Octane Level
February-12th-2005, 11:46 AM
#1
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Location: Surrey, B.C. Canada
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Octane Level
What is the best octane level for your M3? I run a chevron mix of octane 89 and 91. I find 89 is just ok but 91 gives me a little better performance but uses a bit more juice. When I blend the 2 octanes I find I have better performance and the milage aint bad. If I try a highest octane (pump gas) I get an even better amount of zip but I really suck the juice back. Hmm maybe I should be a bartender...lol. Garcon, a martini please. Any thoughts on anyone elses octane levels for M3s?
February-12th-2005, 01:02 PM
#2
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 112
I think that extra performance your seeing is because your wallet is lighter...most modern cars will run just as well if not better on 87 as they do on 91-93. If your not detonating, the extra octane is worthless. I dont run regular because its only 85 octane where i live and make it ping slightly when the weather gets warm and i push the car a bit...the midgrade stuff (87) works just fine though.
February-12th-2005, 01:06 PM
#3
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 11,572
the owners manual calls for 87octane. I suggest using it and nothing else.
p.s. Manufacturers spend MILLIONS of dollars testing and tuning their ECU's for specific spark plugs and octane ratings. Messing with that is kinda foolish.
p.s. Manufacturers spend MILLIONS of dollars testing and tuning their ECU's for specific spark plugs and octane ratings. Messing with that is kinda foolish.
February-12th-2005, 04:56 PM
#4
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Location: Brampton
Posts: 389
the only benefit you will get from running higher octane is the fact that the fuel is cleaner (less sulfer and corrosive **** in your engine exposed toyour fuel as well as your exhaust system) scientifically an engine will last longer if exposed to the same conditions with a car running 87, hahha or 85 fuel, i was driving around somewhere in the states and saw 85.
other then that, your better off paying less for 87 ocatane, the money you would save hahah over 5 or 10 years could buy you two new engines lol hahha
OH YA and your SAVE A BUNNY when you run cleaner higher grade fuel.
Less pollutions kills less BUNNIES lol right ROD?
other then that, your better off paying less for 87 ocatane, the money you would save hahah over 5 or 10 years could buy you two new engines lol hahha
OH YA and your SAVE A BUNNY when you run cleaner higher grade fuel.
Less pollutions kills less BUNNIES lol right ROD?
February-12th-2005, 06:51 PM
#6
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I will appoligize at the start of this post.... Call this my one man rant.. OK??
Why is it that so many people are confused by the quality of fuels????
Maybe it is because of the names the gas stations give them...
Premium... Regular.... Plus.... Ultra...... What are they saying???
Names are just names....... that is it!!
High performance cars need higher "octane" not a fancy name...
If someone names their gasoline "LEBRON JAMES" or "MICHAEL JORDAN" would you pay $5 bucks a gallon for it?
Paying more for premium gas, or getting a higher octane does not give you a cleaner, better, or more powerful fuel.....
They are all the exact same fuel if they are from the same refinery..... The only difference is the amount of "octane" added to the mix....
Go to Autozone, or Pepboys, or Kmart for that matter, and get some octane booster and put it in your tank.... That is the same thing the fuel refinery's do to your gas you buy at the station.....
If you dump a bottle of that crap in your tank, does that make the gas cleaner?? Make it more powerful?? NO............
All octane does is to prevent the fuel from exploding under high temperatures and pressures instead of slowly burning at an even rate... So the hotter running or the higher compression your engine is, the more octane you will require in your fuel to keep your engine from knocking and pinging and causing damage...
Gasoline will differ each time a gas station gets a new load of gas. It will also differ depending on which company is supplying the fuel for that station.
So if you change your fuel type and notice a difference it is not becuase of the "octane" it is just the fuel itself, that is all........ Not the price you paid.
I don't mean to be a total ***, but I am just sick and tired of these mis-informed people who own low compression vehicles buying premium fuels and yapping about how much better their cars run and perform.....
It is all total nonsense.... period.... end of story.....
Thanks everyone, I feel much better now......
Why is it that so many people are confused by the quality of fuels????
Maybe it is because of the names the gas stations give them...
Premium... Regular.... Plus.... Ultra...... What are they saying???
Names are just names....... that is it!!
High performance cars need higher "octane" not a fancy name...
If someone names their gasoline "LEBRON JAMES" or "MICHAEL JORDAN" would you pay $5 bucks a gallon for it?
Paying more for premium gas, or getting a higher octane does not give you a cleaner, better, or more powerful fuel.....
They are all the exact same fuel if they are from the same refinery..... The only difference is the amount of "octane" added to the mix....
Go to Autozone, or Pepboys, or Kmart for that matter, and get some octane booster and put it in your tank.... That is the same thing the fuel refinery's do to your gas you buy at the station.....
If you dump a bottle of that crap in your tank, does that make the gas cleaner?? Make it more powerful?? NO............
All octane does is to prevent the fuel from exploding under high temperatures and pressures instead of slowly burning at an even rate... So the hotter running or the higher compression your engine is, the more octane you will require in your fuel to keep your engine from knocking and pinging and causing damage...
Gasoline will differ each time a gas station gets a new load of gas. It will also differ depending on which company is supplying the fuel for that station.
So if you change your fuel type and notice a difference it is not becuase of the "octane" it is just the fuel itself, that is all........ Not the price you paid.
I don't mean to be a total ***, but I am just sick and tired of these mis-informed people who own low compression vehicles buying premium fuels and yapping about how much better their cars run and perform.....
It is all total nonsense.... period.... end of story.....
Thanks everyone, I feel much better now......
February-12th-2005, 11:48 PM
#7
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Location: Surrey, B.C. Canada
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Well it was just a question is all. I didnt know that my question could and would actually **** people off. Was only a question, isnt that the point of this site? But I do appreciate the info and everyones input. I will try the lower octane and see what shakes. I should have realized that auto makers program ECUs based on 87. Just like the manual says. peace
February-13th-2005, 12:06 AM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Brampton
Posts: 389
Well Crispy boy did raise some points, but he did cause me to be a little more cautious about what i said....
what i am refering to is the refining process of the fuels, but it is important to say that I am refering to the chemicals TAKEN out of the Fuels... and in Sunocos case with each grade they have , more harmful chemicals and polutants are removed , that part per million terms.
For example.... With Sunoco’s Ultra 94 gasoline having ultra low sulphur content.
But this is Sunoco i am talking about, Esso and all the others all formulate their fuel differently, but within government regulation..... so some companies can have equal amounts of **** in their fuel.
anyways, blah blah blah lol
what i am refering to is the refining process of the fuels, but it is important to say that I am refering to the chemicals TAKEN out of the Fuels... and in Sunocos case with each grade they have , more harmful chemicals and polutants are removed , that part per million terms.
For example.... With Sunoco’s Ultra 94 gasoline having ultra low sulphur content.
But this is Sunoco i am talking about, Esso and all the others all formulate their fuel differently, but within government regulation..... so some companies can have equal amounts of **** in their fuel.
anyways, blah blah blah lol
February-17th-2005, 08:52 AM
#11
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Pembroke Pines,Fl
Posts: 254
ok cool i understand and i knew that already but when i go to chevrom my gas meter goes higher than some cheaper fuel less say i put 25 bucks on my car on chevrom each gallon is 1.97 when i go to another gas station lets say amoco i put the same 25 bucks and the gas is 1.94 and the chevrom gas made my meter go higher than the other one that was cheaper i guess is because chevrom actually puts the gas gallon by gallon chevrom fill up your gas really slow and others go mad fast so maybe they dont actually oput what the pump is saying
February-17th-2005, 02:36 PM
#13
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1
Crispy is right except for one point. At shell gas stations the higher octane fuel (or the "V-power" fuel as they call) actually has higher detergent ratings than their lower grade gasses. I'm sure some other companies do that as well, but Shell is the only gas station that comes to mind.
February-25th-2005, 11:42 AM
#15
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Posts: 11
>>>>
You guys in the US have it good. I just paid 89 cents a litre. There are about 4 litres in a gallon. So thats $3.56 a gallon....lucky me eh.
<<<<
$0.89? Man, thats pretty good. We were over $0.93 for the regular 87 oct gas for the longest time. The 91 and 94 octane gas was over $1 a litre!
Price has gone down to $0.88 for the 87 octane.
I think in US dollars, that about $2.50 or so per gallon.
need4speed, its not as expensive as $3.50 per gallon as I think they have a different gallon than we do. We have imperial, they have US gallons, which arent the same measurement.
You guys in the US have it good. I just paid 89 cents a litre. There are about 4 litres in a gallon. So thats $3.56 a gallon....lucky me eh.
<<<<
$0.89? Man, thats pretty good. We were over $0.93 for the regular 87 oct gas for the longest time. The 91 and 94 octane gas was over $1 a litre!
Price has gone down to $0.88 for the 87 octane.
I think in US dollars, that about $2.50 or so per gallon.
need4speed, its not as expensive as $3.50 per gallon as I think they have a different gallon than we do. We have imperial, they have US gallons, which arent the same measurement.