Premium Gas?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,453
Likes: 67
From: Midland Ontario
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Petro Canada Premium since the day I bought her. She may sit for 2 weeks between usage, and I only run about 5000km a summer. I'll justify the added expense in that it gives me peace of mind......and I've given up nearly all of my other "costly" vices.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
We've had E10 gas here for at least 20 years, other parts of Canada and the US have had it for 30. My toys all sit for six months a year over the winter with E10 in the tanks and NO stabilizer. No problems at all. None.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
If you NEED premium fuel...because of higher compression ratio in your engine...you should use it. If you have a low compression engine, you don't need it and you are throwing money away when you buy it. If your low-comp engine doesn't run well on 87 octane fuel...tune the engine.
P.S. Using premium fuel will not 'clean' your engine any better than regular fuel. If you think you need to clean up the carb and/or valves, add some "Fuel Injector/Carb Treatment" stuff to a tank of gas or run some SeaFoam through it.
P.S. Using premium fuel will not 'clean' your engine any better than regular fuel. If you think you need to clean up the carb and/or valves, add some "Fuel Injector/Carb Treatment" stuff to a tank of gas or run some SeaFoam through it.
Last edited by 7T1vette; May 11, 2012 at 12:05 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
You can't buy ethanol-free gas anywhere within 100 miles of Chicago. Thanks EPA! Love those "custom blends!" I always run premium in my ZZ4 mostly because you can't hear the engine knock over the side pipes!
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
I only use premium in all my cars and bikes. I think it is a psychological reason left over from seeing my dad do this in the 60s and 70s.
I use it in my Jeep Cherokee and my wifes Altima also.
kdf
I use it in my Jeep Cherokee and my wifes Altima also.
kdf
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 6
From: Tucson AZ
St. Jude Donor '12
When was the last time your heard someone say or a commercial claim that they got 200,000 miles out of an engine because they ran premium gas instead of the manufacturers specified regular grade?
You might as well fill your tank with regular and take the $10-30 you saved and fling it a buck at a time out the window while you drive around. At least that way you get to have a little fun.
Last edited by RobbSalzmann; May 11, 2012 at 06:52 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Sunoco 260 was 102ish.
*Edit- Gas today is rated by Anti Knock Index, or AKI. 100 RON is about 94 AKI. I don't know of many Corvettes that need even that- unless the owners like boasting about how much octane they can afford to buy.
Last edited by Mike Ward; May 11, 2012 at 09:41 PM.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 741
Likes: 46
From: Hebron IN
I understand where your coming from. Its definitely psychological, and designed to be. The very word "premium" suggests its better than "regular" or "mid Grade". When in fact its basically the same gas with additives that raise its ignition temperature. It doesn't burn any cleaner or create any more power, add to efficiency or even smell better. It just costs more for no benefit at all when run in a car designed to burn 87.
When was the last time your heard someone say or a commercial claim that they got 200,000 miles out of an engine because they ran premium gas instead of the manufacturers specified regular grade?
You might as well fill your tank with regular and take the $10-30 you saved and fling it a buck at a time out the window while you drive around. At least that way you get to have a little fun.
When was the last time your heard someone say or a commercial claim that they got 200,000 miles out of an engine because they ran premium gas instead of the manufacturers specified regular grade?
You might as well fill your tank with regular and take the $10-30 you saved and fling it a buck at a time out the window while you drive around. At least that way you get to have a little fun.
Octane threads happen in every forum. My favorite is for my Hayabusa motorcycle. 1.3 liter inline 4 producing 175 HP stock. Manual calls for 87 octane.
There are guys that insist on "treating my baby" to 93 octane.
Several decided to play mythbusters and found 87 consistently ran FASTER 1/4 mile times than 93. They then ran dyno tests showing the 87 producing slightly more power than 93.
Even with all that info, you still get the guys that want to treat their baby.
Usually it's also the same guys who don't know how to change a set of brake pads yet are the first to get into a long-winded oil debate.
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 39
Likes: 5
From: Cleveland, OH
It is true that ethanol will absorb atmospheric moisture over time. However, this is also true of most, if not all organic (chemical designation, not farming) solvents - including gasoline. I don't know if the addition of ethanol into gasoline accelerates this process, but it is worth pointing out that "dry gas" additives pre-date the recent surge of ethanol "enhanced" gasolines.
In a twist of irony, many of the dry gas additives contain methyl hydrate - which is another name for methanol. In essence, the additives one can add to gas to stave off moisture is almost identical to the ethanol already in the gas that we blame for attracting that moisture in the first place.
That said, I run regular unleaded without ethanol. ;^)
In a twist of irony, many of the dry gas additives contain methyl hydrate - which is another name for methanol. In essence, the additives one can add to gas to stave off moisture is almost identical to the ethanol already in the gas that we blame for attracting that moisture in the first place.
That said, I run regular unleaded without ethanol. ;^)
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
It is true that ethanol will absorb atmospheric moisture over time. However, this is also true of most, if not all organic (chemical designation, not farming) solvents - including gasoline. I don't know if the addition of ethanol into gasoline accelerates this process, but it is worth pointing out that "dry gas" additives pre-date the recent surge of ethanol "enhanced" gasolines.
In a twist of irony, many of the dry gas additives contain methyl hydrate - which is another name for methanol. In essence, the additives one can add to gas to stave off moisture is almost identical to the ethanol already in the gas that we blame for attracting that moisture in the first place.
That said, I run regular unleaded without ethanol. ;^)
In a twist of irony, many of the dry gas additives contain methyl hydrate - which is another name for methanol. In essence, the additives one can add to gas to stave off moisture is almost identical to the ethanol already in the gas that we blame for attracting that moisture in the first place.
That said, I run regular unleaded without ethanol. ;^)
If you chose to use an additive, there are many out that don't contain any alcohol.