What kind of fuel do you use

[saved1]

My car runs fine on 87.

[ABH]

Originally posted by 94TeaL:
I used to use 87 but i started using 93 and started getting around 20-30 miles more per tank.

That in itself doesn't mean much. Here is why.
I took the prices at the time that I did this.

15gal @ 30mpg = 450miles 1.86/gal= $27.90 (87)
15gal @ 32mpg = 480miles 2.06/gal= $31.20 (93)

To travel the same distance you need 16 gal of 87 oct. So

16gal @ 30mpg = 480miles 1.86/gal= $29.76

You get 20-30 more miles but it doesn't save anything.

[BLLDOGG]

Originally posted by FlyBoy9994:
I don't care what anybody says... I have always used premium and always will. I definitely notice a slight performance gain with the higher octane and jeeeezzzz fella's it's only 2 to 3 dollars more per fill-up. I pretty much use Chevron premium with Techron. I have no idea if that stuff really works to keep the fuel system clean but it seems to work well as I have been using it for years.

For what it's worth.

RD in AZ

if its only a few dollars then you can afford to send me a few dollars every time i need to fill up [img]smile.gif[/img]

[cassie]

[/QUOTE]Might wanna read the manual again, because it says to use 87 octane (cheap stuff). Higher octane for a stock or mildly modded car is a waste of money. If you car runs better on high octane, then something's wrong. [/QB][/QUOTE]

I was just about to say the same thing

[camaroincal]

Ya well of course it says that in the manual. It also says your spark plugs are good for 100,000 miles LOL! What a joke that is. It also says that the coolant will be good for way longer than it really does last. In the end, I believe that they (GM) do this to get more business in their service departments.

Also, in my Chilton's manual, it says cars having a compression ratio of 9.0 or higher should run premium fuel. Our 3.8's are 9.4

Also..many cars come from the factory with 9.0 or higher octanes. All these Japanese companies tweak the crap out of the 4 and 6 cylinders..a lot of them having higher than 10.0 to 1 compression. So completely stock those cars require running premium.

[ABH]

The Japanese cars require the premium becaue of the ratio is 10 to 1. The number of cylinders is not relevant.

3.8L Camaros do not require anything above 87.

And why would spark plugs not be good for 100,000 miles? I never changed the plugs in my 94 3.4 (148,000 miles), and it ran just fine. And it ran just fine on 87.

My 97 3.8 has 76,000 on the same plugs. And it runs just fine. And on 87.

If as you say GM does it to get more business in the service departments, then they are losing money.

Why? Because if engines are damaged because the engine has to run on 91 or higher instead of 87, then they have to cover it. They pay $20 or more an hour to build the motor. They will have to pay the dealer $30 or more an hour to fix it.

[camaroincal]

Originally posted by ABH:
The Japanese cars require the premium becaue of the ratio is 10 to 1. The number of cylinders is not relevant.

3.8L Camaros do not require anything above 87.

And why would spark plugs not be good for 100,000 miles? I never changed the plugs in my 94 3.4 (148,000 miles), and it ran just fine. And it ran just fine on 87.

My 97 3.8 has 76,000 on the same plugs. And it runs just fine. And on 87.

If as you say GM does it to get more business in the service departments, then they are losing money.

Why? Because if engines are damaged because the engine has to run on 91 or higher instead of 87, then they have to cover it. They pay $20 or more an hour to build the motor. They will have to pay the dealer $30 or more an hour to fix it.

Where did I say the numbers of cylinders is relavent?

3.8 Camaros benefit better using 91 octane as opposed to 87. I also never said they require 91.

Your 3.8 still has 2X,XXX to go, I bet your plugs won't last that long. ;)

Umm, How would GM be losing money. The numbers in the manual seem to me more like a maximum number of howl ong that stuff could go, but I think that you would be better off changing the plugs a lot sooner that 100,000.

[ABH]

Used 87, 91, 93, 94. No benefit I could see. I only mentioned the cylinders as thought you meant that had something to do with it. My bad (D'oh)

No, you didn't state it, but you used the Chilton [img]smile.gif[/img]

The plugs should last at least that long, they did for the 3.4. But at the moment it may not matter as the intake gasket took a vacation [img]smile.gif[/img]
I wish I could fix it myself, but with only 1 useable hand...

How would GM lose money? I sell you a widget through a dealer that cost me $20 to make. It breaks, and I have to cover it. The dealer pays his people more per hour than I pay mine, and he passes the cost on to me.

It is the warranty costs. You know of the rotary engine I am sure. But have you ever heard of the Ro80?

Car of the year in 1967, it later won car of the decade. But it had one problem. The engine, due to excessive rotor tip wear, would die at 15-20,000 miles. NSU honored the warranty, and went broke.

So if the GM engines that run on 87 really require 91+, and they fail because of it, GM would go broke through the warranty costs.

But in the end, run whatever fuel you want:) I am just a cheap, errrr frugal, old fart.

And there is nothing wrong with changing plugs before needed. Preventitive maintainence is always a good idea.

[Justin Kirkham]

I have always run 89 octane. When I ran 87 with my '95 mustang, it ran quite poorly. I switched up to 89, and it ran much smoother. Because of that, I will always run 89 in the cars that ask for 87. In my mind, the mustang made more apparent what is happening in the engine of all american 87 octane cars.

-Justin

[KBeezy]

I use 87 99% of the time. Unless it gets cheap then I splurge with some 89... I used to run premium in my old car and I love that I don't have to anymore...But I do miss my old car. Turbocharged motors do love the stuff though :D

[99v6cam]

I use 93. I need plugs, wires, and coils because my car does the whole missfire and sputtering thing. When I use 87 it's like 1000000 times worse so for now at least, I'm using 93.