OK... Ford manual says to use regular, and that using anything better could actually damage engine components. Other people tell me to use the best gas possible... who should I listen to?
I'll tell you who, I'll listen to you guys!
So what should I use guys?
I was the biggest booster of regular 87 until I joined the oil business. The short story is that regular is often a dumping ground for mistakes blending higher grades.
Buy "mid-range" or better for no reason other than the quality control is higher, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH OCTANE just quality.
THIS I KNOW.
I can't see how better gas would atually hur the car but it's been argued time and time again. Premium gas will not get you and gains whatsoever if your running stock ecu program. If you have a performance chip like some of us on here do then the gains from using premium gas are noticebale. So basicall you need a chip or some for of Forced Injection to realize the gains of the extra money you're spending!
2001 ZTS,Mar 24 2005, 11:24 PM Wrote:I was the biggest booster of regular 87 until I joined the oil business. The short story is that regular is often a dumping ground for mistakes blending higher grades.
Buy "mid-range" or better for no reason other than the quality control is higher, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH OCTANE just quality.
THIS I KNOW.
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So the ford manual was shittin me?
I took a two week course (hands on/immersion (literally and figuratively)) that dealt with cleaning bulk storage tanks on oil tanker ships. The amount of residue left after a hold full of regular was astounding, it gets resold as "bottom ends" (aka tar & roofing flux). One of my ships will load 70,000 barrels of that crap today from the Irving Oil petrol refinery. They heat it too 350^F just to make it flow. A tank of premium was spotless and is under valued at the pumps.
My Focus had a dozen chronic fuel related problems since the start as everyone knows. I've had zero since going with 89 over 87. Again, it is not the octane but the quality control applied against the higher grades.
imho.....buy the regular every once and a while throw in a shot of injection cleaner...ive never had any problems with regular and iam an old fu*k..save your money..gas is out-rageous as it is......better yet prove to me every gas staion has a tank for regular..mid-grade and hi-test?????its a scam.....
quality control.. damn.. i never thought of that.. good info!
Unless you're chipped, regular is all thats needed.
01-yellow-ZX3,Mar 25 2005 Wrote:Unless you're chipped, regular is all thats needed.
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Exactly, there is absolutely no point in running higher then 87 octane unless as mentioned your chipped or your in a SVTF.
When they replaced by fuel sender unit and p/p they decribed the residue in the tank as mud and lots of it. Again, it is not an octane issue it is a quality issue.
S2,Mar 25 2005, 02:05 PM Wrote:01-yellow-ZX3,Mar 25 2005 Wrote:Unless you're chipped, regular is all thats needed.
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Exactly, there is absolutely no point in running higher then 87 octane unless as mentioned your chipped or your in a SVTF.
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Or boosted!
I won't put anything higher than 87 octane until I install my supercharger in a few weeks (they recommend 91 or higher.)
I'm still on my original fuel systems after 68000km. I have the fuel pump recall letter still at home. The dealer suggested that I don't replace the pump until necessary.
2001 zts works with oil.. i don't think he's making up the sludge/quality issues he posted about... i was a believer in 87 only unless the owner's manual said otherwise but i'm going to go with 89 from now on
SVT here, they recommande 91+ octane. I ALWAYS go to the same Sunoco and fill to the cap with 94 Octane. She loves it. When traveling and unable to provide her 94 sunoco, she always act funny.... She's hooked. :P
Oh, and Andrew, I beleive every word you say about 87 being the dump of all gas. its very common to even find water trace in 87 gas.
dont think I have put regular in my car.......the MSD ignition absolutely rejects the stuff for some reason
french_connection,Mar 25 2005, 05:56 PM Wrote:its very common to even find water trace in 87 gas.
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........and a whole bunch of other crap.
"Oops we forgot to flush out the pipe from the previous cargo of Bunker C and now our storage tank of premium 91 octane is spoiled, oh we'll just downgrade it to regular 87."
"oops, lab results came back on the last batch of premium, the anti knock specification can't be met and since we can't waste it we'll just "cut" that batch with some diesel and sell it as regular"
That sort of stuff happens all the time. Then there all the other sources of error. Refining and blending of premium is VERY difficult there are lots of chances for mistakes.
Your gas pump's octane rating always say 87 "minimium". You are very likely getting 89, 91 or even higher. I was told by many in the industry words to the effect that:
"nobody sets out to create regular 87 petrol on purpose, it is just the failed atempts to create premium grades"
So again it is not octane, everyone's 87 is likely higher than 87 anyway, it is a quality issue; you just don't know what you are getting and when you are getting it.
Octane is the thing most people talk about when they talk about quality of a fuel but it is only one measure of what is and isn't a quality product and something that is good or bad for your car. There is so much more to it than octane.
Try this: people need water to live. You could survive drinking Coca-Cola because it is mostly water but you'd be healthier without the caffeine and sugar and drinking some plain water instead. ;)