Regular or Premium fuel? [merged]

[Eclipse_98_RS]

Hi guys, my car is an all-stock RS, but I'm going to start doing some mods to it. Right now I just use regular unleaded gas, but when should I start going up in the octane? After intake/exhaust, or beyond that? I don't want to screw up my engine but I don't want to have to shell out more cash on fuel than I do now. I know, I'm a cheap bastage.

 

[oldman]

http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211040 You mean like this? I had to take a refresher course... Like I said, illiterate. Thanks again.

Very clever indeed but it was not achieved by lengthening the actuator arm as you claimed, he did it by adding another spring working in the opposite direction to reduce the overall tension. What a great idea.

 

[higaran]

Thanks guys - it was a thought. I think for now I'll stick with premium fuel for day-to-day driving. Given the fact that I drive so much, it'll probably cost me $500 to $1000 a year extra, but it may be worth it in reducing headaches.

At the same time, I may try a few other ideas (reducing my boost) or perhaps just running the occasional tank of lower grade gas through it to see if it really has much effect.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[underradar92]

Very clever indeed but it was not achieved by lengthening the actuator arm as you claimed, he did it by adding another spring working in the opposite direction to reduce the overall tension. What a great idea.

Had to work through it, glad to help.

 

[Marc91GSX]

Just a quick thought here. Do you absolutely want to run regular fuel? If so, then you have another option that was not mentioned. You could purchase N/T 4G63 and bolt it in. You will have to purchase a custom exhaust pipe to go in the place of your factory turbo down pipe. If you are worried about the cost of this conversion, well you should be able to recoop most of the expense from the sell of your engine and ecu. Especially if you are one of the fortunate few that has a 6/4 combo.

This setup will allow you retain the use of the AWD system of your car and run a lower octane fuel.

 

[xveganxcowboyx]

At $4.50 a gallon, I don't think too many people would buy it even if it was available.

The Australian dollar is worth less than ours. $4.50 Australian would actually be less than $3.40 US.

As pointed out above, a rating of 98 octane in Australia is around 93-94 in the US. The east coast compares favorably, the rest of us, not so much.

Also, I would encourage the original poster to run 91 octane or better. Your car should run fine on 91, but any less and it will end up pulling timing and you will lose mileage. The loss in mileage will likely outweigh the cost difference between low and high octane. If you happen to be at stations that carry 90 as a mid-grade, that wouldn't be terrible. The farther you deviate from 91, the more problems it will create.

You also want to think of the safety factor. You accelerate out of danger as often as you brake out of it (probably more). It would suck to need the throttle in a life or death situation only to have the timing pulled severaly.

 

[KottonMouthTSI]

when I first bought my car, i ran 87. For like a month, and then someone told me it would create knock, so I started using 93....Im just staying at 93. If you love having your AWD, Then just pay what it takes to run it. Your still getting better gas miliage then the hummer in the ditch, Hes probably still running premium.

 

[Alibi]

I think that the poll results pretty much tell the tale.

 

[Wpgdsm]

If you're that worried about running 87 octane fuel than go to a Huskey or Mohawk station. Their regular grade is 90 octane. My car runs great on that stuff and there has to be one near Morden or Winkler somewere.

 

[Newlogics]

Thanks guys - it was a thought. I think for now I'll stick with premium fuel for day-to-day driving. Given the fact that I drive so much, it'll probably cost me $500 to $1000 a year extra, but it may be worth it in reducing headaches.

At the same time, I may try a few other ideas (reducing my boost) or perhaps just running the occasional tank of lower grade gas through it to see if it really has much effect.

Thanks for all your help!

There is a very simple way to make your car 87-ready.
Just replace turbo setup with headers and downpipe from non-turbo 2.0 1G DSM. It's a direct bolt-on. You'll just have to put a plug into oil feed line hole (plug can be sourced from N/T as well) and plug up oil pan oil return line port (or get N/T oil pan if you wish). All those parts would be dirt cheap. Just keep in mind that car will loose SIGNIFICANT amount of power, since it's running low-compression pistons, but it will be perfectly happy on 87.

 

[BLUE89TURBO]

Hey guys,

Just curious, but what does pinging sound like.

I have heard it sounds like "shuffling metal cards" but i have never heard it for myself.

Is it easily detectable?

I want to make sure i am able to detect it if i ever need too...


Thanks

 

[Jslove1408]

I drive 5 miles out of my way every time to go to Sunoco because thats the only place that carries 94 octane. I tried putting in some 92 in and I read a little knock and besides 94 is actually cheaper at sunoco than 92 at mobile (well at least in my area). I also feal that 94 just makes my car feal like its accelerating smoother.

~Josh

 

[micus]

hmm, well i just get the super plus stuff at chevron, 94 octane, it works out to be a couple cents more, but meh

 

[mightymousestd]

the only reason I use 89 at the moment is that with what little mods I have on a na engine the car will try to die everytime I push in on the clutch if I use 87 grade....by using 89 until a month or so before I get my turbo (when I'll be running 93 to reset the maps and such with a piggy pack computer) do you think when I run 93 octane with the turbo that it'll be bad???

 

[talon555]

in Rochester MI

bp- 91
speedway- 92
shell- 93
sunoco- 94

As you can see, around here there are a lot of octane choices. i just usially go with 92 octane in my 98 tsi from speedway cause its about a mile and a half from my house and for a while there i believe their rewards program was giving a few cents off per gallon. Theres a shell right across the street, but i tried putting in 93 a few times and never noticed a difference performance or mpg wise. same with 91. im not one to put my engine at risk by testing anything lower than 91 octane (except the one time i was getting gas in the middle of nowhere north of town and for some f'ing reason their midgrade was on the far right. im used to 87 on left, 89 in middle, and 91+ on right. now i double check before pumping).

 

[mightymousestd]

stupid pumps suck...

 

[KansasDSM]

has anyone ever stopped at a harley shop or any bike shop for that matter I live in dodge city kansas the stations dont sell it, but our bike shop the harley dealership and B&M Racing both sell 100 octane gas, do some looking around i am sure you will find it. havnt used used it yet but i did try out the mid grade once and i knocked like cR zy wont ever happen again atleast once i get it back together.

 

[polonez]

I remember in November 94 octane carried a sticker of $1.49 and $1.29 for crap Per Litre!

 

[95TalonTSiDude]

For me, I'm sticking Premium, I don't care if it's $2.55 a gallon here in Crystal Lake.

Either way, it's better to have the right gas that would make your car run perfectly or have a car that runs on cheap gas and run like complete crap until something breaks, then of which you would HAVE to spend lots of money to repair whatever you broke, just because you wanted to save a couple bucks at the pump.

As far as I see it, I'd rather run the right octane fuel and spend a little more to keep my car happy.

 

[eclipsegsxgirl]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isnt the reason we drive DSM's is for the performance? Look at it this way, its your car. Your car gets you to work and back. Would you expect your car to give you less than the best? Then why give your car less than the best. I spend waaaaaay more money on my car than my girlfriend. (I hope she doesnt read this)

'

hey you guys better watch it!

 

[vintagemuscle]

at the marathon up the street they sell 100 octane at the pump. i think it's leaded but no one has tried stopping me from putting it in my car even though it's illegal to run leaded gas on the street.

 

[dr1ftx3]

Today when I filled my car up, I was short on money so I only used 89 octane as opposed to the 93 i've been using for months. After about 5 minutes of driving on the full tank, I noticed that my idle dropped to a rough 500. I'm just wondering if it is because I switched the octane all of a sudden, or is something actully wrong with the car.(which would suck)

 

[brute]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's just your ECU accounting for the lower octane setting. Or maybe your car just warmed up so the idle dropped.

 

[dr1ftx3]

So 500 is ok to idle at? I usually idle at 1k

 

[TheArtist]

Your fine bro, its not your engine. If you notice a knock or odd sound/shake/vibration at that "rough" idle, then it may be your engine. But more then likely, its just your ecu adapting to the lower octane level. Don't stress it, your fine. Peace, Artist.

 

[dr1ftx3]

Phew, thanks that makes my life easier. I'm just getting ready to upgrade my turbo, so I was all nervous I'd have to drop cash for my engine or something. Thanks.