[elDizzle_foShizzle]

low, mid, premium fuel? anyone notice a difference? gas isn't s'posed to vary too much between stations/ companies, right? so far, been putting premium stuff in mine.

what are your thoughts and what are you putting in the tank?

 

[ewraven]

I'm just using 87 octane in mine. In my opinion, you are just wasting money by putting premium in your Cube.

If you are in the USA, by law, the three grades at any gas station are all supposed to have the exact same amount and type of detergent/additive package in them.

However, there is a thing called Top Tier Gasoline...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Tier_Detergent_Gasoline

 

[Ladybug~]

I'm also using 87 octane.

 

[GrenZeiram]

87 for me as well!

 

[JC_Cubed]

I've been using Mid-grade....what is that? 89? I have NEVER gone with more than 87, but figured I want to treat this one right! It's not like I expect higher performance or anything, but the difference between grades is really only a couple dollars in the end. With a .30 cent difference between grades you still only pay about $3.00 - $4.00 difference per fill-up. That adds up in the long run, but if I seriously looked at how much I pay for gas annually, I would be pissed off anyway! So.....I keep it simple and take it a tank at a time.

 

[Commando]

I have been using Low (87) as well. I have heard people say that it's best to use what is recomended in the manual, and that higher or lower grade gas could be bad for the car. I'm no expert though, so I don't knoe about that personally, but it makes sense to me.

 

[teacozy]

Well, my 370Z requires minimum 91, however, for the cube 87 is recommended so it is probably overkill to use 91.

 

[[email protected]]

You can actually get worse milage if you use a higher grade fuel than recommended. I actually study Chemical Engineering and this is a topic that we have discussed before. Engines are tuned to operated with a certain octane rating. This octane rating (in the most basic sense) gives an idea of the compression required by the piston before the fuel ignites. Higher grades of fuel typically require higher compression before they ignite, hence why the regular fuel is bad for high performance engines: regular fuel combusts before the piston has fully compressed. The opposite is also true: if you have a lower performance engine, higher grade fuel will not always combust at the proper time in.

The short story: THERE IS NO REASON TO PUT HIGHER GRADE FUEL IN YOUR CUBE

 

[Commando]

ahhhhh. Thanks Keychain.

 

[Capt_B]

KC is right

learn what OCTANE means

putting higher than recommended octane fuel in is a TOTAL waste of $$$$

Higher compression motors NEED higher OCTANE. These include super/turbo chanrged engines and older (70's and b4 era) engines.

If I run mid grade in my 79 Mini it bucks and backfires .... it needs "the juice". Running too LOW octane WILL cause problems (but can be 'tuned out' by things like changing the timing at an associated loss of power)

Running TOO HIGH an octane will not hurt an engine - but you will NOT get more power or higher milage. You simply burn your dollars. Learn what OCTANE is.

 

[JC_Cubed]

Hey........aren't we all here to help each other? KeychainDan made a good point about octane rating in relation to Chemical Engineering, which we can all apply. But, I do not understand what Capt_B's point is! No need to try to rub it in! The point was made and you get no credit for jumping on KeychainDan's bandwagon! Since you didn't define OCTANE, I will!

Merriam-Webster defines octane as:
oc·tane
Pronunciation:\?äk-?t?n\
Function:noun
Etymology:International Scientific Vocabulary
Date:circa 1872
1 : any of several isomeric liquid alkanes C8H18

Merriam-Webster defines octane number as:
octane number
Function:noun
Date:1931
: a number that is used to measure the antiknock properties of a liquid motor fuel (as gasoline) with a higher number indicating a smaller likelihood of knocking —called also octane rating — compare cetane number.


Merriam-Webster defines cetane number as:
cetane number
Function:noun
Date:1935
: a measure of the ignition value of a diesel fuel that represents the percentage by volume of cetane in a mixture of liquid methylnaphthalene that gives the same ignition lag as the oil being tested —called also cetane rating — compare octane number.

Now, hopefully we all learned something! I know I did.........

 

[Capt_B]

I succeeded in getting YOU to learn what OCTANE means, huh?

some day I may also tell you the other point I made > > >

 

[JC_Cubed]

Yeah, but you looked like an ass in the process!! I choose what fuel to put in my car and if I have the $$$ to burn, then I will! I got what you call "YOUR POINT" when KeyChainDan stated it the first time! Repeating someone else does not make you a genius!

 

[elDizzle_foShizzle]

whoa, CB! no need to get your panties in a bunch. points taken. again. move on.

IBTL.

 

[[email protected]]

I would like to point out that octane ratings involve a LARGE number of unknowns and do not simply tell you how much octane is in the gas. In fact, 87-rated gasoline here in Florida is probably not the mix that you would find in 87-ratedgasolinein Ohio or Oregon. While the dictionary does give a good idea of what the octane rating tells you, it is primarily an overall idea of the "quality" of the gasoline.

 

[Rubiks]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong here, but I believe octane is a rating of the stability of the gasoline. The higher the octane the more stable the gasoline. The point is for the spark plug to ignite the gasoline and not the compression of the cylinder, this would be why high compression engines would require the higher octane gasoline. Either way even if you use the higher octane gasoline in a lower compression engine it will still result in a more efficient cleaner engine due to fewer misfires in the cylinder. But I am cheap so I use the 87.

 

[[email protected]]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong here, but I believe octane is a rating of the stability of the gasoline. The higher the octane the more stable the gasoline. The point is for the spark plug to ignite the gasoline and not the compression of the cylinder, this would be why high compression engines would require the higher octane gasoline. Either way even if you use the higher octane gasoline in a lower compression engine it will still result in a more efficient cleaner engine due to fewer misfires in the cylinder. But I am cheap so I use the 87.

While you are correct that the higher octane will probably not do any permanent damage to the engine, it will NOT provide a greater efficiency than the lower octane (this is for the cube mind you). You are essentially paying more money for the same milage unless you have a high performance engine.

 

[Hip2BSquare]

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

I figured we can discuss this too, since there's no correct answer to either question.

Some people feel using higher Octane is a waste of $$, others swear by the results whether that be performance, MPG, or longevity of the engine. Let's try to voice our opinions without trying to make others feel stupid.

I think you should use what is recommended by the manufacturer, others will disagree. I also feel that if your car comes with an oil life readout you can follow it without damaging your engine. Others ignore it and change the oil every 3,000 miles. Whatever.

Ok I'm done.

 

[[email protected]]

I figured we can discuss this too, since there's no correct answer to either question.

You may not believe me, but the fact of the matter is this is the kind of thing I will be doing for a living. Go ask an auto repair man this question, and chances are he'll give you the same answer.

Higher octane fuel is no cleaner or better for your engine than the lower octane variety that is recommended. All octanes contain the same chemicals that sludge up you engine. It will not increase your engine longevity; in fact, high performance engines that I've seen tend to have a shorter lifespan than the more ordinary engine (hence why you see more clunker cars around than old sports cars).

You car's MPG would only be affected if the engine valves recognized you were using a higher grade fuel and, therefore, injected less fuel into the piston each time. While I believe you can have a car computer optimize the engine performance (by asking you dealer to modify the computer settings), the car itself cannot tell the difference between the two fuel grades and will not magically optimize itself for a higher octane fuel.

Finally, as I explained before, the car performance will not improve simply by putting a higher grade fuel in it.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel stupid by the way.

 

[anomoly40]

Don't forget, water is a octane booster.

Don't waste money, get the cheapest gasoline your car will run. With today's gasolines, detergents, and additives, you shouldn't have to worry too much about excess carbon with cheaper gasoline.

In my opinion, mid-grade gasoline is a waste. Sports cars/bikes require 91, other cars require 87, who really needs 89?