Is the higher octane gas worth the cost?
Question:
Always use the grade of gas specified in the owners manual. You may have to use a higher octane in an older engine due to carbon build-up. — 89 S15 4X4 4.3 700R4 Short Box Remove junk from reply address.
You are correct about the difference. The incremental cost per mile/mpg is strictly the 20 cent difference in the gas price divided by the 87 octane price. For me this is 13 cents per mile. WHen the 87 octane mileage cost and fuel cost cross, there is where it is "economical" to run 93. I have a K2500 HD w/ TBI
David, First, I hope you have a 454. Second, the per gallon price of gas doesn’t matter. The determining factor is the difference in price between 87 and 93 octane. Dean
It depends. I have a 95GMC K2500.With 87 octane, I get 9.91 MPG.With 93 octane I get 11.43 MPG.The difference in what I pay per mile of driving is in my favor once gasgets over 1.55 per gallon. Above $1.55 per gallon, the additional gasmileage pays for itself to use 93.My heavy truck (6000#) performs much better with 93.I’ve done these averages over about 6 In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas mileage, tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks and keep track of the mileage, I bet it doesn’t change any.DennyClint Elliott Hi,I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane(going to 92) really make up the much higher price?Thanks,Clint
Response:
You are correct about the difference. The incremental cost per mile/mpg is strictly the 20 cent difference in the gas price divided by the 87 octane price. For me this is 13 cents per mile. WHen the 87 octane mileage cost and fuel cost cross, there is where it is "economical" to run 93. I have a K2500 HD w/ TBI David, First, I hope you have a 454. Second, the per gallon price of gas doesn’t matter. The determining factor is the difference in price between 87 and 93 octane. Dean In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas mileage, tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks and Hi,I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane(going to 92) really make up the much higher price?Thanks,Clint
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Clint, > Read your owner’s manual. Most owner’s manuals are poorly organized so > you have to at least browse through them to find the information you > need. > The owner’s manual for my ‘95 Blazer, which has a 9.1 compression ratio > (and knock sensors), has this to say about fuel: > "Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher. Use premium > unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or higher for high power > performance, when towing a trailer or with a high payload requirement." > Hope this helps, > – Mike > Hi, > I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the > higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this > true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > Thanks, > Clint
I agree with Mike based on experience. When towing my house in a U-Haul my 80 Chevy 3/4 Ton liked Premium better especially when towing up grades. Less knocking, detonation, valve clatter or whatever you want to call it. Other than that it didn’t care or matter what I ran in it. Though that truck hated anything with ethonal in it. Having access to AvGas my 77 Ford f100 (302) seemed to have more power and get worse milage with it.
Response:
Clint, Read your owner’s manual. Most owner’s manuals are poorly organized so you have to at least browse through them to find the information you need. The owner’s manual for my ‘95 Blazer, which has a 9.1 compression ratio (and knock sensors), has this to say about fuel: "Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher. Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or higher for high power performance, when towing a trailer or with a high payload requirement." Hope this helps, – Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi, > I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the > higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this > true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > Thanks, > Clint
Response:
Only if the induction is completely computer controlled. Higher compression engines require higher octane fuels. If yours is around 8 to 8 1/2 to 1, use 87 octane. Even better rule of thumb is… Do as the owner’s manual says. David Meek
> the rule of thumb is: > higher octane gives more MPG, but not more MP$
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Clint, > No. Use the octane grade specified in your owner’s manual. > Dean > >Hi, > >I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for > the > >higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this > >true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > >(going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > >Thanks, > >Clint
Response:
Vehicles are different. I have a ‘95 Ram 1500, 5.2L, 3.92 gears. I get 12-12.5 no matter what brand or octane gas I put in. Denny
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> It depends. I have a 95GMC K2500. > With 87 octane, I get 9.91 MPG. > With 93 octane I get 11.43 MPG. > The difference in what I pay per mile of driving is in my favor once gas > gets over 1.55 per gallon. Above $1.55 per gallon, the additional gas > mileage pays for itself to use 93. > My heavy truck (6000#) performs much better with 93. > I’ve done these averages over about 6 months. > In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas > mileage, > tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks > and > keep track of the mileage, I bet it doesn’t change any. > Denny > > Hi, > > I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for > the > > higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is > this > > true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > > (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > > Thanks, > > Clint
Response:
David, First, I hope you have a 454. Second, the per gallon price of gas doesn’t matter. The determining factor is the difference in price between 87 and 93 octane. Dean – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >It depends. I have a 95GMC K2500. >With 87 octane, I get 9.91 MPG. >With 93 octane I get 11.43 MPG. >The difference in what I pay per mile of driving is in my favor once gas >gets over 1.55 per gallon. Above $1.55 per gallon, the additional gas >mileage pays for itself to use 93. >My heavy truck (6000#) performs much better with 93. >I’ve done these averages over about 6 months. >In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas >mileage, >tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks >and >keep track of the mileage, I bet it doesn’t change any. >Denny >>Hi, >>I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for >the >>higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is >this >>true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane >>(going to 92) really make up the much higher price? >>Thanks, >>Clint
Response:
It depends. I have a 95GMC K2500. With 87 octane, I get 9.91 MPG. With 93 octane I get 11.43 MPG. The difference in what I pay per mile of driving is in my favor once gas gets over 1.55 per gallon. Above $1.55 per gallon, the additional gas mileage pays for itself to use 93. My heavy truck (6000#) performs much better with 93. I’ve done these averages over about 6 months.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas mileage, > tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks and > keep track of the mileage, I bet it doesn’t change any. > Denny > Hi, > I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the > higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this > true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > Thanks, > Clint
Response:
In very few motors will the extra octane make any difference in gas mileage, tho it may help if there is a spark knock problem. Try a couple of tanks and keep track of the mileage, I bet it doesn’t change any. Denny
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi, > I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the > higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this > true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane > (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? > Thanks, > Clint
Response:
Hi, I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane (going to 92) really make up the much higher price? Thanks, Clint
Response:
Clint, No. Use the octane grade specified in your owner’s manual. Dean – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi, >I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the >higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this >true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane >(going to 92) really make up the much higher price? >Thanks, >Clint
Response:
the rule of thumb is: higher octane gives more MPG, but not more MP$ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Clint, > No. Use the octane grade specified in your owner’s manual. > Dean >Hi, >I ran into a fellow the other day who swears that paying the extra for the >higher octane gas pays for itself because he gets better milage. Is this >true? I always put in the 87 octane. Will the extra 5 points of octane >(going to 92) really make up the much higher price? >Thanks, >Clint
