Unleaded or Premium gas?
#17
12-02-2008, 01:08 PM
#18
12-02-2008, 01:10 PM
All gas sold in the U.S. is unleaded nowadays. Back in early days of the automotive industry(early 80's and prior), many vehicles ran on gas that had lead in it as an anti-knock agent(it increased the octane rating of the fuel)... but they started phasing leaded gasoline out of street cars because of the significant health risk that it posed to the general public due to the fact that thousands of tons of lead were beign pumped into the atmosphere every year by cars running on leaded fuel.
It's illegal today to run leaded fuel on public roads in any vehicle... so all gas that you buy is in fact "unleaded".
Premium is what you want in your car for a fuel grade though. Our motors were designed to operate at peak efficiency using fuel with an octane rating of 91+. The car will run on 87 octane fuel, and it won't sputter or stall or anything that drastic... but it will lose a little power and fuel economy since the ECU will be accounting for detected operating conditions not being optimal with the lower grade of fuel(anti-knock measures such as timing retardation, etc).
Sure... you could go save $3 a fillup by using 87 octane instead of premium, but it's not worth it because if you get 2 MPG less per gallon over the course of your fillup, you will have lost more than $3 worth of gas in the overall tank milleage.. which will account for the initial $3 savings and then some... only you will have wasted more gas to drive the same distance as another guy who was using the right fuel grade in his G35. So it's a triple negative... you waste more gas to travel the same miles, you spend the same or more to do it, and your car is going to be slower.
It's illegal today to run leaded fuel on public roads in any vehicle... so all gas that you buy is in fact "unleaded".
Premium is what you want in your car for a fuel grade though. Our motors were designed to operate at peak efficiency using fuel with an octane rating of 91+. The car will run on 87 octane fuel, and it won't sputter or stall or anything that drastic... but it will lose a little power and fuel economy since the ECU will be accounting for detected operating conditions not being optimal with the lower grade of fuel(anti-knock measures such as timing retardation, etc).
Sure... you could go save $3 a fillup by using 87 octane instead of premium, but it's not worth it because if you get 2 MPG less per gallon over the course of your fillup, you will have lost more than $3 worth of gas in the overall tank milleage.. which will account for the initial $3 savings and then some... only you will have wasted more gas to drive the same distance as another guy who was using the right fuel grade in his G35. So it's a triple negative... you waste more gas to travel the same miles, you spend the same or more to do it, and your car is going to be slower.
Last edited by partyman66; 12-02-2008 at 01:35 PM.
#19
12-02-2008, 01:23 PM
#21
12-02-2008, 02:01 PM
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#22
12-02-2008, 02:13 PM
#23
12-02-2008, 02:25 PM
Originally Posted by Darkstar752
If you really want to save money, sell this car and buy a Civic.
Risking engine damage for saving a little over 100 a year is ridiculous to me... how can people be so stupid
Risking engine damage for saving a little over 100 a year is ridiculous to me... how can people be so stupid
#24
12-02-2008, 02:39 PM
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#25
12-02-2008, 02:59 PM
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Originally Posted by ThatOneDude
You don't want to save money? Obviously, he has a G35 and wants to keep it - does that mean he doesn't have the right to save money? I sure hope you buy only the best parts for your car, then.
#26
12-02-2008, 03:22 PM
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12-02-2008, 04:06 PM
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#28
12-02-2008, 04:12 PM
wish we had 93!! cali only has 91..
i wouldnt recommend 87..as simply explained in this thread
i was told u can run 89 (dealer)...but not if u drive ur G as "u" should LOL
then again maybe he's asking because in some states. its 89.91.93...?
in texas it was like that
in cali its 87.89.91...so which octane are u asking to run exactly?
the difference at the pump isnt that noticeable moneywise
i wouldnt recommend 87..as simply explained in this thread
i was told u can run 89 (dealer)...but not if u drive ur G as "u" should LOL
then again maybe he's asking because in some states. its 89.91.93...?
in texas it was like that
in cali its 87.89.91...so which octane are u asking to run exactly?
the difference at the pump isnt that noticeable moneywise
#29
12-02-2008, 05:12 PM
87 really isn't worth it. $12 a month, but you won't be happy with the car. To me, $12 is not worth having a car that i won't enjoy driving. Some guy pumped my gas while I went inside to buy something and when I came out, I saw he was pumping 87 and I flipped, and from the 1st start up, I could feel a drastic difference on the way home.
#30
12-02-2008, 05:39 PM
Put whatever you want.
Luxury/Higher Performance cars will say premium required, but they can all run 87 without any problems (with the exception of a few, ie. supercars). If they just programmed the ECU for 91+, that would be a big lawsuit waiting to happen. Just because people buy these cars doesn't mean they know anything about how they work.
Of course, all the HP/TQ and MPG figures in the official specs will be derived from premium gas.
Luxury/Higher Performance cars will say premium required, but they can all run 87 without any problems (with the exception of a few, ie. supercars). If they just programmed the ECU for 91+, that would be a big lawsuit waiting to happen. Just because people buy these cars doesn't mean they know anything about how they work.
Of course, all the HP/TQ and MPG figures in the official specs will be derived from premium gas.