The important thing to remember if you do run low octane gas is to not load the engine too hard....stay in the lower half of the engine's powerband and just kinda baby it. No jackrabbit starts, no tach runs, no mountain climbs, and no lugging it down in too low a gear either. All those put extra strain on your engine and will produce ping/knock/detonation the soonest.
Last edited by poormansporsche : 06-20-2008 at 01:09 PM.
i've run 87 in mine a few times... no problems at all. i THINK the manual even states you can run 87, but only every so often. i think it states the car can sense the difference and automatically adjusts the timing which will result in less performance.
makes sense to me.
but yeah i have ALWAYS used bt 91-94 octane except once in the first year and - haha - the last time i filled up.. bc i am pissed at prices and i will only have it for another 2 months.
what???
when you open the gas lid, it says in big ass letters.
when you open the gas lid, it says in big ass letters.
"premium gas only"
MSB needs his own personal fact checker. i havent even checked my manual but i can guarantee it does not say "it's ok to use 87 octane if you only do it every now and then." if an engine requires premium, it requires premium. it's not like every now and then the engine can take a break from it's octane requirements...
You can use other than recommended ocatine. Your ECU will automatically retard timing to prevent detonation. Your car will most likely ping like a bell though. I've put in 87 when premium is required and all that stuff. No change other than a little less power and some pinging.
__________________ Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
MSB needs his own personal fact checker. i havent even checked my manual but i can guarantee it does not say "it's ok to use 87 octane if you only do it every now and then." if an engine requires premium, it requires premium. it's not like every now and then the engine can take a break from it's octane requirements...
You can use other than recommended ocatine. Your ECU will automatically retard timing to prevent detonation. Your car will most likely ping like a bell though. I've put in 87 when premium is required and all that stuff. No change other than a little less power and some pinging.
my understanding is that you can use regular, but you will not be able to raise your rpm past 3k without having setbacks.
You can use other than recommended ocatine. Your ECU will automatically retard timing to prevent detonation. Your car will most likely ping like a bell though. I've put in 87 when premium is required and all that stuff. No change other than a little less power and some pinging.
right, but pinging is not good... i've put 87 in my audi and G35c. both pinged like crazy.
Nope, I've redlined my motor more times than I remember on 87 for permium only cars. Nothing other than a lil loss of power.
Pinging isn't good, but it's not harmful for your motor. The ECU retards timing to allow the use of lower octaine fuel.
I actually have 87 in my premium only Bimmer because the station was out of 91 and I was had the thing redlined on the way to work. Not one problem and not even pinging on this motor unlike the VQ. The motor just feels a tad weaker and rougher.
__________________ Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
Nope, I've redlined my motor more times than I remember on 87 for permium only cars. Nothing other than a lil loss of power.
Pinging isn't good, but it's not harmful for your motor. The ECU retards timing to allow the use of lower octaine fuel.
I actually have 87 in my premium only Bimmer because the station was out of 91 and I was had the thing redlined on the way to work. Not one problem and not even pinging on this motor unlike the VQ. The motor just feels a tad weaker and rougher.
Nope, I've redlined my motor more times than I remember on 87 for permium only cars. Nothing other than a lil loss of power.
Pinging isn't good, but it's not harmful for your motor. The ECU retards timing to allow the use of lower octaine fuel.
I actually have 87 in my premium only Bimmer because the station was out of 91 and I was had the thing redlined on the way to work. Not one problem and not even pinging on this motor unlike the VQ. The motor just feels a tad weaker and rougher.
seriously, i don't think that's good though. i'm not going to say definitively but i'm pretty sure. just because your car didnt blow up when you redlined it doesn't mean it would not get damaged over time...
Sure it could do some damage if you do it forever, but probably just about as much as running your motor harsh.
Engineers suggest a required fuel because of stated power and gas mileage reasons. If you use different fuel you can't expect what the factory promised.
Also pinging is a sign that detonation "could" happen, but if the ECU is retarding timing no detonation can occur so what's the problem? Is pinging bad for your motor? Well, I think it's simpler to say that pinging probably isn't good, but not specifically bad. I mean you can get pinging at high altitudes even with 91 gas or if you're towing large people . It happens and the ECU adapts to prevent detonation. So if you use lower ocatine and the ECU adapts, what's the problem? Other than a lil loss of power and mileage that is.
__________________ Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
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