Topic: What Does “Premium Fuel Recommended” Mean?

[Davep]

Does anyone know, (and have validation,) that premium fuel has increased (effective) cleaning agents? My car is turbo port injected. Realistically, is there an improvement decreasing carbon buildup by using premium in a port injected engine?

That said, I do find a slight mileage improvement by using 91 over 87 during the hot summer months, particularly cruising at highway speed. But the mileage boost is minor, and does not cover the increased fuel cost. It may be imagination on my part, but engine stumble from a stop seems reduced as well.

Of more interest to you is using Top Tier certified fuel.  That will help lessen deposits.  And on a turbo engine in hot weather...91 is the way to go.

I always use Tier 1 fuel. My local ESSO station has a great car wash, and during the summer I fill up with premium and load up on points for free winter car washes.

[Davep]

Also, does anyone definitively know if ESSO 93 is ethanol free? I researched it a number of years ago, when I had a previous vehicle tuned, and IIRC various forums said, yes, but the ESSO didn't specify.

[rrocket]

Also, does anyone definitively know if ESSO 93 is ethanol free? I researched it a number of years ago, when I had a previous vehicle tuned, and IIRC various forums said, yes, but the ESSO didn't specify.

Go here...check your province.  https://www.pure-gas.org

Ethanol in an of itself isn't bad.  It's all I ran (94 octane, Sunoco) in a highly tuned Supra.  The car doesn't really care where the octane is coming from...and I'd have ran E85 if it was available locally.

[greengs]

Honestly, 87 should just go away and 91 should be the minimum.

You find the opposite is the way manufactures are going toward.  They are switching mainstream cars to regular gas from premium (Turbo Fords, Hyundais, Kias, Hondas, VWs etc).  Regular gas has become a marketing feature lately I've noticed. 

[dirtyjeffer]

i'm of the opinion that if your car works perfectly fine with Regular, use it...if it requires or runs much better with Premium, use that instead...the actual cost difference to use premium usually isn't that much, provided you can buy it from a station who keeps their upcharge to a minimum.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I put Husky 94 in the Passat. Because why the hell not? 

APR said there was a 20hp bump using 93 octane and no additional changes.

[JG20]

STI requires minimum of 93.  Most of the time I use Petro 94, sometimes Esso 93.  It says to only use 91 in an emergency.

Mazda 5 only requires 87 so that's what it gets.

My old Mazdaspeed required 91 but ran much better on 94 so that's what I used.

For me, I like to get the best performance out of an engine and minimize knock as much as possible.  The new Mazda 2.5T motors have a variable horsepower rating (same torque) depending on octane used.  It would be Petro 94 all day for me if we had a car with that engine.

[ktm525]

Also, does anyone definitively know if ESSO 93 is ethanol free? I researched it a number of years ago, when I had a previous vehicle tuned, and IIRC various forums said, yes, but the ESSO didn't specify.

No idea and it may also vary depending on your region. In Alberta only Shell Gold 91 is reliably ethanol free.

[greengs]

STI requires minimum of 93.  Most of the time I use Petro 94, sometimes Esso 93.  It says to only use 91 in an emergency.

How do they sell the STI in California where max octane is 91?

[ktm525]

VP racing fuel. Widely available to those heading to Mexico and forced to use Pemex finest. A 50:50 mix makes things better (smells like felt markers too).

[JG20]

STI requires minimum of 93.  Most of the time I use Petro 94, sometimes Esso 93.  It says to only use 91 in an emergency.

How do they sell the STI in California where max octane is 91?

They still do.  Buyers in Cali always complain about the poorer performance.  The ECU detects knock and retards timing.  It also accounts for the poor magazine performance of the STI.  I think it was Cadure that mentioned they use 91 in the magazine tests.  I think a lot of buyers there get the COBB Accessport and get tuned for 91.

[dkaz]

Just add some octane booster, or toluene. That's what someone I know used in his supercharged Corolla that was tuned so aggressively it would knock at lower than 101 octane.

[warp]

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116321_american-automakers-lobbying-for-91-octane-gasoline-as-the-new-regular

This news item is from last year. Wonder how the automaker's lobbying efforts to make 91 the new regular grade are panning out? If this works out, then the new 91 "regular" will align North America with Europe.

[Ex-airbalancer]

In Cobourg, reg is at $1.179,  premium is at $1.429 this morning
On a 100 L tank that is $25

[quadzilla]

In Cobourg, reg is at $1.179,  premium is at $1.429 this morning

What station charges a 25 cent premium on premium? That is crazy!

[Ex-airbalancer]

In Cobourg, reg is at $1.179,  premium is at $1.429 this morning

What station charges a 25 cent premium on premium? That is crazy!

PC , Shell is at $1.399 , Ultramar is at $1.345

[dirtyjeffer]

In Cobourg, reg is at $1.179,  premium is at $1.429 this morning

What station charges a 25 cent premium on premium? That is crazy!

PC , Shell is at $1.399 , Ultramar is at $1.345

Costco is $1.048 for regular...$1.155 for premium...$1.089 for diesel.

and as i mentioned, i get 2% cash back using my Costco MC, so that premium fuel ends up being $1.1319 which is cheaper than the price of regular Airbalancer pays.

to give you a reason why i buy my gas from Costco, the Esso station which is 1 block away, is $1.068 for regular and $1.269 for premium...since i buy premium, that works out to 11.4 c/L...if i buy 40L, that's a savings of $4.56 filling up my little Rio5...it's no wonder i see trucks/SUVs in the lineups, as they likely save $10/fill up

[erich]

I read the article again - very interesting, I learned many new things.
I knew that volatility is different for winter and summer gas, didn't know how it affects octanic number. Isn't all fuel vapourized in the combustion chamber?
Also new to me is the fact that the octanic number measures actual octane content of the fuel. I always thought that gasoline has a very complex chemical composition and it's knocking resistance properties are tested and compared to a mixture of heptane (octanic no 0) and iso-octane (octanic number 100).

SAAB turbo engines were well known for reducing power on regular gas, some newer engines even have different listed power outputs for regular and premium,  such as Fusion 2.0t or Mazda6 turbo. Would using regular in such a case do any damage?

[Ex-airbalancer]

In Cobourg, reg is at $1.179,  premium is at $1.429 this morning

What station charges a 25 cent premium on premium? That is crazy!

PC , Shell is at $1.399 , Ultramar is at $1.345

The price above where from Gus Buddy
Stopped by the PC, the price on the pump 87 was $1.17, 91 was $1.38 and 94 was $1.42
Closest Costco is about 45 min drive in Peterborough

[dkaz]

What station charges a 25 cent premium on premium? That is crazy!

All over BC it was 25 cents was the norm. Sometimes you might find 20 cents. Costco was 10-12 cents.

In Alberta, it seems 16-18 cents is the norm. Costco 10-12 cents.