Regular gas - better preformance???
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Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 36
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From: Long Island, NY
Regular gas - better preformance???
From what I have gathered on this posting area, is that with the factory computer [which I still have- 
],running premium (93) gas - there is no improvment in preformance and you can actualy loose decrease your MPG by using it. But I have seem to found this to be wrong. I went towing last weekend, and noticed I didn't have the toruqe up the hills that I did w/ the 93. And, my average MPG according to the computer was 1 MPG less than the last time I went to the same place (went the same way-and I reset the average before I leave). Did I just misunderstand these comments? Could it be that the computer is used to running on 93(before this trip I alwaysed used premium)?
Sorry about the length of this message, just wanted to clear things up...
Thanks!!
],running premium (93) gas - there is no improvment in preformance and you can actualy loose decrease your MPG by using it. But I have seem to found this to be wrong. I went towing last weekend, and noticed I didn't have the toruqe up the hills that I did w/ the 93. And, my average MPG according to the computer was 1 MPG less than the last time I went to the same place (went the same way-and I reset the average before I leave). Did I just misunderstand these comments? Could it be that the computer is used to running on 93(before this trip I alwaysed used premium)? Sorry about the length of this message, just wanted to clear things up...
Thanks!!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: HOUSTON,TEXAS,HARRIS
Your computer has "learned" to use premium and towing with regular it probably sensed a little pinging and set the timing back a little to compensate, therefore less power and less mileage. Without a trailer you probably would not have noticed as much difference.
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98 Nascar Edition, Superchip, Airaid, Flowmaster 70 series, bedliner, in bed tool box, Profile bug deflector and window vents, Class III receiver hitch.
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98 Nascar Edition, Superchip, Airaid, Flowmaster 70 series, bedliner, in bed tool box, Profile bug deflector and window vents, Class III receiver hitch.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 1
From: Columbus, Georgia
I noticed the same thing in the 98 5.4L F-150 I had. It ran better and had more power with Premium fuel in everyday driving.
However, just the opposite in my 2000. The power and performance went down with Premium. I switched back to regular after a couple of tanks...the power and performance was back right away.
Then, I bought the Superchip..and went back to Premium (required with the chip). Extremely nice power gains!
Our engines are designed to run on regular 87 Octane fuel. Slight pinging is considered normal according to the owners manual..and it states in the 2000 owners manual p. 211 (my edition) Octane Recommendations - that it is NOT recommended to use Premium fuel as this will increase driveability problems (rough idle, starting problems,hesitation).
This info on Premium fuel use is not printed in the 98 owners manual (p. 187 Fuel recommendations).
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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Superchip, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55 rear, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, Heavy duty shocks, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, factory leather wrapped steering wheel, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99
[This message has been edited by Dustoff (edited 06-02-2000).]
However, just the opposite in my 2000. The power and performance went down with Premium. I switched back to regular after a couple of tanks...the power and performance was back right away.
Then, I bought the Superchip..and went back to Premium (required with the chip). Extremely nice power gains!
Our engines are designed to run on regular 87 Octane fuel. Slight pinging is considered normal according to the owners manual..and it states in the 2000 owners manual p. 211 (my edition) Octane Recommendations - that it is NOT recommended to use Premium fuel as this will increase driveability problems (rough idle, starting problems,hesitation).
This info on Premium fuel use is not printed in the 98 owners manual (p. 187 Fuel recommendations).
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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Superchip, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55 rear, class III towing package with heavy duty cooling package, Heavy duty shocks, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, factory leather wrapped steering wheel, Pendaliner bedliner, K&N air filter, rubberized undercoating, cabin filtration system, Bugflector II, 5W-30 Mobil 1, engine build 10/4/99
[This message has been edited by Dustoff (edited 06-02-2000).]
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi White Expo,
Nobody said this was a hard and fast set thing that always happens with every single vehicle.
Before fuel injection, whenever you used premium gas you usually got a little bit better mileage simply because of a higher BTU content, or higher energy content in other words, in the higher octane fuel. It is still possible to have this happen in some vehicles, particularly when you continue to use premium over thousands of miles. This has not been any hard fast thing that affects 100% of all vehicles by any means. It is also still possible to pick up about 1%-2% more torque when using premium gas with the factory programming when under a heavy load, Ford computers have had this ability for many years now. It's a tiny amount, and though I have experienced it directly, I can't say that I was able to feel 2% more torque in the seat of the pants, it's just too tiny a number to really be able to "feel" like that.
There are a number of these vehicles that will react with driveability issues when running premium gasoline with the factory programming, it's been well documented a number of times, but it's never been said that this is *always* going to happen to every vehicle. These vehicles use dozens upon dozens of different software revisions in their computers, and one small change can give a difference result under a given circumstance. People have reported back here with less mileage and losing as much as a full second off their 0-60 times on a number of occasions when using premium with the factory programming in a late-model F-150 and in the Expedition as well as other Fords. And then we also sometimes have others, like you, who report back that they got *better* performance and mileage, and both results are in fact possible, I know, that can be confusing, especially in some of these 99 & newer vehicles.
What we find is that these symptoms of less mileage, driveability issues, etc. generally occurs before the computer's long trim fuel curve has enough miles (at least 2000 and can be more) running on premium fuel, so that the fuel curves can make an adjustment for the different fuel formulation. This is Ford's "adaptive strategy", and is always at work. It doesn't have much total effective compensation "range", for lack of a better term, but it can be enouhg to sometimes give a positive result like you seem to have experienced.
Not all vehicles are going to react better after using premium for a lot of miles, either. Sometimes they will adapt enough to a certain gasoline formulation, and sometimes they don't, fuel supplies and different software revisions in vehicles just are nowhere near consistent enough in terms of energy formulation to make hard fast absolutes sometimes.
Given enough miles, a lot of these vehicles that previously exhibited symptoms like soggy throttle response, less power, less mileage, etc., will tend to improve certain aspects by varying amounts.
So don't think of this as something that is hard and fast with every vehicle; no Expedition ever uses the same software revisions in their computers that an F-150 does, for example. Even for the exact same in every detail vehicle, there can be dozens and dozens of different software revisions used by the manufacturer over the course of the same model year.
Another point is that certain vehicles tend to see this more than others. Passenger cars generally don't show this quite as much as "work trucks", like F-150's do. F-150's are tuned to be able to run on fuel as poor as 85 octane, as they are tuned for maximum gasoline compatibility (meaning able to use lowest octanes) across this entire continent. This tends to make them a bit more susceptible to that tendency when using premium with the factory tuning. Other Fords are not tuned quite as conservatively, and give different results, there are a lot of various factors at work here.
Your results are perfectly valid, and if you're happy with your results, by all means, carry on.
Thanks for your data, more input always helps!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
Nobody said this was a hard and fast set thing that always happens with every single vehicle.
Before fuel injection, whenever you used premium gas you usually got a little bit better mileage simply because of a higher BTU content, or higher energy content in other words, in the higher octane fuel. It is still possible to have this happen in some vehicles, particularly when you continue to use premium over thousands of miles. This has not been any hard fast thing that affects 100% of all vehicles by any means. It is also still possible to pick up about 1%-2% more torque when using premium gas with the factory programming when under a heavy load, Ford computers have had this ability for many years now. It's a tiny amount, and though I have experienced it directly, I can't say that I was able to feel 2% more torque in the seat of the pants, it's just too tiny a number to really be able to "feel" like that.
There are a number of these vehicles that will react with driveability issues when running premium gasoline with the factory programming, it's been well documented a number of times, but it's never been said that this is *always* going to happen to every vehicle. These vehicles use dozens upon dozens of different software revisions in their computers, and one small change can give a difference result under a given circumstance. People have reported back here with less mileage and losing as much as a full second off their 0-60 times on a number of occasions when using premium with the factory programming in a late-model F-150 and in the Expedition as well as other Fords. And then we also sometimes have others, like you, who report back that they got *better* performance and mileage, and both results are in fact possible, I know, that can be confusing, especially in some of these 99 & newer vehicles.
What we find is that these symptoms of less mileage, driveability issues, etc. generally occurs before the computer's long trim fuel curve has enough miles (at least 2000 and can be more) running on premium fuel, so that the fuel curves can make an adjustment for the different fuel formulation. This is Ford's "adaptive strategy", and is always at work. It doesn't have much total effective compensation "range", for lack of a better term, but it can be enouhg to sometimes give a positive result like you seem to have experienced.
Not all vehicles are going to react better after using premium for a lot of miles, either. Sometimes they will adapt enough to a certain gasoline formulation, and sometimes they don't, fuel supplies and different software revisions in vehicles just are nowhere near consistent enough in terms of energy formulation to make hard fast absolutes sometimes.
Given enough miles, a lot of these vehicles that previously exhibited symptoms like soggy throttle response, less power, less mileage, etc., will tend to improve certain aspects by varying amounts.
So don't think of this as something that is hard and fast with every vehicle; no Expedition ever uses the same software revisions in their computers that an F-150 does, for example. Even for the exact same in every detail vehicle, there can be dozens and dozens of different software revisions used by the manufacturer over the course of the same model year.
Another point is that certain vehicles tend to see this more than others. Passenger cars generally don't show this quite as much as "work trucks", like F-150's do. F-150's are tuned to be able to run on fuel as poor as 85 octane, as they are tuned for maximum gasoline compatibility (meaning able to use lowest octanes) across this entire continent. This tends to make them a bit more susceptible to that tendency when using premium with the factory tuning. Other Fords are not tuned quite as conservatively, and give different results, there are a lot of various factors at work here.
Your results are perfectly valid, and if you're happy with your results, by all means, carry on.
Thanks for your data, more input always helps!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 36
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From: Long Island, NY
Mike,Johny & dustoff...
Thank you very much for this info.
Unfortunalty since I have used Premium for so long now (over 2000 miles) for towing that I guess I'm gonna continute to use it, I think it will take too long for the computer to re-learn to use 87. Oh well - too bad I didn't join this forum before I got my truck - I guess now I'll have to pay the premium price. Anyway - Thanks agian!
Thank you very much for this info.
Unfortunalty since I have used Premium for so long now (over 2000 miles) for towing that I guess I'm gonna continute to use it, I think it will take too long for the computer to re-learn to use 87. Oh well - too bad I didn't join this forum before I got my truck - I guess now I'll have to pay the premium price
. Anyway - Thanks agian!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington, NC
White Expo: You could run out that last tank of premium, fill up w/reg then go home and disconnect the battery, turn on your head lights to drain any leftover power and then reconnect your battery. This will reset your computer to it's stock program.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, IN
Or, you could buy a Superchip and really enjoy the benefits of that premium fuel!
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Paul...
99 F-150 XLT SC Sport, 4.6L, Auto, Captain Chairs, Class III Towing Package, 3.55 LS, Sliding Rear Window, White, 4X2, CD, Soft Factory Tonneau Cover, K&N Filter, WMS Velocity Tube, Line-X Spray on Bed Liner, Gibson Side Swept Cat Back System, Superchips Flip Chip, and the Original F150online Decal...
What more is there!
ptarnuzzer@netzero.net
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Paul...
99 F-150 XLT SC Sport, 4.6L, Auto, Captain Chairs, Class III Towing Package, 3.55 LS, Sliding Rear Window, White, 4X2, CD, Soft Factory Tonneau Cover, K&N Filter, WMS Velocity Tube, Line-X Spray on Bed Liner, Gibson Side Swept Cat Back System, Superchips Flip Chip, and the Original F150online Decal...
What more is there!
ptarnuzzer@netzero.net