What octane do you guys use?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
only tier one premium for me. 
unless I'm about to be stuck in bfe, then it's only 5 gallons of the best around, that should get me 100 miles (5*20mpg). 
unless I'm about to be stuck in bfe, then it's only 5 gallons of the best around, that should get me 100 miles (5*20mpg).
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Originally Posted by VetVetter
Nowadays, all retail gasoline contains additives ... the gasoline itself is the same in each area of the company for all the gas retail companies ... what sets them apart is their additive package: notice how they advertise now.
Perhaps a while back, Amoco didn't use additives when other started but I know for a fact they (BP) does now for sure ... they claim theirs is the best - blah, blah , blah
Especially nowadays with the lower octane gasoline, I would not want to use a fuel without additives - they serve to keep your engine cleaner, fuel burn more efficiently, help keep filters and fuel lines cleaner, etc
just food for thought
Perhaps a while back, Amoco didn't use additives when other started but I know for a fact they (BP) does now for sure ... they claim theirs is the best - blah, blah , blah
Especially nowadays with the lower octane gasoline, I would not want to use a fuel without additives - they serve to keep your engine cleaner, fuel burn more efficiently, help keep filters and fuel lines cleaner, etc
just food for thought
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Take care of your car. Use the premium octane recommended by the manufacturer (here in CA I use 91 the highest available), better yet stay with the 3 major brands. I rotate between each brand every 5000 miles as each brand uses slighltly different additives to benefit the engine.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 0
From: Eustis Florida
Originally Posted by sanfranman
Take care of your car. Use the premium octane recommended by the manufacturer (here in CA I use 91 the highest available), better yet stay with the 3 major brands. I rotate between each brand every 5000 miles as each brand uses slighltly different additives to benefit the engine.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 332
Likes: 7
From: burke va
had not considered using 87 in any of the vettes that i've had. everyone - i thought- used 93 octane (where available). with the c6, i'm averaging 22.2 since i got the car 3 months ago c6 w/a4 and g90) on the road, i get 28.5 usually at 75- 80 mph with the occasional sprint to 100. mileage is slightly less than my c5 but fine by me. agree with cost of 93 over 15k miles - have no desire to chance "rattling".
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,067
Likes: 62
From: Houston Texas
Reguardless of what car you are driving, with whatever engine, when you have a high performance engine with damm near 11:1 compression, and you get out and push it on at hot summer afternoon with 87 octane you are asking for trouble. You can't run 93 on anything over 12:1, so why would you risk runing 87 at 11:1. And if you do any addition upgrades, specially a s/c or turbo. KABOOM!!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,019
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
My understanding is that the engine system is dsigned so it doesn't need to pull timing under most conditions, if using Premium gas.
If using Regular, it will need to pull timing frequently. Which means I'm depending on the knock sensors and timing retard to save my engine from damage. Not the way i like to do it.
If using Regular, it will need to pull timing frequently. Which means I'm depending on the knock sensors and timing retard to save my engine from damage. Not the way i like to do it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Texas Where God intended me to be.
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St. Jude Donor '08 thru '11,'22 thru '26
where are you getting 98 oct
Pro
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 695
Likes: 19
In Arizona all we have is 91, but I found a nearby gas station that has 101 at $6 a gallon.
My car has been very slow at the drag strip compared to other cars on this forum, so I thought it might be in low octane mode.
I put two gallons of 101 and two gallons of 91 in on an empty tank and headed to the track. It made no significant difference in trap speed.
The other two C6 there that night weren't doing any better and one filled up with 101.
Next time I will reset the PCM by pulling the fuses. That should make sure I come out of the low octane tables.
As for 91 or 87, I guess if 91 puts me in low octane mode, then going to 87 wouldn't make any difference. However, we are talking about $2.80 vs $3.00 so why not pay the extra twenty cents.
That's the amazing thing about gas, even though prices have doubled, the grades are still separated by ten cents.
My car has been very slow at the drag strip compared to other cars on this forum, so I thought it might be in low octane mode.
I put two gallons of 101 and two gallons of 91 in on an empty tank and headed to the track. It made no significant difference in trap speed.
The other two C6 there that night weren't doing any better and one filled up with 101.
Next time I will reset the PCM by pulling the fuses. That should make sure I come out of the low octane tables.
As for 91 or 87, I guess if 91 puts me in low octane mode, then going to 87 wouldn't make any difference. However, we are talking about $2.80 vs $3.00 so why not pay the extra twenty cents.
That's the amazing thing about gas, even though prices have doubled, the grades are still separated by ten cents.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,977
Likes: 38
From: Massachusetts , USA,
Originally Posted by c5 devil
Well i have moved from texas to qatar ( near saudi arabia )
And over here they have 98 and 95 octane........and i use 98
And dam does the car move
And over here they have 98 and 95 octane........and i use 98
And dam does the car move
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,525
Likes: 1
From: Santa Cruz Mountains CA
Originally Posted by jdwk
In Arizona all we have is 91, but I found a nearby gas station that has 101 at $6 a gallon.
My car has been very slow at the drag strip compared to other cars on this forum, so I thought it might be in low octane mode.
I put two gallons of 101 and two gallons of 91 in on an empty tank and headed to the track. It made no significant difference in trap speed.
The other two C6 there that night weren't doing any better and one filled up with 101.
Next time I will reset the PCM by pulling the fuses. That should make sure I come out of the low octane tables.
As for 91 or 87, I guess if 91 puts me in low octane mode, then going to 87 wouldn't make any difference. However, we are talking about $2.80 vs $3.00 so why not pay the extra twenty cents.
That's the amazing thing about gas, even though prices have doubled, the grades are still separated by ten cents.
My car has been very slow at the drag strip compared to other cars on this forum, so I thought it might be in low octane mode.
I put two gallons of 101 and two gallons of 91 in on an empty tank and headed to the track. It made no significant difference in trap speed.
The other two C6 there that night weren't doing any better and one filled up with 101.
Next time I will reset the PCM by pulling the fuses. That should make sure I come out of the low octane tables.
As for 91 or 87, I guess if 91 puts me in low octane mode, then going to 87 wouldn't make any difference. However, we are talking about $2.80 vs $3.00 so why not pay the extra twenty cents.
That's the amazing thing about gas, even though prices have doubled, the grades are still separated by ten cents.
I think I'll be trying 87 octane for a spell, just to see if I can detect a change. I'll bet my ride has been stuck in the low octane table for most of its life.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 967
Likes: 1
From: / California
One thing to remember here in this discussion about octane rating is that the octane requirements for all of us varies with climate and temperatures as well as our personal driving habits. Those of us who live in areas where the temperatures are normally higher (80's and 90's) will require a higher octane rating, so Premuim fuel will be more of a requirement than for those of us whose temps are much lower.
Almost all of us can get by with lower octane ratings during the winter months. Perhap many of you have already noticed how the octane numbers come down during the winter months, at least that's what happens here in California. During the winter, our premium octane rating is 91 and during the summer months, they bump it up to 92 or maybe 93 if we're lucky.
Almost all of us can get by with lower octane ratings during the winter months. Perhap many of you have already noticed how the octane numbers come down during the winter months, at least that's what happens here in California. During the winter, our premium octane rating is 91 and during the summer months, they bump it up to 92 or maybe 93 if we're lucky.