premium fuel only.
Regular Or Premium??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: Washington District of Columbia
Regular Or Premium??
I just "Googled" — "best rated gas for Corvettes" — and saw a lot of info
saying there's not much difference in REGULAR and PREMIUM gasoline.
Is this a fact? Wouldn't the higher OCTANE in the PREMIUM be better
for these "muscle" cars? WHAT DO YOU USE?
saying there's not much difference in REGULAR and PREMIUM gasoline.
Is this a fact? Wouldn't the higher OCTANE in the PREMIUM be better
for these "muscle" cars? WHAT DO YOU USE?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,017
Likes: 634
St. Jude Donor '10
For max performance, you should used the lowest octane gas that your car allows without detonation or pulling timing. For Corvettes that is usually premium fuel. 
I always run 93. More octane ≠More Performance. You do not need or want 100 octane in a stock Vette.
I always run 93. More octane ≠More Performance. You do not need or want 100 octane in a stock Vette.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 117
Likes: 1
From: Acworth Ga
Google "Octane Rating" and read the explaination in Wikipidiea. Then you'll understand why we should use premium fuel with a 90+ rating in the Vette. The higher the octane the slower the burn for our higher compression ratio engines. This does not equate to more power because of octane or premium fuel but retaining the present power curve designed for our engines. The lower octane fuel burns faster so that in relation to compression of the fuel air mixture being higher in the Corvette less power is generated using lower octane fuels. Also because of this detonation (knocking) can occur using lower octane fuels in higher compression engines damaging them over the long run. Stick with the premium fuel and your engine will perform as designed and will last as it should.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: Washington District of Columbia
WHY! I figured it would be seen by more members, thus more different
views and opinions. Already I've seen different thoughts/opinions. Didn't mean to — whatever.
views and opinions. Already I've seen different thoughts/opinions. Didn't mean to — whatever.
Last edited by Donne Trav; Oct 11, 2008 at 05:18 PM. Reason: wording
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Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,543
Likes: 1
From: Levittown NY
It depends on the year. I think the early c4s recommended plus or regular (I don't remember which). LT1, LT4 & LT5 you don't even need to read the owners manual to know. It says it right on the fuel bezel: "Premium Recommended" "Super Recommande".
Team Owner
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 53,711
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From: Plantation Florida USAF(Retired) 1966-1990
U.S. Air Force
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 11,992
Likes: 1,331
From: Middletown, DE
Here we go again 
- Read your owners manual -- the engineers knew what they were talking about
- Your LT1 was designed to run on 91 octane gas
- It can run safely on lower octane gas but will not perform quite so well nor get the best gas mileage -- I believe you save nothing by running regular
- You are wasting your money running any higher octane -- although in many areas you cannot get 91; only 89 and 93. In that case, go ahead and use 93
- This is the first time in 3.5 years I have ever complained about someone not using search but there must have been 10 threads on this the last 6 months -- Ich habe genug...
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,697
Likes: 1,132
I believe in the Beer Fairy
Here we go again
- Read your owners manual -- the engineers knew what they were talking about
- Your LT1 was designed to run on 91 octane gas
- It can run safely on lower octane gas but will not perform quite so well nor get the best gas mileage -- I believe you save nothing by running regular
- You are wasting your money running any higher octane -- although in many areas you cannot get 91; only 89 and 93. In that case, go ahead and use 93
- This is the first time in 3.5 years I have ever complained about someone not using search but there must have been 10 threads on this the last 6 months -- Ich habe genug...
Pro
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 630
Likes: 2
From: BEMIDJI MN
You are right! General discussion has, by far, the most hits and readership, and the only one I read unless I am having trouble of a specific nature.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,715
Likes: 2
From: Santa Teresa New Mexico
Gas is gas.........by the cheapest. The knock sensor will retard the timing if theres pre detonation. A little power loss thats it. Think slow burn as opposed to a fast burn or pre-
detonation. The engine "pings" cause hot spots in the combustion chamber are pre-igniting
the fuel before TDC.
I burn 87......$3.26 it used to be .15c soon it will be $4.26 and then $5.26
Premium is a dinosaur
detonation. The engine "pings" cause hot spots in the combustion chamber are pre-igniting
the fuel before TDC.
I burn 87......$3.26 it used to be .15c soon it will be $4.26 and then $5.26
Premium is a dinosaur
Pro
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 707
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse Utah
Lots of good answers here and in other threads, but I would change one thing in some of the statements--"the engines were designed for premium" should be changed to "the engines were tuned for premium. With that said it should be noted that gas quality varies all over the place. Modern engines will run just fine on lesser gas and the computers will adjust for it, but because they are tuned for better gas, performance and gas milage will drop. All and all, if you want 100% performance, premium should be used; if you are not worried about max performance then lesser gas is fine except milage drops slightly and gas/milage costs end up about where you would if you had used premium in the first place except you didn't get the premium performance.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: Washington District of Columbia
Using SEARCH is fine — sometimes. But, because the "keywords" always popup, you get a lot of variables not always receiving the specific
answer, even after "searching" for a while. Most are looking for
immediate results/answers — search seems to take forever, IMO.
answer, even after "searching" for a while. Most are looking for
immediate results/answers — search seems to take forever, IMO.
