I can't imagine any pinging has any benefits for a car, other than giving you a reason to change the motor sooner

 

I was running 89 until I took it in for the 60K service. The tech guy told me that I wasn't using premium due to the build up an crap in the engine and he was right. So he strongly advised me to use premium so I recently switched to 93. The crazy thing is my MPG hasn't increased and Ive used about 5 tank fulls.

 

There is no benefit from pinging. But light pinging on occasion shows that the octane of the fuel is correct for you operation.

This must be modified some for the Max because if you get light pinging, the spark advance will be adjusted down to protect the engine.

 

I use 89 & get great mileage.

 

In the past oil companies put a higher dosage of fuel system cleaner in their premium gasoline than in their other grades. Some still do. But many now only put the government mandated minimum amount in all of their grades.

The solution to this is to run a bottle of fuel system cleaner through you car. (I like Chevron's Techron -- but don't use GumOut -- its for carburators.) I do my system just before I change oil. My OCI is 7,500 miles and this has kept my fuel system clean. Bottom line -- it's not the octane but the addative for cleaning the fuel system that you need.

One final point: there were reports that heavier dosages of fuel system cleaner tended to increase the viscosity of the motor oil in that engine. While this was never difinitively proved, I don't take any chances and do the treatment just before I change the motor oil.

 

i use 93,it burns slower...

 

It's not that it burns slower -- it's that premium is less likely to burn before the spark ignites the fuel. Thus, it resists burning before it's time.

Lower octane gasoline is more likely to burn or even explode before the sparkplug sparks. Thus the knocking or pinging sound -- it is more exploding than it is burning.

 

Up here in Montreal we have PetroCanada with 94 Octane. I notice a difference against 91 which is what the other stations have. Our owners manual stipulates that Ethanol is prohibited.

I reflash the ECU every once in a while and find that the performance with 94 is amazing.

 

In canada 94 is the only fuel with out Ethanol, everything else has ethanol.

00% Ethanol in 94 Sunoco /93 Pioneer.
2% Ethanol in 91
5 % Ethanol in 89
10 % Ethanol in 87

Kamski

 

I suspect that this refers to what is commonly called E-85 which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. A vehicle needs special adjustments and fuel system to run on E-85.

I seriously doubt that Nissan does not allow Canadian Maximas to run on 10% ethanol, given that it is frequently difficult to find US gasoline that does not have 10% ethanol.

 

my wife primarily drives the max. I noticed we were getting about 22 mpg with mixed driving. one day i asked her what she filled it with and she told me she used 87. when I pointed out the sticker that states to use only premium gas, she started using it. mpg went up 2-2.5 mpg with mixed driving since then.