I went to the dealer today for the Service engine light. He told me it came on because I used Sunoco 94. WTF is up with that? I was told the higher octane left deposits. I thought it was the other way around. Can anyone tell me different.

 

OK, I found it

 

-AoW-JP - If you have been using Sunoco94 all along, then I would feel the dealer is (as chernmax said) blowing smoke.

Higher octane gasoline does not leave more deposits than lower octane gasoline.

If, however, you have been switching octanes, and filled up with Sunoco94 after having been running 87 octane, then it is possible that strange things could happen; It takes the 6th gen Maxima's onboard computer several tankfuls to adjust all systems to a different octane. But even this shock to the onboard computer usually does not result in the 'service engine' light coming on.

I just have this feeling your service rep knows about as much about Maximas as I do about nuclear reactors. And that is sort of scary.

 

93 sunoco here, never had a problem. I know I can get away with 91 prem...but its only a .02 difference sometimes

 

have used sunoco 94 quite a lot (best time I had in my maxima was when i used this gas) but I am using 87 shell now (sorry max! .. but it's those damn traders that are making me do this) and so far it's not causing any problems(fingers crossed but worried after reading LotH)

 

LMAO, Nissan are such bull****ters. They told me to use Sunco 94 Octane gas to fix the smell problem that I have. Still didn't fix it. They told me they can't do anything about it and that's it.

 

Yes, the service manager is blowing smoke. High octane in and of itself does not leave more deposits. All gasolines leave some deposits. Most oil companies put a higher dose of injector cleaner in their premium, so I doubt that the 94 is the cause of your problem. The sevice guy is just trying to blow you off. Do you have another dealer nearby who can check your engine with a computer to determine what is actually happening rather than feed you a line of bull.

For those of you who want to consider burning 87 octane, there are some things you should read about doing this. The first from Nissan about the 05 at this site (read footnote 1 near the bottom) that says: "Use regular unleaded fuel with 87 octane. For maximum power, use premium fuel."
http://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/ModelSpecifications/0,,124646||,00.html

If you want to know about Octane, read my posts on this thread on this site:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....6&page=1&pp=30

Shouldn't this whole thread be in the Fluids and Lubes section?

Finally, lightonthehill in the next post is generally correct. The only point I disagree with him over is his switch from premium to mid-grade after 2 years. Most vehicles experience an increase in octane requirement as they age. This is due to deposits in the engine which increase over time and tend to increase the engine's need for higher octane. If anything light should start with mid-grade and switch to premium after a number of years. Or he could use additives like techron to help remove the deposits.

 

tubells - The 6th gen Maxima will run rather well on anything above the level of kerosene. But it is important to follow the owner's manual's advice about not switching between octanes.

In order to avoid 'knee-jerk' reactions to the fuel being used, the onboard computer adjusts very slowly to an octane change. As a result, it takes several tankfuls to adjust from one octane to another. During those several tankfuls, the car is not running as efficiently as it usually does.

There are those who feel the suggested high octane gas is by far the best for the Maxima. I won't argue that high octane gives maximum performance.

But, in these times of $3.00 gas, there is a temptation to run 87 octane. The good news is that the Maxima runs fine on 87 octane, as long as there is no switching around between 87 and higher octanes. 87 won't give maximum performance, but it doesn't miss it by far enough to matter for most folks.

I personally use 93 octane the first year or two, then use middle grade (89 octane) after that. I have done this with all my Maximas for over twenty years. I just can't bring myself to put 87 octane in my baby.

-----

By the way, in a slight subject change. I finally (been looking for this situation for several months) found myself alone on a large open deserted concrete parking lot Monday (facility had moved), and, on a whim, started from one end of the lot, floored the Maxima NOT TOUCHING THE STEERING WHEEL, and the car leaped forward with no torque steer that I could see.

I realize this proves nothing. We already knew some Maximas have torque and some don't. And from descriptions, it seems the torque is more noticable when accelerating hard in a turn. I didn't try that. I had TCS and VDC on, but, in thinking about it, I don't feel they matter. I have neither on my 2000SE, and it has no noticable torque either.

 

Thanks guys. So I go to fill up my car a few days a go and I look @ the gas cap door. It says PREMIUM GAS ONLY. I'd like to go back there and slap that guy with the gas door. :P

 

Dude, smack him with the owners manual,
it states Premium is recommended...

 

The message on mine is UNLEADED FUEL ONLY.

 

Yes, no leaded gas can be used, if you could fine stations that sell those anymore. Premium fuel is recomended in the manual and Nissan website.

My fuel door says "PREMIUM FUEL IS RECOMENDED FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE". My car was built 2/28/05(?, label under rear bumper), maybe they changed label or something!?

 

But the owners manual states "Premium is Recommended for Maximum Performance, last I checked, Premium is still unleaded fuel...

 

Thats what it says on my gas cap door also and thats all I have used. My service light never came on for that reason. Call up the 800 number in your manual and tell Nissan what this jerk said.

 

SES was on yesterday and I freaked. However, just for the hellof it I checkeed how tight the gascap was on...(I had got gas like 5 days ago though) and It was not even on! I put it back on and in a day its off, yay,

 

I know this is OT, but did anyone know that Sunoco, BP, and a couple others do not use foreign oil to make their gasonline? Hence, do not indirectly fund terrorism? I didnt know that, but I saw it on CNN the other morning. Sunoco is usually cheaper here too, so, bonus.

 

^^^that was discussed in the Lube forum. thought it said some that claim that buy their gas from other companies in the US (whom get it from Middle East).

As for 94= ses light.... call Nissan right away. Go to AutoZone for engine diagnostic. If still no answer, check sticky to turn it off, use 93 for 2 tanks and see if it comes back on.

 

Here is a LINK to the "Urban Legends" web page with several versions of the alleged "Don't buy Gas" story. There are rebuttals and practical and economic analysis showing how prices move.

 

[QUOTE=thebear]Here is a LINK to the "Urban Legends" web page with several versions of the alleged "Don't buy Gas" story.[QUOTE]
As someone who knows how the petroleum supply system in much of the country and the petroleum market work, the answers on this site are all right-on and correct. This site does a good job of explaining how oil companies both swap gasoline with and buy gasoline from other companies. These actions by the oil companies are one way that gasoline (while expensive) is still much cheaper per gallon than distilled water.

 

C'mon 04 thats a load of crap!! I always thought you were smarter... (from all your're previous posts)

one of the main reasons gas prices are up is coz of the traders .. they are just making a killing! (and the gas stations are just in for the ride)

it is the same as 99-00 when the dotcom traders were king! remember JDSU, QCOM, RBAK, BRCD, Nortel etc?

What are the genuine reasons now for high prices? hurricanes in the US?, Iran causing problems? Iraq not producing enuf? US refineries shut? .. did these not happen always?

what abt. Saudi / kuwait/ uae and some of the rest of OPEC pumping more crude than they have ever done before? and still the price is rising? (dont mention that China and India are consuming like they have never done before .. they were always .. maybe a bit more .. but now it is in the news)

So what has changed from 10 yrs back? Traders in the US oil markets Possibly? {dare I say Bush/Cheney have added to it?}

sorry 04Black... had to let that out!

 

I agree with all of your points that I left in your post above. The oil pit traders are pushing up the cost of spot market (sometines called incremental) crude oil. They were just getting started 10 years ago, and did not control as much crude oil as they do today. This is definitely one of the factors pushing crude oil prices higher. But it is only the incremental crude oil market. Much of the crude traded in the world (I don't know the current percent, but expect it is above 80%) is still traded on the contract market. And a point not being reported by the Main Stream Press: Spot Crude Oil prices are what is called "backwardated." That is a single word to describe a situation where spot crude oil today (next week) is priced higher than crude oil a month from now. And the price in two months is even less.

Even though you try to dismiss other reasons for higher prices, there are some other reasons. 1) Old US refineries that (while somewhat larger than 10 years ago) are not that much larger, and because of their 10 more years of age, are more likely to have problems and be forced to cut production. 2) US gasoline demand that is higher than 10 years ago. 3) And demand from countries like China and India (among a list that also include the former Iron Curtain countries) that are taking more crude oil and finished products than they ever did 10 years ago. In some ways, the spot finished products they buy on the world market are products that 10 years ago would have probably come to the US.

Supply and demand (over time) do work. The supply is up somewhat, but the demand is up more. No surprise, high prices. But the crude oil spot traders have been a part of this equation.

My best advice (which is what I'm doing) is to try and wait until after Labor Day to fill up your gasoline tank. My Max is currently at 1/3 tank and it looks like I may have to buy some at todays high prices to make it past Sept 5. But the backwardated crude oil (and I hear spot product) market is sending a signal that prices should come down after Sept 5. And the further past, the more likely it will be less.

 

well put SilverMax04!! guess i shd've avoided some of the comments i made, considering this is a maxima (car) forum... sorry all!

 

Hurricane Katrina will slow the decline in gasoline prices that SilverMax04 alluded to until who knows when, certainly well after Labor Day!

 

When I made my prediction (about after Labor Day) who know about the loss of crude oil production and (more importantly) the 8 or 9 refineries that had to close for over a week (or longer). Add to that the pipelines (both crude oil and product) that had to close down because of Katrina.

On Wednesday we were out and saw prices at some stations jump 10 cents in less than 30 minutes. We filled up that afternoon at $2.599 and by Thursday that same station was charging $3.099

Prices will come down some, but it will be hard to tell when. I hope they are more reasonable by the time of my planned December road trip to Chicago.

 

I would like to think that gas prices will be down by December, but presently 10% of US gasoline production is curtailed. People are going to have to start driving less in the near term.

There should be a gas guzzler surcharge imposed, but that would go over with the car makers like a lead balloon, given a 33% drop in SUV sales last month.

 

Gas went up 50 cents a gallon in one day.

It is now 3.59 for premium over here.

 

We had similar increases here over about 2 days. I understand that the spot wholesale price for gasoline went up more than $1.00 in one day, and the retail marketplace is simply recognizing that fact. Unfortunately, the price is probably more likely to go up again, before it finally goes down when refinery, pipeline and off-shore production return to normal.