Ok,

My max has somewhere around 168k miles, and a crappy looking body (as some of you may know)... I add maybe 8-10k miles MAX per year... I would like to drive her as long as possible, but as long as it lasts me 3-4 years more I'll be happy... the question: In the owners manual it says I can fill it up with 87 octane minimum... and 91 for improved engine peroformance... is it really detrimental to start filling my car with 87 octane??? (BTW She's always been filled with 89 octane) - I don't care about performance, and as long as it will last me the 3-4 years I could care less about extended longevity.

????????

 

I always use 93 since I think its better for the motor and stuff.

 

I always use 93 too, but I have an SE. Maybe it's different for the GXE.

 

True that, I think it's different but still wouldn't using 93 be better anywayz.

 

The octane ratings are a measure the fuels resistance to igniting. so the wrong octtane can actually cause a car to run worse.

 

Why don't you try a tank or two of 87 and see if you notice any difference?

I had a Celica that got better gas mileage on 89 octane than 92. On 87 it was about the same as 92. That was when I commuted 180 miles (round trip) to work and I needed to save money on gas.

I would imagine that since you have a GXE and your timing is not advanced, you shouldn't have any problems using a lower octane fuel.

Also, if your car craps out on you in less than four years, it probably won't be because of the gas you are using.

 

I road tripped out to Co, Wy, and MT, this summer. All they have in some of those mountain towns is 85 and 87. One of my friends told me that when you are at High elevation like thoe towns are (8k +) 87 octane burns like 89-90 octane...is this true?

 

The lower the octane number the faster the fuel burns. In a VG30E, 89 is the lowest octane I would recomend using because if the fuel burns too fast you can damage the engine, burning rings and valves. Which is not to say you're automaticly gonna burn up the engine runnign 87 octane. My mom runs 87 all the time in her 90 Maxima and the car has 240k miles on it. However, running too much octane is also bad. If the fuel burns too slow you have remnents left and it can begin to dilute the oil, and start damaging the cylinder walls. In the mountains where the Air is thinner, less octane is needed because the thinner air causes the fuel to burn slower naturally. You can see the oposite of this affect in a Forced Induction engine where more octane is required to prevent pre-detination.

 

Great info... I think I'll still stick to the 89... it seems like a happy medium.. I have also hear the same about 89 giving better fuel economy. Thanks.

 

My owner's manual says for the GXE you can go as low as 87, but they recommend 91 for improved performance. For the SE it says 91, unless you're really stuck in which case you can go as low as 87. For both models it says if your 4000ft or higher you can go as low as 85. Keep in mind the number on the pumps is the (R+M)/2 which is (RON + MON /2), which is also known as the AKI number. The owners manual actually breeds some confusion as the say to use 87 AKI or 91 RON for the GXE and 91 AKI or 96 RON for the SE. Unless you realize the number on the pumps is the AKI number you might be bustin' your *** looking for 96 octane for your SE for example.

 

i just use 93..

 

Down here in NZ, we have 98 octane. That what I use & she purrsss

 

Correct owner's manual indicates 87 as mininum requirement.

For two years I use 87 and no engine knocking.

So stop subsidizing gas companies.

 

Yeah you can usually run 87 without engine damage, in the J30. Octane was more of a concern in the older VG30E models like the U11, S12, Z31, and D20. The ECU's in these older models were not as capable of compensating for octane differences as the newer computers.

 

Yes, but 98 by what method. Alot of people from the US go to japan, see the octane rating and complain that we get dog urine for gasoline, not realizing that the octane rating method there is different and produces a different number. In reality, the octane is the same.

 

I think there is a misconception about how the octane rating effects performance. This is a good article about it:

http://archive.abcnews.go.com/sectio...eek990709.html

Simply put, as long as you use the minimum rating recommended by the manufacturer, you're good to go. If I put 93 octane in my 1990 hot pink Ford Escort GT that only requires 85, it's still going to run like a piece of crap Ford.

 

I have about 200K miles on my max, and I have always used 91 and it still runs great.

One time a relative used my car and filled it up with 87 and there was noticeable powerloss while driving to the gas station for octane booster.

 

I am American, so I know the difference. 98 cleans & burns longer than ure 93. Its a new octane for New Zealand & was developed by mobil down here.