Gas: Plus is much more than Regular but only slightly less than Premium?

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Fanatical Meat

Fanatical Meat

Lifer
Feb 4, 2009
35,862
17,402
136
*Warning I haven't read the whole thread.

Just use whatever octane your car manual says should be used. Higher octane gas does nothing in just about any car made after 1990.
I did once own a 76 Buick Regal that needed high octane gas to stop knocking (yes I changed the spark plugs & I think I did the wires too) however that was a carburetor car not fuel injected like all cars are today.

Above about Diesel you are correct you can't accidentally do it. I believe the nozzle is bigger too so it just won't fit in a non diesel car.
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,337
32,883
136
JEDI said:
you cant accidently use diesel.
it has it's own handle/nozzle (green). so even if you accidently hit the diesel button, nothing happens since you have the gas nozzle (red) in your hand.
Click to expand...
The diesel nozzle is larger in diameter as well so that it won't fit a gasoline fill neck.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,414
9,934
126
Fanatical Meat said:
I did once own a 76 Buick Regal that needed high octane gas to stop knocking (yes I changed the spark plugs & I think I did the wires too) however that was a carburetor car not fuel injected like all cars are today.
Click to expand...
A little late I guess, but you should have checked the timing advance.

My truck recommends 91, but says 87 will work. I tried premium, and it didn't make a bit of difference. Maybe if I was towing in the mountains, but my usual load doesn't care what I use.
 
zerocool84

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Fanatical Meat said:
*Warning I haven't read the whole thread.

Just use whatever octane your car manual says should be used. Higher octane gas does nothing in just about any car made after 1990.
I did once own a 76 Buick Regal that needed high octane gas to stop knocking (yes I changed the spark plugs & I think I did the wires too) however that was a carburetor car not fuel injected like all cars are today.

Above about Diesel you are correct you can't accidentally do it. I believe the nozzle is bigger too so it just won't fit in a non diesel car.
Click to expand...
Not true to a certain degree. At my company, a newer driver put in diesel in one of your regular gas trucks. If there's a will, there's a way.
 
mxnerd

mxnerd

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2007
6,799
1,103
126
Pump half tank of regular & half tank of premium and you get a tank of plus gasoline that's fairly charged.
 
Fanatical Meat

Fanatical Meat

Lifer
Feb 4, 2009
35,862
17,402
136
lxskllr said:
A little late I guess, but you should have checked the timing advance.

My truck recommends 91, but says 87 will work. I tried premium, and it didn't make a bit of difference. Maybe if I was towing in the mountains, but my usual load doesn't care what I use.
Click to expand...

I'll confess a long time ago I had a honda nighthawk that I did some late night street racing with. Occasionally I'd go to a station that sold "racing fuel" that was super high octane, I can't remember the number but it was ridiculous. I'd put 2 gallons of it in before screwing around at night and I'll admit it felt smoother accelerating and felt faster. I doubt it made any real difference but two gallons who cares if it's twice the price.
 
Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,166
13,572
126
www.anyf.ca
From what I've heard when you go with premium you get a bit more energy out of it, so a tank will last you a bit longer. Whether or not that makes enough of a difference to justify it is another story though.

I always just put regular myself. I fill up maybe every 2-3 weeks give or take at about $50-$60 per tank so yeah gas prices are much higher than they were pre 9/11 but in the grand scheme of things it's not the cost that breaks the bank on it's own. It's just a piss off knowing that gas prices are just a huge political game and someone is getting rich off of that.
 
zerocool84

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Red Squirrel said:
From what I've heard when you go with premium you get a bit more energy out of it, so a tank will last you a bit longer. Whether or not that makes enough of a difference to justify it is another story though.

I always just put regular myself. I fill up maybe every 2-3 weeks give or take at about $50-$60 per tank so yeah gas prices are much higher than they were pre 9/11 but in the grand scheme of things it's not the cost that breaks the bank on it's own. It's just a piss off knowing that gas prices are just a huge political game and someone is getting rich off of that.
Click to expand...
Your car has to specifically be able to utilize it so putting higher grade gas in a car that's not designed for it literally does nothing other than make your wallet lighter.
 
Meghan54

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,225
136
Octane won't make any difference in a vehicle that can't use it, unless it can. For instance, Honda only requires regular for their Ridgeline, but then in the owner's manual recommends using premium if you're going to tow.

The only difference I've ever noticed with gas is the difference between using el cheapo gas all the time vs. using only a name brand gas, or a top tier gas. Not such a difference that you'd notice in a tankful, but given time, there's a difference.
 
JEDI

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
mxnerd said:
Pump half tank of regular & half tank of premium and you get a tank of plus gasoline that's fairly charged.
Click to expand...
genius!
but im thinking most people are sheep and won't even comprehend that possibility.

otherwise, gas stations would have done away with 89octane already
 
NutBucket

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,127
616
126
Must be a regional thing. In SoCal it's typically $0.10 between regular-mid and mid-premium.
 
John Connor

John Connor

Lifer
Nov 30, 2012
22,757
618
121
Imagine if all vehicles just used natural gas hybrids? They can do it, but the oil tycoons are making too much money.
 
pcgeek11

pcgeek11

Lifer
Jun 12, 2005
22,225
4,932
136
JEDI said:
you cant accidently use diesel.
it has it's own handle/nozzle (green). so even if you accidently hit the diesel button, nothing happens since you have the gas nozzle (red) in your hand.
Click to expand...

The diesel nozzle should be larger and not fit into a gasoline fill neck.
 
Carson Dyle

Carson Dyle

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2012
8,173
524
126
Where I am in Colorado, for years it was a flat 20 cents between each of the three grades. If you saw a sign advertising regular for $2.49, then 91 octane was almost sure to be $2.89. I've noticed that doesn't hold quite as true these days. The difference seems to be a bit more now.

This is a nice app for finding the best gas prices if you're not on E and looking for the nearest station. It's surprising how much difference there can be in local prices.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/
 
Last edited:
F

FirNaTine

Senior member
Jun 6, 2005
639
185
116
zerocool84 said:
...

I just don't understand why people buy a cat that needs a certain octane and put cheaper gas when the price difference is literally cents on the dollar. Plus if your car recommends premium, its probably a more expensive car anyways.
Click to expand...


Where does your cat list it's recommended fuel grade? We rescued ours, and didn't get the original paperwork.
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,337
32,883
136
FirNaTine said:
Where does your cat list it's recommended fuel grade? We rescued ours, and didn't get the original paperwork.
Click to expand...
Cats run on premium, period. Whatever it is, if it isn't the most expensive option, the cat will drop dead.
 
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