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Do I really need premium?

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:52 pm
by PathMaker
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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:10 pm
by BMXPath
Nissan recommends it for "optimum performance".
In other words, if you are towing alot, or drag racing (like I do :wink: ), you may need premium.
I havent had any issues using lower octane fuel. No pinging.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:11 pm
by blink32
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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:47 pm
by phantom2
I agree with everyone else...premium fuel definitely not needed

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:48 pm
by SilverGhost
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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:58 pm
by 08Datsun
I've used 87 since new. We just took our tent trailer on a trip for the first time and heard just a bit of ping, so I may use 91 when towing in the future. Unlike my Maxima with a VQ30, it seems very content with 87.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:17 pm
by blink32
SilverGhost wrote:Why bother with octane booster? Am I missing something?
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.

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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:24 pm
by SilverGhost
blink32 wrote:
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.
Point well taken.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:26 pm
by NVSteve
SilverGhost wrote:I may as well be a soccer-mom with a lump in her pants.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

"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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:11 pm
by SilverGhost
NVSteve wrote:
SilverGhost wrote:I may as well be a soccer-mom with a lump in her pants.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

"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.
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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:34 pm
by NVSteve
SilverGhost wrote:I intended no offense toward anyone.
Absolutely none taken, at least by me. Who knows how many closet soccer moms we have on this forum though :wink:

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.

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:05 pm
by SilverGhost
NVSteve wrote:all of which have something to do with a particular religion.
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. :wink:

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:49 pm
by NVSteve
SilverGhost wrote:
NVSteve wrote:all of which have something to do with a particular religion.
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. :wink:
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.

I'm not saying anything is bad or wrong, only that it isn't for me & is just overly annoying.

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:01 am
by blink32
NVSteve wrote:... to break up the "other" belief I am constantly faced with 24/7
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.

Maybe we should move this to "chit chat". lol

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:54 pm
by Gray
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.

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