Who decides which area of the country gets higher octane?
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Cave Creek, AZ
Arizona, California and Colorado all have 91 octane at the regular pumps...and in Colorado 'standard' octane is 85!, whereas both Arizona and California go to 87 on the low side. Talk about some shyte!!!
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Joined: May 2002
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From: The People's Republic of Los Angeles
Originally posted by St Louis Lightning
Easy to blame "treehuggers", but did you ever see L.A.'s air quality in the early 80's. The reality is some area's of California need these measures.
-Mark
Easy to blame "treehuggers", but did you ever see L.A.'s air quality in the early 80's. The reality is some area's of California need these measures.
-Mark
But I still don't see the relationship between octane and pollution.
Member
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Bay Area CA
I am not sure who regulates which states carry which octane, but below is one way to boost your own octane. I do not know how good this is for your truck or the legality of it either, just passing the information on. You will want to do a thorough investigation on this before proceeding.
By adding toluene to your gas you can boost its octane? For example, 1gal of toluene {114 octane} to 14.6 gals of {92 octane} brings it to 93.4 octane. {14.6* 92}+{1* 114}/ 15.6 = 93.4 octane. Add one cap full of Marvel Mystery Oil to every 1 gal of toluene for lubrication.
Below is some additional information I found on the net. This information is quoted from its source.
“Toluene is a pure hydrocarbon (C7H8). i.e. it contains only hydrogen and carbon atoms. It belongs to a particular category of hydrocarbons called aromatic hydrocarbons. Complete combustion of toluene yields CO2 and H2O. This fact ensures that the entire emission control system such as the catalyst and oxygen sensor of your car is unaffected. There are no metallic compounds (lead, magnesium etc), no nitro compounds and no oxygen atoms in toluene. It is made up of exactly the same ingredients as ordinary gasoline. In fact it is one of the main ingredients of gasoline.”
By adding toluene to your gas you can boost its octane? For example, 1gal of toluene {114 octane} to 14.6 gals of {92 octane} brings it to 93.4 octane. {14.6* 92}+{1* 114}/ 15.6 = 93.4 octane. Add one cap full of Marvel Mystery Oil to every 1 gal of toluene for lubrication.
Below is some additional information I found on the net. This information is quoted from its source.
“Toluene is a pure hydrocarbon (C7H8). i.e. it contains only hydrogen and carbon atoms. It belongs to a particular category of hydrocarbons called aromatic hydrocarbons. Complete combustion of toluene yields CO2 and H2O. This fact ensures that the entire emission control system such as the catalyst and oxygen sensor of your car is unaffected. There are no metallic compounds (lead, magnesium etc), no nitro compounds and no oxygen atoms in toluene. It is made up of exactly the same ingredients as ordinary gasoline. In fact it is one of the main ingredients of gasoline.”
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: O'Fallon, MO
Originally posted by Tim Skelton
Absolutely. I leave my smog controls intact.
But I still don't see the relationship between octane and pollution.
Absolutely. I leave my smog controls intact.
But I still don't see the relationship between octane and pollution.
Next time try searching if you don't understand:
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Here
Originally posted by St Louis Lightning
We are talking about California's 91 octane premium gas which is like no one elses 91 premium gas. Polution has been reduced by changing the formula by upping the oxygenate level. Of course, that has had a negative affect on performance.
Next time try searching if you don't understand:
We are talking about California's 91 octane premium gas which is like no one elses 91 premium gas. Polution has been reduced by changing the formula by upping the oxygenate level. Of course, that has had a negative affect on performance.
Next time try searching if you don't understand:
PEacE.........................
Jim
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,297
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From: Clifton, NJ, USA
Best "regular" pump gas we've got around here in Northern NJ is Sunoco Ultra-94 for about $2.20/gal.
There are a couple stations that pump 106 and 114, for $4 and $8 respectively.
Most other stations "supreme" is 93 in NJ.
--Dan
There are a couple stations that pump 106 and 114, for $4 and $8 respectively.
Most other stations "supreme" is 93 in NJ.
--Dan
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Anaheim Hills, California
At higher altitudes, you need HIGHER octane as opposed to lower octane.
One time when I had my 85 T-bird I was running 87 octane gas and took a trip up to Big Bear Lake which is roughly 7,000 feet above sea level. It pinged like a sumbich going
up even before I got to Arrowhead. The next time I went up, I filled up with premium and had no pinging whatsoever. There's not as much air pressure at higher altitudes and a higher octane is required to prevent preignition.
One time when I had my 85 T-bird I was running 87 octane gas and took a trip up to Big Bear Lake which is roughly 7,000 feet above sea level. It pinged like a sumbich going
up even before I got to Arrowhead. The next time I went up, I filled up with premium and had no pinging whatsoever. There's not as much air pressure at higher altitudes and a higher octane is required to prevent preignition.
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From: Hammer Lane
Originally posted by Reloader
At higher altitudes, you need HIGHER octane as opposed to lower octane.
One time when I had my 85 T-bird I was running 87 octane gas and took a trip up to Big Bear Lake which is roughly 7,000 feet above sea level. It pinged like a sumbich going
up even before I got to Arrowhead. The next time I went up, I filled up with premium and had no pinging whatsoever. There's not as much air pressure at higher altitudes and a higher octane is required to prevent preignition.
At higher altitudes, you need HIGHER octane as opposed to lower octane.
One time when I had my 85 T-bird I was running 87 octane gas and took a trip up to Big Bear Lake which is roughly 7,000 feet above sea level. It pinged like a sumbich going
up even before I got to Arrowhead. The next time I went up, I filled up with premium and had no pinging whatsoever. There's not as much air pressure at higher altitudes and a higher octane is required to prevent preignition.
You need to get with the experts on the subject and get them straightened out. How dare they use their 'edgumocashunz' to come up with a different answer than you did on a trip to the mountains.
A consumer typically is faced with three choices of gasoline, with octane ratings of 87 (regular), 89 (midgrade), and 93 (premium). But if you happen to travel or live in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountain states, you might be surprised to find different octane ratings at the gasoline pumps. The reason for this provides a lesson in stoichiometry. At higher elevations the air is less dense-the volume of oxygen per unit volume of air is smaller. Most engines are designed to achieve a 14:1 oxygen-to-fuel ratio in the cylinder prior to combustion. If less oxygen is available, then less fuel is required to achieve this optimal ratio. In turn, the lower volumes of oxygen and fuel result in a lower pressure in the cylinder. Because high pressure tends to promote knocking, the lower pressure within engine cylinders at higher elevations promotes a more controlled combustion of the fuel-air mixture, and therefore, octane requirements are lower. While consumers in the Rocky Mountain states can purchase three grades of gasoline, the octane ratings of these fuel blends are different from those in the rest of the United States. In Denver, Colorado, regular gasoline is 85 octane, midgrade is 87 octane, and premium is 91 octane-2 points lower than gasoline sold in most of the rest of the country.
http://hmchemdemo.clt.binghamton.edu...y/03octane.htm
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Anaheim Hills, California
No, I don't. The higher you go, the higher octane you need. Whenever your engine pings, a higher octane gas will normally stop the pinging. When you drive at high altitudes your engine pings. Putting higher octane gas in it solves the pinging problem. And it isn't just driving in the mountains, either. It can occur anywhere. Higher octane gas cures preignition problems when running low octane gas.
If that quote is supposedly true, then explain to me why after hundreds of trips into the mountains, putting higher octane gas in any of the vehicles I have owned cured the pinging going up the mountain. With low octane gas it pinged like hell at high elevation, but ran fine at sea level.
If that quote is supposedly true, then explain to me why after hundreds of trips into the mountains, putting higher octane gas in any of the vehicles I have owned cured the pinging going up the mountain. With low octane gas it pinged like hell at high elevation, but ran fine at sea level.
Last edited by Reloader; Nov 27, 2004 at 06:31 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 285
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From: Anaheim Hills, California
You know, there's no need to be sarcastic. All I'm saying is when I put higher octane gas in my vehicles, they didn't ping going up the mountain.
Low octane gas, and they pinged like hell.
They ran perfectly normal with low octane gas at sea level.
Now explain that to me.
Low octane gas, and they pinged like hell.
They ran perfectly normal with low octane gas at sea level.
Now explain that to me.