Do I really need premium?
Moderator: volvite
Do I really need premium?
According to my handbook, Nissan recomends that I use premium fuel only. Now that my weekly gas budget has hit the high notes I was wondering if I could go to regular. Or at least until this gas issue eases off.
06 LE V6 here....I have NEVER used premium. Only 87 octane. In general, you can run a lesser grade fuel in any vehicle but you will either lose performance due to the ecu retarding the timing to prevent detonation and pinging (whether or not it is noticeable depends on the vehicle) and/or you must change your driving style and keep your foot out of the go pedal to keep the rpm's down to manually reduce the risk of detonation and pinging.
Worst case is research the benefits of those bottles of octane booster then pick one up before your next fill up. Run your premium down as far as you can go then top it off with regular. If you notice any pinging, detonation or excessive loss of power just pour in the octane booster and give it a few mins to work it's way through. Then fill up with Premium when you can.
Worst case is research the benefits of those bottles of octane booster then pick one up before your next fill up. Run your premium down as far as you can go then top it off with regular. If you notice any pinging, detonation or excessive loss of power just pour in the octane booster and give it a few mins to work it's way through. Then fill up with Premium when you can.
-
SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
I've debated the wisdom of this octane booster scenario for years. A bottle of that stuff costs $5 for STP, $9 for Lucas, and $11 for NOS, all at my local AutoZone. At 20-cents per gallon price difference between premium and regular, a 20-gallon fillup with premium costs four dollars more than a fillup with regular. Why bother with octane booster? Am I missing something?
I used premium religously until it hit $3.40 /gal. I then switched to regular with no performance issue. Granted I don't tow, off-road, or anything else worthy of note. Hell, I barely get to the liquor store once a week. Considering the extent to which I under-utilize my truck's capabilities, I may as well be a soccer-mom with a lump in her pants.
I used premium religously until it hit $3.40 /gal. I then switched to regular with no performance issue. Granted I don't tow, off-road, or anything else worthy of note. Hell, I barely get to the liquor store once a week. Considering the extent to which I under-utilize my truck's capabilities, I may as well be a soccer-mom with a lump in her pants.
Last edited by SilverGhost on Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I agree, there is no intelligence in utilizing a $4 pint of something when a full tank of Premium will be the same price. I only brought it up as a stand-by for testing 87 octane.SilverGhost wrote:Why bother with octane booster? Am I missing something?
If someone was to fill their tank with 87 and it legitimately ran poorly then the person would have essentially 2 choices, drain the fuel tank (either losing that $ or attempting to make use of it in other combustion engines) or toss in a bottle of the booster and run it down until you can add premium.
-
SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
Point well taken.blink32 wrote:If someone was to fill their tank with 87 and it legitimately ran poorly then the person would have essentially 2 choices, drain the fuel tank (either losing that $ or attempting to make use of it in other combustion engines) or toss in a bottle of the booster and run it down until you can add premium.SilverGhost wrote:Why bother with octane booster? Am I missing something?
-
SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
Difference is, you, NVS, understand, and use, your truck to the best of it's capabilities. AND, you're not driving a minivan. I intended no offense toward anyone. Only commenting on my personal under-utilization of the PF's abilities. That's a self-deprecation personality flaw that I readily admit to and live with.NVSteve wrote:SilverGhost wrote:I may as well be a soccer-mom with a lump in her pants.
"Soccer mom" gets tossed around quite a bit in this day and age, especially when speaking of the evil SUV. I play soccer for 3 different teams & I drive a SUV. What does that make me? Always wondered about that.
Absolutely none taken, at least by me. Who knows how many closet soccer moms we have on this forum thoughSilverGhost wrote:I intended no offense toward anyone.
It's more of a comical expression to me than anything else. I only started hearing it in use when I moved to Utah, but it isn't used as much as many other local, highly derogatory, expressions here-all of which have something to do with a particular religion.
I'm just surprised it isn't baseball mom, basketball mom or football mom.
-
SilverGhost
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:23 am
- Location: Houston, TX
Ignoring the fact that I'm a South TX guy for nearly 24 years, I have substantial personal experience with your present environment and, consequently, firm personal opinions on the matter. You have my sincere respect and empathy.NVSteve wrote:all of which have something to do with a particular religion.
Let me just put it this way. Friends (and my gfs parents) know to ring the doorbell a certain way to show that it isn't some solicitor. Had I known the other night that a Jehovas Witness had stopped by (left a pamphlet on the doorknob), I would have gladly invited them in to break up the "other" belief I am constantly faced with 24/7.SilverGhost wrote:Ignoring the fact that I'm a South TX guy for nearly 24 years, I have substantial personal experience with your present environment and, consequently, firm personal opinions on the matter. You have my sincere respect and empathy.NVSteve wrote:all of which have something to do with a particular religion.
I'm not saying anything is bad or wrong, only that it isn't for me & is just overly annoying.
You know. I was wondering if people were berated with that belief as much as I would think they would be. I guess you are affirming that in a way. I remember not too long ago reading about some massive compound being built in TX.NVSteve wrote:... to break up the "other" belief I am constantly faced with 24/7
Maybe we should move this to "chit chat". lol
Welcome to the forum PathMaker. I've used 87 octane regular grade fuel in this area at about 4000ft and usually 25% or more humidity, since the truck was new and have never heard any pinging and always have lots of hill and passing power but I don't haul trailers or excessive weight.
A few things that can affect fuel choice though are altitude, ambient temperature and humidity. Folks living in mountainous regions or in areas of high humidity can often use lower octane than 87 without knocking problems as the MAF sensor in the mountains reads thinner air so cuts back on the amount of fuel. Colorado and some midwestern states offer 85 octane fuel. In high humidity areas drivers benefit as water vapor is a natural anti-knock agent. If I was planning on driving in dry areas at close to sea level during cold weather conditions I would probably be using 91 octane fuel though.
.
A few things that can affect fuel choice though are altitude, ambient temperature and humidity. Folks living in mountainous regions or in areas of high humidity can often use lower octane than 87 without knocking problems as the MAF sensor in the mountains reads thinner air so cuts back on the amount of fuel. Colorado and some midwestern states offer 85 octane fuel. In high humidity areas drivers benefit as water vapor is a natural anti-knock agent. If I was planning on driving in dry areas at close to sea level during cold weather conditions I would probably be using 91 octane fuel though.
.
Find Your Forum!