Can I use regular gas instead of premium?
Can I use regular gas instead of premium?
Hi.
I have 96' I30 which is 137k on it. The gas price drives me to crazy so I wonder that can I use the regular gas instead of premium? My I30 is only feeding premium gas (oct.93) at Shell.
Thanks.
I have 96' I30 which is 137k on it. The gas price drives me to crazy so I wonder that can I use the regular gas instead of premium? My I30 is only feeding premium gas (oct.93) at Shell.
Thanks.
dude. the difference between the cheapo stuff and the best stuff is like 20 cents a gallon. so lets say you put 16 gallons in your car. thats an extra $3.20.....
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 704
From: FL
dude. the difference between the cheapo stuff and the best stuff is like 20 cents a gallon. so lets say you put 16 gallons in your car. thats an extra $3.20.....
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 700
From: Staten Island,NY
man u have a infinti not a toyota spend the xtra 4 bucks and b happy and proud u getting only the best for your car that take you to places in style and luxry. but i have to agree with you ab8 the gas prices tho. nj pppl are lucky to have low gas prices bcus yesterday i went their and got filled up for only 45 bucks which was awsome and saved like $5 .
Yeah and do you know how much you need to fill up the same car in Europe? Minimally $100, so please stop talking about high gas prices 
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 548
From: NJ and AZ
go and read your manual. It states in there that they recommend premium but never to put anything lower than medium grade in. So if you want to cheap out buy medium grade. Regluar grade has a very good chance of causing engine knock. I replaced my knock sensor before it had a chance of going bad and its a *****. I had to have my mom put the sensor in because my hands were too big to fit under the manifold.
As stated before your car is an infiniti not a toyota. Your car was NOT designed for regular gas, it was desgined for 89 or 92 octane. IF gas prices are an issue and u absolutely cannot spend th 3.50 extra, trade it in for a honda civic.
I have put in medium grade many a time and she still purrs. I do a ****ton of highway driving and my car is aging, i always put in premium unless the station just happens to be out of it. If they are out of medium i drive to another gas station.
As stated before your car is an infiniti not a toyota. Your car was NOT designed for regular gas, it was desgined for 89 or 92 octane. IF gas prices are an issue and u absolutely cannot spend th 3.50 extra, trade it in for a honda civic.
I have put in medium grade many a time and she still purrs. I do a ****ton of highway driving and my car is aging, i always put in premium unless the station just happens to be out of it. If they are out of medium i drive to another gas station.
I hope that make u all feel a little better
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 62
From: Chicago
I am going to buck the trend of comments here and (short) answer YES.
I think the reason some vehicles recommend premium gas is for performance reasons. Essentially in order for your car to perform at their advertised performance numbers you will have to use premium gas.
The other issue of engine reliability has to do with engine knock or detonation. In my experience engine knock is a result of carbon build up igniting the fuel too early before the timing TDC it is tuned for. Carbon build up usually gets to this point at around 100k miles at which point premium gas IS recommended IMO. However I think you can also avoid this carbon build up by using premium gas in the first place, but that is difficult for me to prove.
I think the reason some vehicles recommend premium gas is for performance reasons. Essentially in order for your car to perform at their advertised performance numbers you will have to use premium gas.
The other issue of engine reliability has to do with engine knock or detonation. In my experience engine knock is a result of carbon build up igniting the fuel too early before the timing TDC it is tuned for. Carbon build up usually gets to this point at around 100k miles at which point premium gas IS recommended IMO. However I think you can also avoid this carbon build up by using premium gas in the first place, but that is difficult for me to prove.
, because here 1 US gallon costs exactly $6.92 
In Germany and France is even more expensive 
Otherwise, that's horrible about Peru, but the situation here is quite similar. Our min wage is aprx $470
my commute is 75 miles round trip, so together with my weekend driving i go through 2 tanks of gas per week! that $120 / week at 3.59/gallon, so x4 weeks its $460 / month!
I remember my good old highschool days (6-7 years ago) gas was at some point 99c per gallon!! 15 bucks full tank!!!!
Now i can barely fill up my motorcycle with 15 bucks.
i use regular, i logged my gas mileage and have noticed no difference in mpg between the two, the knock sensor assumption is not a valid reason for gasoline grade, im not sure if you noticed the recommend premium gas is on the gas door with a sticker....on the gauge cluster it actuallly states regular gas recommended...something to think about....
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 548
From: NJ and AZ
thats like saying diesel cars will run on vegetable oil, they will but they need to be chnaged a bit for it to work properly. Reg can cause knock if there is too much carbon built up. Misfires suck and can kill gas mileage. Using a lesser grade gas means less refinement which is worse for an engine not tuned for it. i think this makes sense
So how do you people live???
my commute is 75 miles round trip, so together with my weekend driving i go through 2 tanks of gas per week! that $120 / week at 3.59/gallon, so x4 weeks its $460 / month!
I remember my good old highschool days (6-7 years ago) gas was at some point 99c per gallon!! 15 bucks full tank!!!!
Now i can barely fill up my motorcycle with 15 bucks.
my commute is 75 miles round trip, so together with my weekend driving i go through 2 tanks of gas per week! that $120 / week at 3.59/gallon, so x4 weeks its $460 / month!
I remember my good old highschool days (6-7 years ago) gas was at some point 99c per gallon!! 15 bucks full tank!!!!
Now i can barely fill up my motorcycle with 15 bucks.
J/K of course Otherwise, here in my country aprx 60-70% of cars are turbodiesel's or have fuel systems, which use natural gas... You can switch to gasoline or gas while driving as you like.
Simply, everyone is trying to save money as much as possible
==========================================
Sorry for the OT!
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 6
From: sactown
dude. the difference between the cheapo stuff and the best stuff is like 20 cents a gallon. so lets say you put 16 gallons in your car. thats an extra $3.20.....
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
on top of the fact that every 4th gen nissan vehicle recommends premium gas, there is also an overwhelming concensus on the org that its generally a better idea, even if the effects are minimal.
so dont be frugal and go spend the extra 3.50 to put the best gas in your car.
you cant spare three dollars? then you shouldnt be driving anyway.
wow hostile forum...
Anyways,89+ is what i have found to work the best in my i30.
87 kills my mileage/power slightly.
when i finish school i am going to go fully VIP sytle for my i30 as a weekend car, and get a prius hybrid for my daily.
nothing wrong with being frugal/environmentally conscious.
is there actually a "sensor" or something that detects what grade fuel you are using? or a timer that notices the timing difference? or is the performance just reduced because this timing difference?
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1
Premium or Regular
You people are all nuts. First off, it is not REQUIRED, it is RECOMMENDED you use 91 octane. Premium is usually 92 or 93 depending on where you get it. The higher the octane, the more stable the gas, the HARDER it is to get a full burn. So NEVER use premium if your car recommends less, you will actually make your car less efficient. Now, when you have a Maxima or infiniti with a 10:1 compression ratio, your are RECOMMENDED to use 91. That does not mean you have to. The car has a knock sensor that will kick back your timing slightly if it detects a knock, so it won't knock again. This does NOT mean it will ruin the knock sensor.
Ok, next. Just because your check light has the code for a knock sensor, doesn't mean it is bad. Sometimes other problems trigger this code. I have a 96 maxima with 165,000 miles that has used BOTH grades of gas over it's life span. The light came on three times over the years for knock sensor. Two times when the O2 sensors went (each time a sensor went it triggered the knock sensor code) The third time happened when I developed a hole in the rubber insulator at the end of the coil attached to one of the plugs. The engine misfired and triggered the knock sensor code. I HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE KNOCK SENSOR. When the other problems were fixed, the light never came back on. I check monthly with my code reader since not all codes trigger the light and it has yet to come back. It costs too much and is a ***** to replace unless it is truly gone bad.
Now, the reason to use Premium is that you will get better performance from a higher octane in a higher compression engine. But if you don't floor it constantly, or need a fast 0-60 time, you won't notice a difference. I have never seen a difference with mine and it purrs like a kitten and still has power in reserve.
20 cents a gallon would be a good price difference. Unfortunately where I live right now (where gas prices are among the LOWEST in the country) it runs 35 to 50 cents more. That's about $5 more per fill up, and at one fill up a week, and about 50 weeks a year, that's $250 bucks I'd rather keep in my pocket.
If your concerned about the price, slow down to 65 or 70 on the highway instead of 85. You'll increase your gas milage by 3 or 4 MPG and you won't need to pay the extra for premium to race up to your higher speed! If everyone slowed down 5 to 10 MPH, that would save enough gas to bring demand down, in turn bringing supplies up, in turn bringing prices down. But that won't happen because we americans know it all, do what we feel like it when we want, and as long as we can, we will.
If you can't afford premium, regular will not hurt your car. Just don't slam the gas at every start. Second, if it's the gas prices you complain about, do something about your consumption, besides complaining.
Ok, next. Just because your check light has the code for a knock sensor, doesn't mean it is bad. Sometimes other problems trigger this code. I have a 96 maxima with 165,000 miles that has used BOTH grades of gas over it's life span. The light came on three times over the years for knock sensor. Two times when the O2 sensors went (each time a sensor went it triggered the knock sensor code) The third time happened when I developed a hole in the rubber insulator at the end of the coil attached to one of the plugs. The engine misfired and triggered the knock sensor code. I HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE KNOCK SENSOR. When the other problems were fixed, the light never came back on. I check monthly with my code reader since not all codes trigger the light and it has yet to come back. It costs too much and is a ***** to replace unless it is truly gone bad.
Now, the reason to use Premium is that you will get better performance from a higher octane in a higher compression engine. But if you don't floor it constantly, or need a fast 0-60 time, you won't notice a difference. I have never seen a difference with mine and it purrs like a kitten and still has power in reserve.
20 cents a gallon would be a good price difference. Unfortunately where I live right now (where gas prices are among the LOWEST in the country) it runs 35 to 50 cents more. That's about $5 more per fill up, and at one fill up a week, and about 50 weeks a year, that's $250 bucks I'd rather keep in my pocket.
If your concerned about the price, slow down to 65 or 70 on the highway instead of 85. You'll increase your gas milage by 3 or 4 MPG and you won't need to pay the extra for premium to race up to your higher speed! If everyone slowed down 5 to 10 MPH, that would save enough gas to bring demand down, in turn bringing supplies up, in turn bringing prices down. But that won't happen because we americans know it all, do what we feel like it when we want, and as long as we can, we will.
If you can't afford premium, regular will not hurt your car. Just don't slam the gas at every start. Second, if it's the gas prices you complain about, do something about your consumption, besides complaining.
Hmmm... I dont believe this one.. That is mid grade your talking about so I think there was something else going on..
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,572
From: Middleboro/Carver, Ma
You people are all nuts. First off, it is not REQUIRED, it is RECOMMENDED you use 91 octane. Premium is usually 92 or 93 depending on where you get it. The higher the octane, the more stable the gas, the HARDER it is to get a full burn. So NEVER use premium if your car recommends less, you will actually make your car less efficient. Now, when you have a Maxima or infiniti with a 10:1 compression ratio, your are RECOMMENDED to use 91. That does not mean you have to. The car has a knock sensor that will kick back your timing slightly if it detects a knock, so it won't knock again. This does NOT mean it will ruin the knock sensor.
Ok, next. Just because your check light has the code for a knock sensor, doesn't mean it is bad. Sometimes other problems trigger this code. I have a 96 maxima with 165,000 miles that has used BOTH grades of gas over it's life span. The light came on three times over the years for knock sensor. Two times when the O2 sensors went (each time a sensor went it triggered the knock sensor code) The third time happened when I developed a hole in the rubber insulator at the end of the coil attached to one of the plugs. The engine misfired and triggered the knock sensor code. I HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE KNOCK SENSOR. When the other problems were fixed, the light never came back on. I check monthly with my code reader since not all codes trigger the light and it has yet to come back. It costs too much and is a ***** to replace unless it is truly gone bad.
Now, the reason to use Premium is that you will get better performance from a higher octane in a higher compression engine. But if you don't floor it constantly, or need a fast 0-60 time, you won't notice a difference. I have never seen a difference with mine and it purrs like a kitten and still has power in reserve.
20 cents a gallon would be a good price difference. Unfortunately where I live right now (where gas prices are among the LOWEST in the country) it runs 35 to 50 cents more. That's about $5 more per fill up, and at one fill up a week, and about 50 weeks a year, that's $250 bucks I'd rather keep in my pocket.
If your concerned about the price, slow down to 65 or 70 on the highway instead of 85. You'll increase your gas milage by 3 or 4 MPG and you won't need to pay the extra for premium to race up to your higher speed! If everyone slowed down 5 to 10 MPH, that would save enough gas to bring demand down, in turn bringing supplies up, in turn bringing prices down. But that won't happen because we americans know it all, do what we feel like it when we want, and as long as we can, we will.
If you can't afford premium, regular will not hurt your car. Just don't slam the gas at every start. Second, if it's the gas prices you complain about, do something about your consumption, besides complaining.
Ok, next. Just because your check light has the code for a knock sensor, doesn't mean it is bad. Sometimes other problems trigger this code. I have a 96 maxima with 165,000 miles that has used BOTH grades of gas over it's life span. The light came on three times over the years for knock sensor. Two times when the O2 sensors went (each time a sensor went it triggered the knock sensor code) The third time happened when I developed a hole in the rubber insulator at the end of the coil attached to one of the plugs. The engine misfired and triggered the knock sensor code. I HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE KNOCK SENSOR. When the other problems were fixed, the light never came back on. I check monthly with my code reader since not all codes trigger the light and it has yet to come back. It costs too much and is a ***** to replace unless it is truly gone bad.
Now, the reason to use Premium is that you will get better performance from a higher octane in a higher compression engine. But if you don't floor it constantly, or need a fast 0-60 time, you won't notice a difference. I have never seen a difference with mine and it purrs like a kitten and still has power in reserve.
20 cents a gallon would be a good price difference. Unfortunately where I live right now (where gas prices are among the LOWEST in the country) it runs 35 to 50 cents more. That's about $5 more per fill up, and at one fill up a week, and about 50 weeks a year, that's $250 bucks I'd rather keep in my pocket.
If your concerned about the price, slow down to 65 or 70 on the highway instead of 85. You'll increase your gas milage by 3 or 4 MPG and you won't need to pay the extra for premium to race up to your higher speed! If everyone slowed down 5 to 10 MPH, that would save enough gas to bring demand down, in turn bringing supplies up, in turn bringing prices down. But that won't happen because we americans know it all, do what we feel like it when we want, and as long as we can, we will.
If you can't afford premium, regular will not hurt your car. Just don't slam the gas at every start. Second, if it's the gas prices you complain about, do something about your consumption, besides complaining.
There's people who have been on here for like 5-10 years who don't know that yet!
Ur lucky u actually spook some sense or else Ur 1 post count would have had u seriously owned, with that said i must agree with u, but just stick with the premium the money u say will just mean u have to return to the pump a bit sooner which leads to no really savings or gain of anything really unless there is a dollar difference in Ur town that is.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 700
From: Staten Island,NY
im a student who only make about 160-180 a week depending the hours i work and i still put 93 octane bp gas which one of the most expensive gas we have here in ny other than shell. so i dont know why you guys( most of you are grown and have stable jobs i assume) are complaining about paying xtra 4 or 5 a fill up.
p.s. for the guy from europe, i feel really bad for you guys.
p.s. for the guy from europe, i feel really bad for you guys.
lol, bud how many miles do you have on your max. 87 octane equals load of carbon, doesn't burn as clean. wait til u get the EGR code. PITA to get that lil tube out.
Anyways, most people get better mph and smoother ride with 91+ octane. its only 20 cents
load of carbon, doesn't burn as clean. wait til u get the EGR code. PITA to get that lil tube out. Anyways, most people get better mph and smoother ride with 91+ octane. its only 20 cents
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,572
From: Middleboro/Carver, Ma
Why do people think lower octane means it "doesn't burn as clean"
OK, let's hypothetically pretend that you could mix water and gas. OK, now, tell me if you think that would raise or lower the octane................
OK, let's hypothetically pretend that you could mix water and gas. OK, now, tell me if you think that would raise or lower the octane................
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 700
From: Staten Island,NY
^^ good point but i feel better inside with 93 and i dont know about our cars bcus i've never put regular but my managers car a 08 camry 4cyl used to get 93 every fill up and now with the prices got 89, the difference is unbelievable, its such a lazy fat bastard now, always in like 4 and 5k rpms trying to keep up with traffic. when it was running on 93, the throttle responded so well, and it was smooth and quiet bcus i didnt have to jam the paddle all the time. so octane does have some effect. anyway now i want a prius( i used to leaugh at them owners when they drive by)
Please dont tell anyone that. "Premium" gas makes you faster, stronger and everything else under the sun. Its amazing how marketing can fool people into thinking anything.
Regular gas is fine. Maintain your car and you should have little to no problems. Make sure your EGR is clean (to help keep chamber temps lower) and you run some system cleaner through the engine once in a while. Congrats to the guys that actually knew that higher octance = harder to ignite. I always have a hard time explaining to people this fact.