My brother once told me that he ran a tank of premium through his truck every third time to increase the performance. :rolleyes:
Oh I have no doubt that the majority of high-octane gasoline bought at gas stations is bought by people who think “premium” means “better for you car”.
To be fair, it was once true that they put a better additive and detergent package in the premium gas until the FTC made them put an end to that. So back in those days, running a tank of premium every so often might have made sense. Of course, it was probably 25 years ago that it was last true.
The same sort of thing is sneaking back with a lot of stations carrying ethanol-free premium. It seems to me the only real reason to carry ethanol-free premium but still using it in the lower grades is to get people to buy a higher octane than they need to. I guess mayyyyyybe it’s so people can fill up their boats, but I’ve seen it in pretty landlocked areas.
ETA: also, wow, I’m still the only 85-octane person?
Probably just because it’s not available in a lot of places. I just buy the lowest octane available, which around here is 87. If it were 85, I’d buy that.
I thought there’d be more high-altitude dopers though. How do you people stand the dangerously thick air down there?!
Don’t tempt me. I’m about one more 100-degree high-humidity day from packing my bags and heading for the mountains.
My truck manual says 87, except when towing. I fill it with 89 when I’m going to be towing anything heavy.
Except that just like your vehicle mine is designed for it too (according to the manual). 28 page thread from a Civic SI forum.
My Volt needs high octane because the gas sits so long in the tank.
Whatever the lowest octane/cheapest one is available, which I have no clue what # it is or what “high altitude grade” means.
I use regular. That’s the lever on the pump with the big R over it. I have no idea what octane it is.
We only have three choices on our pumps here.
Voted 87 octane because its the lowest in the poll.
87, like my manual says to.
Why was 86 not listed? It’s all over the damn place here for all the cheapskates.
I know this goes against every tenet of auto ownership, but the manual is wrong, or at least incomplete in omitting how the octane requirements change with altitude. The general rule of thumb is that you can drop 1-1.5 octane number per 1000 feet of elevations. Running 86 in a car that calls for 87 above 1500 feet should be perfectly fine, although usually you don’t start seeing the high altitude gas until 2500-3000 feet or so. Running 87 octane when it’s the mid-grade gas is throwing your money away just as surely as running 89 octane at sea level.
I don’t have a car. When I’m driving a rental vehicle I buy whichever petrol is the cheapest.