What type of gasoline do you use? The vehicles at my house all recommend 87 octane (regular). My dad (worked as a mechanic and does mechanical work on my family's vehicles) likes to use 89 octane (middle-grade) because of additives that improve engine performance. He sometimes uses 91 octane (premium).
Lately, I've been alternating between regular and middle grade because regular costs less. From December 2012 to the end of January 2013, there was at least a $0.20 price difference between regular and middle grade in Pennsylvania. If my Ford Explorer's fuel tank is 1/4, I have to spend at least $50 to fill it. My dad will use regular once in a while, but he prefers middle-grade. I have not noticed any difference in engine performance using regular or middle grade.
Types of gasoline
87 octane: regular
89 octane: middle-grade
91 octane: premium
93 octane: ultra-premium
I don't normally use gasoline.
But I do buy Diesel fuel. Taxable. 40 cetane.
There's a Quik Trip about 3/4 of a mile from my pad that sells E0 (ethanol free) gas. I can't remember if it's 87 or 89 octane. It's about 12 cents more a gallon than the E10 but my car runs better on it and it gets better mileage.
Why don't you just make a thread and call it "My questions" then you can ask them all in one space instead of making 10 new threads...
BigMatt
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on February 17, 2013, 08:19:01 PM
Why don't you just make a thread and call it "My questions" then you can ask them all in one space instead of making 10 new threads...
BigMatt
Because I don't come up with all the questions at once. If I kept reediting one thread, it would confuse people who replied before the edits were applied. I believe it's also easier to have one thread per topic than several topics in one thread.
Two of our cars call for premium, so we use 93 octane in them (91 is not normally sold here except at Sunoco). The third car gets 87. I used 87 in one of the other cars once only, in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, because the only station in town sold only 87 and diesel. I put in $10 worth to get us to Sydney so I could refuel with the correct stuff.
I use 87 most of the time.
In Montana the typical breakdown is 85.5/88/90+, and then in Wyoming it was 85/87/90+, as you theoretically can run one octane grade lower at high elevation. Colorado, Utah, and parts of Idaho also sell 85 as the default base grade.
I don't find my car runs as well with anything less than 86 no matter what the elevation (which I've seen in eastern Idaho and New Mexico), so I buy 88 in Montana now since I can't get 87.
I usually buy E10, but I've been driving in Canada the last couple days where gas is 0% ethanol, and I've been getting 2-3 MPG better, so I might start seeking E0 out more.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on February 17, 2013, 08:19:01 PM
Why don't you just make a thread and call it "My questions" then you can ask them all in one space instead of making 10 new threads...
BigMatt
That's just mean, man! These are all great questions!
Ditto Stalin. Each quik trip does everything great, from banana bread to gas! :rofl:
My car requires premium. The owners manual says if premium is not available, put in no more than half a tank of regular and drive slowly (<50mph) to the nearest gas station that offers premium and fill it up the rest of the way. There's also a big "premium fuel only" placard on the inside of the fuel door.
I always use whichever grade is cheapest, so it's usually 87 or 89 octane in my van. I've never noticed enough difference in engine performance or mileage to make it worth spending the extra money on premium. Everything I've read says that premium is a waste of money, unless your owner's manual specifically calls for it.
My wife's van is capable of running on E85, but the few times I've used E85 in it, I did notice a big drop in mileage, so even tough it's typically 20-30 cents cheaper than regular, I don't put E85 in. There is a station nearby that is run by an ethanol producer, and they sell regular (E10), E25, and E85. We will put the E25 in if we are in that town, as it is usally 10-15 cents cheaper than regular, and I don't notice as big of a srop-off is mileage as with E85. I find the E25 to be like a compromise between the higher price of regular and the lower mileage of E85.
Mid-grade in Iowa and surrounding counties, regular elsewhere.
93 in both cars due to age.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on February 17, 2013, 08:19:01 PM
Why don't you just make a thread and call it "My questions" then you can ask them all in one space instead of making 10 new threads...
BigMatt
This.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on February 17, 2013, 08:19:01 PM
Why don't you just make a thread and call it "My questions" then you can ask them all in one space instead of making 10 new threads...
You make dumb threads too, sheephater.
Anyway, I use the kind with no vaseline.
Quote from: SSOWorld on February 17, 2013, 10:18:20 PM
Mid-grade in Iowa and surrounding counties, regular elsewhere.
Same here. I've never owned a car that didn't call for Regular, so that's what I put in the tank. But, in Iowa, the mid-grade with ethanol is cheaper, so I put that in when I fill up in Iowa. In México, I get Magna.
Regular 87, mostly because I'm cheap, and gas is very expensive where I live.
Quote from: Stalin on February 17, 2013, 08:12:01 PM
There's a Quik Trip about 3/4 of a mile from my pad that sells E0 (ethanol free) gas. I can't remember if it's 87 or 89 octane. It's about 12 cents more a gallon than the E10 but my car runs better on it and it gets better mileage.
I haven't seen a place with E0, but would sure be delighted if I did! I live near the IL/WI border and usually gas up in WI because it's 20 cents cheaper. That said, it's E10 everywhere here. And there are many stations offering E85, though none of my vehicles have the flexfuel capability.
On this note, I have one vehicle that requires premium. Aside from Speedway, every other brand has recently priced premium at
40 cents higher per gallon than regular. Speedway is still 20 cents.
I hope that this is just a short-term regional thing and not a trend because it is absurd.
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on February 18, 2013, 03:37:25 PMevery other brand has recently priced premium at 40 cents higher per gallon than regular.
I think that probably makes sense, given that the "10 cents between grades" principle has been around since gas was under $2! I remember 1.43/1.53/1.63, for example, at my corner gas station in 2003.
so now that the gas price has doubled, the difference in price between grades should probably double too.
I've used the cheapest grade in all the rental cars I've driven in North America. If they require premium than any damage to the engine won't manifest itself until well after I've returned the vehicle :-D
I use regular (87) exclusively, since I don't have a car that requires anything higher. Strictly speaking, the only reason to buy anything higher is if your engine is knocking at the lower octane ratings. If it is, it's because your fuel is igniting prematurely due to compression, before the proper time when the spark plug is supposed to set it off. Higher octane ratings increase the amount of compression the fuel can reach before self-igniting, thereby increasing the likelihood that the spark will do the job before that threshold is reached.
Elevation can make a difference, since atmospheric pressure is lower at higher altitudes. If my logic is correct, this means you can use a lower octane at high elevations than your engine might normally require. I suppose this also explains why it's often in the mountainous western states where you tend to find lower ratings like 85 or 86.
It also wouldn't be surprising if fuel companies were putting additives into their higher grade fuels, to boost sales from drivers who don't otherwise need those grades. But in general, terms like "premium" and "ultra" are misleading as they apply to different octane numbers, since there's no more difference in quality than there is between a pair of jeans that's in your size and a pair that isn't.
If you do prefer higher grades because of additives, then it probably makes sense to get the highest grade, since the mid-grade fuels are often simply a mix of the highest and lowest ones sent to the same nozzle, so whatever additives there are would be diluted. You may also be able to buy the additives separately and save money, depending where gas prices are. But as several here have pointed out, if you see no difference in performance, go with the cheaper option.
Quote from: ilvny on February 17, 2013, 06:48:17 PMTypes of gasoline
87 octane: regular
89 octane: middle-grade
91 octane: premium
93 octane: ultra-premium
How about 95 octane and 98 octane? :sombrero:. Well, actually the 95 octane gasoline from here is like the U.S. 91 octane and the 98 octane is like the 93 octane one. The 92 octane gasoline, which was equivalent to 87 octane one, hasn't been sold for decades.
Oh, and I use the premium gasoline. As I said, we only have premium and ultra-premium.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on February 18, 2013, 05:21:50 PM
How about 95 octane and 98 octane? :sombrero:. Well, actually the 95 octane gasoline from here is like the U.S. 91 octane and the 98 octane is like the 93 octane one. The 92 octane gasoline, which was equivalent to 87 octane one, hasn't been sold for decades.
Gas in Europe is the same octane-wise as gas in the US, it's just that the method for calculating it is different, which means the numbers are slightly different.
My car takes regular (87), so that's what I put in it.
A friend of mine has a Smart Car. The supposed benefit of it is that it's good on gas. And it is... but it requires premium (93), which basically negates the savings.
I saw a Smart car pulling a small enclosed trailer last night. My friend and I laughed for a good 5 minutes. I mean what's the point? Just buy a real car with a trunk.
Quote from: Stalin on February 18, 2013, 09:01:44 PM
I saw a Smart car pulling a small enclosed trailer last night. My friend and I laughed for a good 5 minutes. I mean what's the point? Just buy a real car with a trunk.
If your neighborhood had parking like mine does, you'd see the point. :-)
Quote from: Duke87 on February 18, 2013, 08:53:24 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on February 18, 2013, 05:21:50 PM
How about 95 octane and 98 octane? :sombrero:. Well, actually the 95 octane gasoline from here is like the U.S. 91 octane and the 98 octane is like the 93 octane one. The 92 octane gasoline, which was equivalent to 87 octane one, hasn't been sold for decades.
Gas in Europe is the same octane-wise as gas in the US, it's just that the method for calculating it is different, which means the numbers are slightly different.
My car takes regular (87), so that's what I put in it.
A friend of mine has a Smart Car. The supposed benefit of it is that it's good on gas. And it is... but it requires premium (93), which basically negates the savings.
Does it negate the savings? A 10 gallon fill up of premium vs regular is $4, assuming premium costs 40c more than regular. A high MPG car easily can make up that cost difference. Of course Smart cars get mid-30s in gas mileage which isn't really that great for a supposedly efficient car...
Quote from: realjd on February 18, 2013, 10:59:05 PM
Does it negate the savings? A 10 gallon fill up of premium vs regular is $4, assuming premium costs 40c more than regular. A high MPG car easily can make up that cost difference. Of course Smart cars get mid-30s in gas mileage which isn't really that great for a supposedly efficient car...
The gas costs 10% more and the savings on fuel economy over a normal car is 10-15%. You really don't save much on gas.
You do, however, save a bit of money up front as the Smart Car has a lower MSRP.
And, practically speaking, the smaller size makes it easier to work with in an urban setting. You see plenty of Smart Cars around NYC. Not so much out in the suburbs.
It's interesting, though. My friend and I for work drive all over the city in this car, including into "the hood". Often in said hood people will get curious/excited to see it and we have been asked on multiple occasions by random passerby "ooh, is that an electric car!?" It's not in our case, although there is an electric version available.
I've always wondered what went so wrong with the design of the Smart Car that it only gets ~36mpg despite it weighing half as much as, say, a Ford Focus, which gets about 34.
there is something awry with the physics of the situation. even accounting for the fact that the drivers of each car can be assumed to weigh the same (add about a 600 pound occupant load to each) - the math just ain't coming out right at all.
...One "small" problem with a Smart --- this was in N'awlins
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wgZbQhozofU/USO-WZ3TW3I/AAAAAAAACCg/711nBl9g2pc/w463-h325-o-k/Smart%2Bcar.jpg
Quote from: djsinco on February 19, 2013, 01:06:59 PM
...One "small" problem with a Smart --- this was in N'awlins
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wgZbQhozofU/USO-WZ3TW3I/AAAAAAAACCg/711nBl9g2pc/w463-h325-o-k/Smart%2Bcar.jpg
turns out that was a Ford Escape. a fairly substantial vehicle, but no dump truck.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/smallcar.asp
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 19, 2013, 01:13:12 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 19, 2013, 01:06:59 PM
...One "small" problem with a Smart --- this was in N'awlins
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wgZbQhozofU/USO-WZ3TW3I/AAAAAAAACCg/711nBl9g2pc/w463-h325-o-k/Smart%2Bcar.jpg
turns out that was a Ford Escape. a fairly substantial vehicle, but no dump truck.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/smallcar.asp
You mean I got bad information on the INTERNET? My faith in humankind is now diminished.
Thanks for pointing out the error. However, I would add that if that had been a Smart, there might be none of it visible!
My car drives on diesel fuel. These are pure economic reasons, diesel is cheaper than gasoline in Europe and it gets better mileage. I usually get about 45 - 50 miles per gallon. Diesel costs $ 7.50 per gallon in the Netherlands, which is less than regular gasoline, which costs $ 9.40 per gallon.
Diesel fuel is not popular in the Netherlands though, because diesel cars are more expensive to purchase and own due to high taxes. It only pays off if you drive a lot, or circumvent some of the taxes by driving a commercial car-based van, like I do. However some countries have a car fleet that consists 80 - 90% of diesel cars.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 19, 2013, 01:13:12 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 19, 2013, 01:06:59 PM
...One "small" problem with a Smart --- this was in N'awlins
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wgZbQhozofU/USO-WZ3TW3I/AAAAAAAACCg/711nBl9g2pc/w463-h325-o-k/Smart%2Bcar.jpg
turns out that was a Ford Escape. a fairly substantial vehicle, but no dump truck.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/smallcar.asp
Further, it appears ironic that the vehicle was a Ford "Escape," because I would bet there was no escape from that one...
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 19, 2013, 12:15:13 PM
I've always wondered what went so wrong with the design of the Smart Car that it only gets ~36mpg despite it weighing half as much as, say, a Ford Focus, which gets about 34.
The European versions of cars are always more fuel efficient than there American counterparts, and the Smart Car is no exception - the European version gets anywhere from 54 to 69 MPG (different sources disagree).
The problem is that US safety and emissions standards are stricter than those in Europe, and the extra equipment required to meet them takes a nice bite out of fuel economy both by making the car heavier and by forcing the engine to operate unoptimally.
so what's the Focus doing so right, then?
I run regular, no need to run higher octane as my car engine is not a hi-compression model. (2010 Mazda 3) Louisiana is pretty flat, so no hill/mountain issues. Fuel economy averages 25-27 in everyday driving.
Lexus specifies premium fuel only, but I have used regular (85 in Colorado) since day one with no pinging or other noticeable issues. My service adviser says that the altitude combined with the fuel/air computer system compensate for the lower octane (and MTBE additive in the colder weather months) with no concern about engine damage.