What Octane Gas Do You Put In Your Maxima?
08-28-2013, 08:09 AM
#1
What Octane Gas Do You Put In Your Maxima?
Just Wanted to see what octane do the members on here put into there maxima I put premium just because it performs better oh so it says...anyone else also how much is the price of you regular or premium gas in Suwanee my premium is $3.77 kills me 
08-28-2013, 07:25 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,625
91 ONLY noting higher is offered where I live. There are extensive threads about octane you should check them out, you will learn quite a lot. Here is a article I stole and edited a bit to win a debate with some jacktard know it all who thought he was cool cause he has a bit of a disposable income, which is kinda to be expected at his age lol but here you go. He thought premium gas meant better quality when it doesn't.
In the automotive world, there are many common myths, which are repeated so many times that, after a while, they eventually transform themselves into ‘facts.’ Unsurprisingly, many of these ‘facts’ have to do with gasoline, whether they be regarding fuel mileage, power possibilities or some other arcane aspect of the internal combustion engine. Gasoline can be a confusing topic, and it is easy to make assumptions about it that may seem logical, but which on closer examination, turn out not to be true. A perfect example of this practice can be seen with octane ratings.
What are octane ratings? Simply put, when you pull into the gas station and are presented with the array of different fuel grades that you can pump into your car, the numbers written above each button or nozzle indicate that particular grade’s octane rating. Typically, the range will run from 87 octane on up to 93 octane.
In the world of automobiles, it is tempting to associate higher numbers with higher quality
. After all, more horsepower and more miles per gallon are a better thing, which feeds into our perception that more impressive octane ratings also equal higher performance. Gasoline companies understand this mentality and do nothing to dissuade drivers from it, labeling 87 octane gas ‘Regular,’ and 91 or 93 octane ‘Super’ in an attempt to reinforce this way of thinking. After all, since ‘Super’ is priced higher than ‘Regular,’ it’s in their best interest to convince as many people as they can that paying a bit extra means getting better quality gas.
Unfortunately, this is where the myth of what gasoline’s octane rating really means creeps into the picture. Time and again, people will be told that high octane fuel burns cleaner or more completely, and that it will give them extra power and better fuel mileage than Regular octane gasoline because it contains more ‘energy.’ These blanket statements are simply not true. In fact, the octane rating for gasoline has nothing to do with the amount of power locked inside of it – it actually relates to just how much a fuel can be compressed before igniting. The higher the number, the less likely it is to ignite under pressure.
Now educate yourselves
Why would anyone want to produce a fuel that was actually harder to ignite once inside an engine? To understand the role that octane ratings and ignition pressures play in a motor, it helps to be familiar with the term ‘knock.’ Essentially, when gasoline is sprayed into a cylinder by a fuel injector and mixed with oxygen, engine designers expect it to remain there in vapor form until it is time for the sparkplug to light it up, causing the explosion that drives the piston down to generate horsepower. The timing of this explosion is critical, as gasoline that ignites too early causes ‘knock,’ which reduces engine output and efficiency and which, in worst-case scenarios, can actually physically damage an engine.
In most engines, knock is rarely an issue because the compression ratio – that is, the pressure that the air/fuel mixture is put under in the cylinder – is low enough that Regular gasoline’s octane rating is sufficient. There is absolutely no benefit to running Premium fuel in a standard motor, since it will never be able to take advantage of that gasoline’s higher knock resistance. However, more aggressive engine management schemes, especially those found in turbocharged or supercharged vehicles, can turn up the compression to a high level, requiring much higher octane gasoline to avoid knock.
How can you know whether your car actually requires Super gasoline or whether it can get by on Regular? Almost every vehicle will list the octane rating necessary to run it safely inside the owner’s manual. Some luxury or sportscars might even place a small reminder on the gas gauge itself stating ‘Premium Unleaded fuel only’ to make sure you don’t forget.
To wrap things up: no, you won’t see a power or fuel efficiency increase by running high octane fuel in an engine that has been tuned and designed for Regular gas, nor will doing so perform any extra ‘cleaning’ inside the motor. On the flip side, running low octane fuel in an engine built for Premium can increase the risk of engine damage and will certainly impact that unit’s overall performance. The next time someone tries to pass these myths off on you, you can try explaining to them how octane ratings really work
In the automotive world, there are many common myths, which are repeated so many times that, after a while, they eventually transform themselves into ‘facts.’ Unsurprisingly, many of these ‘facts’ have to do with gasoline, whether they be regarding fuel mileage, power possibilities or some other arcane aspect of the internal combustion engine. Gasoline can be a confusing topic, and it is easy to make assumptions about it that may seem logical, but which on closer examination, turn out not to be true. A perfect example of this practice can be seen with octane ratings.
What are octane ratings? Simply put, when you pull into the gas station and are presented with the array of different fuel grades that you can pump into your car, the numbers written above each button or nozzle indicate that particular grade’s octane rating. Typically, the range will run from 87 octane on up to 93 octane.
In the world of automobiles, it is tempting to associate higher numbers with higher quality
. After all, more horsepower and more miles per gallon are a better thing, which feeds into our perception that more impressive octane ratings also equal higher performance. Gasoline companies understand this mentality and do nothing to dissuade drivers from it, labeling 87 octane gas ‘Regular,’ and 91 or 93 octane ‘Super’ in an attempt to reinforce this way of thinking. After all, since ‘Super’ is priced higher than ‘Regular,’ it’s in their best interest to convince as many people as they can that paying a bit extra means getting better quality gas.Unfortunately, this is where the myth of what gasoline’s octane rating really means creeps into the picture. Time and again, people will be told that high octane fuel burns cleaner or more completely, and that it will give them extra power and better fuel mileage than Regular octane gasoline because it contains more ‘energy.’ These blanket statements are simply not true. In fact, the octane rating for gasoline has nothing to do with the amount of power locked inside of it – it actually relates to just how much a fuel can be compressed before igniting. The higher the number, the less likely it is to ignite under pressure.
Now educate yourselves
Why would anyone want to produce a fuel that was actually harder to ignite once inside an engine? To understand the role that octane ratings and ignition pressures play in a motor, it helps to be familiar with the term ‘knock.’ Essentially, when gasoline is sprayed into a cylinder by a fuel injector and mixed with oxygen, engine designers expect it to remain there in vapor form until it is time for the sparkplug to light it up, causing the explosion that drives the piston down to generate horsepower. The timing of this explosion is critical, as gasoline that ignites too early causes ‘knock,’ which reduces engine output and efficiency and which, in worst-case scenarios, can actually physically damage an engine.
In most engines, knock is rarely an issue because the compression ratio – that is, the pressure that the air/fuel mixture is put under in the cylinder – is low enough that Regular gasoline’s octane rating is sufficient. There is absolutely no benefit to running Premium fuel in a standard motor, since it will never be able to take advantage of that gasoline’s higher knock resistance. However, more aggressive engine management schemes, especially those found in turbocharged or supercharged vehicles, can turn up the compression to a high level, requiring much higher octane gasoline to avoid knock.
How can you know whether your car actually requires Super gasoline or whether it can get by on Regular? Almost every vehicle will list the octane rating necessary to run it safely inside the owner’s manual. Some luxury or sportscars might even place a small reminder on the gas gauge itself stating ‘Premium Unleaded fuel only’ to make sure you don’t forget.
To wrap things up: no, you won’t see a power or fuel efficiency increase by running high octane fuel in an engine that has been tuned and designed for Regular gas, nor will doing so perform any extra ‘cleaning’ inside the motor. On the flip side, running low octane fuel in an engine built for Premium can increase the risk of engine damage and will certainly impact that unit’s overall performance. The next time someone tries to pass these myths off on you, you can try explaining to them how octane ratings really work
08-29-2013, 07:59 PM
#13
to put it short and not into a 10 paragraph book, octane is anti-knock basically. if you run 89 in a car that needs 91, it might run fine when its cooler out, but going uphill on a hot day the engine might pre-detonate and ping. pre-det damages the pistons obviously. so basically if youre driving a 1985 Camry that wont pre-det on a hot day running 89, you wont get anything extra out of 91
one of the benefits you CAN get out of 91 on older cars is at least up here in Canada, some gas stations dont put ethanol in 91. i know Shell and Esso dont. injector O-rings especially in 80s and 90s Nissans are allergic to ethanol, i run 91 in all my stuff for that reason
one of the benefits you CAN get out of 91 on older cars is at least up here in Canada, some gas stations dont put ethanol in 91. i know Shell and Esso dont. injector O-rings especially in 80s and 90s Nissans are allergic to ethanol, i run 91 in all my stuff for that reason
08-30-2013, 07:16 AM
#14
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
I bought my 2007 with 36,000 on it 2 months ago (I am a salesman and it came in on trade so I got it for $11k) and I didn't realize it was premium only until I felt the knock. Now it's always 93 Shell or Sunoco and it never gives me any trouble. Although the fuel mileage isn't as great as I thought it'd be. I only get 19-20mpg and rarely antyhing higher than 22 on the highway.
08-30-2013, 11:16 AM
#15
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 251
I bought my 2007 with 36,000 on it 2 months ago (I am a salesman and it came in on trade so I got it for $11k) and I didn't realize it was premium only until I felt the knock. Now it's always 93 Shell or Sunoco and it never gives me any trouble. Although the fuel mileage isn't as great as I thought it'd be. I only get 19-20mpg and rarely antyhing higher than 22 on the highway.
09-09-2013, 07:04 AM
#19
For the Maxima our gas door says premium gas "recommended" not "required". I knew this but this point was reinforced by my wife this past weekend as we looked at a new car for her. She does not want to get a car that requires premium gas only. For my car I use premium (89 to 91) in my area but I know that 87 will not do any harm to the engine.
09-09-2013, 11:23 AM
#20
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 251
Both VQ-30 and 35 motors are famous for spark knock. Due to high compression or high torque or whatever the hell it is, these engines just knock, everybody happy now?
VQ-35 motor is found on many Nissan models, not only Maxima. So if you are tired of knocking engine, and plan to trade in your car and buy another Nissan, most likely you are stuck with same VQ-35 engine, congratulations.
Now, as of gas , yes, run highest grade on this motor, because this is the only thing you can do to reduce knock. And FYI, occasional spark knock is OK, but when it is constant, it is not good for your engine.
VQ-35 motor is found on many Nissan models, not only Maxima. So if you are tired of knocking engine, and plan to trade in your car and buy another Nissan, most likely you are stuck with same VQ-35 engine, congratulations.
Now, as of gas , yes, run highest grade on this motor, because this is the only thing you can do to reduce knock. And FYI, occasional spark knock is OK, but when it is constant, it is not good for your engine.
09-15-2013, 10:20 PM
#23
09-15-2013, 10:44 PM
#24
I've been doing extesive testing on the dyno with small block chevy 350_.030 over and small block ford 302_.030 over. As to my surprise the power curve has no significant change from 87 to q16 or 116 octane and between.
Both engines are built and healthy pushing over 400 hp to the fly.
I can feel per say a more complete burn and throttle response does change but torque and hp are within 2 figures every 3 pulls.
I do/did run 89 and 87 but never premium in my vq and ka24 and to me it feels the same. Some gas mileage changes but nothing big, so I would stay away from premium unless your boosted due to cost.
Something never mentioned here are spark plugs. Your engine is more prone to detonation if your sparks are not transferring the heat away from combustion chamber after every event. Therefore is always a good thing use the coldest plugs your engine allows without fuel fouling. Its all about trial and error I hope this gives tou guys some insight.
Both engines are built and healthy pushing over 400 hp to the fly.
I can feel per say a more complete burn and throttle response does change but torque and hp are within 2 figures every 3 pulls.
I do/did run 89 and 87 but never premium in my vq and ka24 and to me it feels the same. Some gas mileage changes but nothing big, so I would stay away from premium unless your boosted due to cost.
Something never mentioned here are spark plugs. Your engine is more prone to detonation if your sparks are not transferring the heat away from combustion chamber after every event. Therefore is always a good thing use the coldest plugs your engine allows without fuel fouling. Its all about trial and error I hope this gives tou guys some insight.
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