What kinda gas do you buy for your car/truck?

ohskigod

if you have a really old car, sometimes you will feel differences in gas. newer cars, with computers and whatnot, usually make up for the differences on it's own, run whatever the factory said to run.....if it's 87, so be it.


Like I said above, I have an older 91 GMC pick up, and I can feel a VERY MILD difference if I get what I call "a bad batch of gas" that might make it run rougher. when that happens, I'll fill with 93 to clean it out so to speak. works like a charm.

danger boy

if a car calls for premium, I don't think you have to use premium in it.. it just costs more, and has a slightly higher octane. i doubt you'll notice a difference in performance if you use a lower grade in your car. .02

Jstas

danger boy wrote: »

if a car calls for premium, I don't think you have to use premium in it.. it just costs more, and has a slightly higher octane. i doubt you'll notice a difference in performance if you use a lower grade in your car. .02

Not true.

I'd go in to details but it's been posted several times before. If you don't use premium in a car the requires premium you will lose performance, gas mileage will suffer drastically and you might even destroy your engine.


In my truck, if I use anything less than 92, I have to add octane booster otherwise, the engine will just stop running because the computer cannot safely back out enough timing to keep the engine from detonating. Then again, my effective compression ratio is above 10.0:1 which is pretty high for the street.

ohskigod

Jon's spot on. this is usually in performance oriented cars. if it says to run 89 or 91, do it.

best case scenario if you dont is significantly less performance/mileage, knocks, pings, and check engine lights

worst case, something in engine goes "breaky breaky" rare, but very possible


Jon, I assume your truck has a tune in it?

petrym

87 grade gasoline for my chick-magnet minivan... no ethanol.

PhantomOG

danger boy wrote: »

if a car calls for premium, I don't think you have to use premium in it.. it just costs more, and has a slightly higher octane. i doubt you'll notice a difference in performance if you use a lower grade in your car. .02

My car has a factory turbo and requires premium. If you don't, the engine will knock and ping and I assume would do damage if I continually used it. Not such good advice.

GaryZ06

My daily driver I put in regular but my weekend toy I use 93 Premium....Chevron or BP

Jstas

ohskigod wrote: »

Jon, I assume your truck has a tune in it?

No tune, bone stock. SVT tweaked the stock computers and tuned it at the factory to use 92 or better octane. I can run up to 110 octane before it starts having issues. But with 8.2:1 compression ratio and 10 pounds of boost, the effective compression ratio is about 10.2:1. Then again, at 5.4 liters or 330 cubic inches, it's pretty thirsty. Add the 2.0 liters or 122 cubic inches of supercharger on top and displacement goes up to about 7.4 liters of effective displacement.

Needless to say, the stock tune on my truck was good for 372 horses and 446 pound feet at the wheels. That's official on the dyno sheet. It was run a few more times and corrected numbers were 383 horses and 471 pound feet of torque at the wheels. The truck is only rated for 380/450 at the crank. I think Ford fudged the numbers. But at 10 pounds of boost around 4500 RPM, it is running at something like 121% volumetric efficiency and manifold pressure gets to just under 11 pounds of boost. If I run 87-91 octane in it, it's gonna go boom. If it back fires into the intake, my blower is going to make it's own escape hatch in the hood.

When I was in MI, I couldn't find 92. So I went to the local parts store and bought his only case of octane booster. I had to dump 4 bottles of the stuff in the tank to get it to an acceptable level. Otherwise it was running super rich, had no power and was stumbling everywhere while billowing a blackish-gray smoke. Took 3 months for the catalytic converters to stop stinking after that trip from all the raw fuel being dumped into them.

ohskigod

Jstas wrote: »

When I was in MI, I couldn't find 92. So I went to the local parts store and bought his only case of octane booster.

this is why I didnt lose sleep about geting an 89 tune instead of a 93 tune. if I drive out west i knew it would be a problem. I dont need the extra 1 or 2 horse power that bad

I forgot those lightnings had a supercharger from the factory, which pretty much means your running higher octane gas, aftermarket tune or not. factory says 92 then you run 92. I think 380 to the wheels is more than enough to cause trouble

agfrost

I go to Thornton's "Mostly Gas" station. It's guaranteed to be at least 51% gasoline. Price is right!

Jay

GaryZ06

ohskigod wrote: »

I think 380 to the wheels is more than enough to cause trouble

Then my 490 is enough to cause what.....:D

Joe08867

GaryZ06 wrote: »

Then my 490 is enough to cause what.....:D

An Earthquake!:D

BTW, pinging over an extended period in any engine can cause permanent damage. Like broken pistons and/or cracked connecting rods. If the car/truck calls for premium use premium. Don't go cheap as it will cost you in the end.

Shizelbs

Premium for the Acura. Whatever for the Mazda.

Jstas

GaryZ06 wrote: »

Then my 490 is enough to cause what.....:D

Nothing, absolutly nothing.

GaryZ06

Jstas wrote: »

Nothing, absolutly nothing.

Thank you Sir...You're quite kind:D

Jstas

GaryZ06 wrote: »

Thank you Sir...You're quite kind:D

It's not MY fault you drive a Chevy!

GaryZ06

Jstas wrote: »

It's not MY fault you drive a Chevy!

Yes but it's a fast Chevy:eek:

Jstas

GaryZ06 wrote: »

Yes but it's a fast Chevy:eek:

That would be a contradiction in terms. Kinda like "military intelligence". :eek:

GaryZ06

Jstas wrote: »

That would be a contradiction in terms. Kinda like "military intelligence". :eek:

I meant to say very fast supercar....:D

ohskigod

I always loved vettes, just can't help it.
I'd be in f&*king PRISON if I owned a Z06...LOL

my Stang is plenty fast for me, of course it'll be faster when I get a supercharger down the road......OOOOOGAAAAHHH!!!!!!!

GaryZ06

ohskigod wrote: »

I always loved vettes, just can't help it.
I'd be in f&*king PRISON if I owned a Z06...LOL

my Stang is plenty fast for me, of course it'll be faster when I get a supercharger down the road......OOOOOGAAAAHHH!!!!!!!

First off I'm a car guy.....I like all kinds of sports cars.Driving a Z06 or any fast car takes restraint.

ohskigod

true brotha, very true.

feel ya on the car angle too, love mustangs, love vettes, great cars are great cars.

driving a mustang takes restraint, driving a Z06 must take a Halo and wings..LOL

PolkThug

Truck get 87 octane from anywhere.

Stang gets BP 92.

GaryZ06

ohskigod wrote: »

true brotha, very true.

feel ya on the car angle too, love mustangs, love vettes, great cars are great cars.

driving a mustang takes restraint, driving a Z06 must take a Halo and wings..LOL

Yes it takes a bunch of self control but its fun to let the beast unleash its fury.

Jstas

GaryZ06 wrote: »

I meant to say very fast stupidcar....:D

There, I fixed it for ya!






And who says it takes restraint? No restraint needed! Just avoid the local constabulary! It's only a crime if you get caught, right? :eek:

GaryZ06

Jstas wrote: »

There, I fixed it for ya!






And who says it takes restraint? No restraint needed! Just avoid the local constabulary! It's only a crime if you get caught, right? :eek:

Thanks Sir....Yes that's a little better.Your right it does not take any restraint BUT just some simple common sense.On weekends I have a very long stretch of road that the beast can open up

66chevyIISS

Lightnings are like Supra's. Make a great burnout vehicle

Anyways back on track fellas as we all know Chevy's best

My daily drivers get whatevers cheapest outside of an AM/PM. I too keep a milage log for every fillup and gas milage is always 27mpg avg regardless of brand.

jflail2

PhantomOG wrote: »

My car has a factory turbo and requires premium. If you don't, the engine will knock and ping and I assume would do damage if I continually used it. Not such good advice.

Same here. I've got an 06 A4 with turbo, and it has never seen anything besides premium. In regards to differences from 1 station to another, I think I've bought premium from about every company in town at 1 point or another, and can't say I noticed a positive difference from any one particular "brand".

Face

GaryZ06 wrote: »

Thanks Sir....Yes that's a little better.Your right it does not take any restraint BUT just some simple common sense.On weekends I have a very long stretch of road that the beast can open up

Good to see you around Gary.

66chevyIISS wrote: »

Lightnings are like Supra's. Make a great burnout vehicle

Very true.

jflail2 wrote: »

Same here. I've got an 06 A4 with turbo, and it has never seen anything besides premium. In regards to differences from 1 station to another, I think I've bought premium from about every company in town at 1 point or another, and can't say I noticed a positive difference from any one particular "brand".

My C5 has a raised CR and a agressive tune, so it never sees anything below 93. If I had the cash or if race gas ever dropped in price again(yeah right), it would be seeing a mix of 93 and 100 again.

My daily driver has a blower and needs 93 also, which is over $4.00 a gallon here as of today.

GaryZ06

Face wrote: »

Good to see you around Gary.

Same here Face.I hope the C5 is running like an animal.....What do you think of the ZR1? I would love to get one BUT I will not pay over MSRP.