What are the benefits of running a higher octane gas in your every day driver. My dad swears when he puts a better gas in his truck it runs better. But when I put it in my truck I don't notice any at all. Guess I should put out we have the same truck other than him having chrome bumpers and power locks and windows. I think that it's in his head. I know in my four wheeler I would run a higher octane but thats just because it would ping a little when I ran it on regular gas.

 

If you have a stock F-150 then the added octane will not do anything. If you have done custom tuning for the higher octane than you can take advantage of it.

 

All the reports that I have read concur---if you have a stock engine, you are wasting your $$ if you purchase higher octane gas.

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If you are tuned for it than it's worth it. If not, you're wasting your money and actually making things worse .. If you're not getting any knock than there's no point.

 

Performance wise, yes stock truck will get about the same performance outta the lower octane due to a number of things including retarded spark (and advanced). Might see some better MPG's out of it as well. higher octane, more energy available in the fuel (in a nut shell)

But, higher octane fuel is usually treated better, with a better formula mixed in. This can result in a cleaner combustion chamber and valves.

All in all, its better for your engine, so why not ? At least run some mid grade stuff. Also, don't use some off brand, cheap-o gas station. There gas has usually sat for a long period, and most mix ina run-of-the-mill type mix. Nothing special.

my 2 cents

 

I've seen quite a few vehicles get worse power numbers with 93 octane vs 87 octane when it's tuned for 87 octane.

If it's tuned otherwise you'll have unburnt fuel.

 

Not trying to start a big ole debate with you thump,

but tuned vs un-tuned isn't a good comparison. i have NEVER seen a truck run lower numbers with higher octane with stock/factory tunes. Period.

I work on cars/truck for a living. I am digging inside them all day long. Trust me, internally you can tell if someone finds the cheapest station vs. running a premium fuel from a reputable station.

Unburnt fuel isn't going to be caused by higher octane.
Maybe ya meant un-used energy ?

Still, the premium fuels have a better cleaning agent, a better all around mix, less water, etc etc etc.

 

Higher octane fuel DOES NOT have more power just because it's high octane rating.

Fuels formulated with more carbon-to-carbon bonds produce more energy than fuels formulated with carbon-to-hydrogen bonds. This has no relation to octane rating.

It is possible to have a high octane fuel with a low ratio of the high energy carbon-to-carbon bonds.

Your truck's stock, un-tuned engine, will not see any performance increases simply because you decide to use a high octane fuel. You may however see an improvement if you use a quality blended fuel that is high in carbon-to-carbon bonds.

 

Well said.

Generally a higher octane fuel, from a reputable station such as 76 or Chevron, will have an all around better blend and higher Btu rating then the lower octane, less beneficial blend.

The biggest gain from higher octane, quality fuel on an un-tuned engine would simple be its cleaner. burns cleaner and leaves less little deposits.

 

Octane is a resistance to detonation/spark....unless your knocking with 87 octane (which you shouldnt be, your truck was designed to run on that gas) then its not worth the money to step up to 91 or 93.

Use a quality brand 87 octane gas and your fine.


Ive never heard of companies using a better solution in their premium gas as Mercedes Tech said, but then again Im no gas expert either. I can see the better companies maybe doing somthing like this though, but I wouldnt expect it to much from cheap gas.

 

Right.
Octane simply keeps the fuel from ingnirhting to soon. No other gains what so ever. If you find a difference you should be running higher octane all the time because of pre-detonation.

 

On a side note, don't most power chips increase power by having you run premium, instead of regular, so the timing can be advanced?

 

It depends on what kind of chip you get.

The one that you put on the IAT simply tells the engine the air is cool and dense.

I think your right about the module chip.

 

Yes... but the gains are small.

The most gains come from upping the rev limit.


No, there is no performance advantage to running a higher octane fuel as compared to an 87 octane fuel.

If you want to talk MPG... E85 is roughly 105 octane and you get crap MPGs.

 

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