo

I suspect those using regular gas also drive on bald tires in wet weather because they are too cheap to buy new tires!

dozu

I wish someone has some real data like this:

http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/inde...showtopic=4017

I have been running on regular since I got the '01 SE new..... occasionally experienced slight ping. I just got a new '04 Toyota Sienna, it also recommends premium but regular OK, so I am also running regular on it.... no pinging even under heavy load (hills, hard acceleration)..... the thing I can't understand is that on paper the Sienna's engine has a HIGHER compression ratio.

The discussion on this board so far has been "he sez, she sez"..... anybody can provide some science, with real data?

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

If you want proof, replace your plugs, then use regular gas for 3 months. Then pull the plugs and save them for reference. Now, new plugs, run premium for three months, and pull plugs again. Reference old plugs. The ones you ran on premium will be a nice medium brown cloor (slightly gold even). The plugs you ran regular fuel on will be white, indicating lean/hot running condition. This is caused by preignition, otherwise known as pinging. They might even be small pieces of the electrode and possible the shielding missing. These small pieces will have been banging around in you engine whilst falling off the plugs...

Of course, the longer you run regular, the worse the damage will be. Also, since preignition happens when the exhaust valves are closed, the heat is transferred to your pistons and rings (and any other parts nearby, including valves). These parts will weaken due to being subjected to heat beyond which they were specifically designed for. I can go on for hours, but what's the point...

If you don't want to use premium, I really don't care. What I do care about is mis-information. These engines are relatively high compression (10:1 ; 10.3:1). There is a reason they need premium fuel to run properly. If you want to use regular (and have the engine continue to pull timing, decreasing power and gas mileage), that's fine by me. Just know that my engine will last longer and perform better than anyone here who uses regular. I've only been building and modding performance engines for 16 years, but hey, what do I know.

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

You can't hear all the pinging. You can only really hear the major "explosions", if you will. The reason you can't hear pinging (preignition) very well is because the valves are still closed. Most of the sound (and heat) are absorbed by then engine. When you "hear" pinging, you could be in SERIOUS trouble.


I know what the book says...

It also recommends that you shouldn't drive faster than 55 with the spare on. It also recommends that you change your oil on certain intervals (for me 3750 or 7500). It also recommends you change your oil filter, and your air filter, and your tranny fluid, and your brake fluid, and grease your door hinges...

Basically, they are trying to make everything "idiot" proof by writing it the way they do. You can choose to follow their recommendations, or you can choose not to. If you choose not to, why would Nissan then choose to honor your warranty?

All I'm trying to do here is help people keep their cars running longer than the average. I am also trying to stop the spread of bad information.