Save money with 85 octane
#21
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Originally Posted by UsafaRice
This is nice info, but first, what grade does the owner's manual call for in the Pathfinder's VQ?
Second, did you only run one tank of each through the engine?
Third, were all these tests performed with the same driver/ same style of driving/ same routes to/from wherever?
Not to debunk your theory, but if I drive the crap out of my Sierra and get 14 mpg, I know I could put premium in it and baby it and bump that to a stratospheric 16 for a single tank worth.
Second, did you only run one tank of each through the engine?
Third, were all these tests performed with the same driver/ same style of driving/ same routes to/from wherever?
Not to debunk your theory, but if I drive the crap out of my Sierra and get 14 mpg, I know I could put premium in it and baby it and bump that to a stratospheric 16 for a single tank worth.
Multiple tanks, we've verified the numbers a few times (we've had the Pathfinder since 2001).
Same driver, same style of driving, same routes.
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Originally Posted by PDX_Racer
Premium is recommended for the Pathfinder's VQ.
Multiple tanks, we've verified the numbers a few times (we've had the Pathfinder since 2001).
Same driver, same style of driving, same routes.
Multiple tanks, we've verified the numbers a few times (we've had the Pathfinder since 2001).
Same driver, same style of driving, same routes.
#23
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Originally Posted by Zexy
YOUR TECH IS A MORON... ![Frown](https://my350z.com/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif)
![Frown](https://my350z.com/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif)
The guy is the head mechanic for one of the Z teams here in SoCal and he is the service manager at Raceway Nissan in Riverside. I asked him if there was any issue at all with running regular fuel vice premium. He said no except for the expected lower preformance. I haven't had a reason to burn anything other than premium but I would if I couldn't afford the extra $0.20 a gallon.
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The dealeship also filled up my Z with 87 octane when I bought it, and it ran just fine. Switching to premium made little difference in my mileage. The argument of premium getting better gas mileage has been discussed all over the place for decades, and there is no final conclusion. I have never proven it to my satisfaction either way, especially when the route/speed isn't EXACTLY the same. I believe other variables are more important to gas mileage, such as the type of car, whether it was designed for premium, and what type of driving you do (I'll get there eventually, or I have to be there yesterday). My V6 Chevy van gets BETTER gas mileage on 87 than 93, and I have driven it for almost 300K. I suspect the Z should get better mileage w/ premium, but I haven't driven it enough to say for sure, and I don't plan to be putting 87 through it very often.
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The problem is that each engine combination is different. Some engines don't care, others care a lot. Oh also for the record, I filled the tank, my wife drove, so she didn't know what kind of gas was in the tank.
We generally just run Plus in the Pathfinder, the cost difference isn't that much over time and we can be more careful and get closer to the same mileage as Premium. We do notice some pre-detonation when getting into the mountains when we use Plus that we don't have when we use Premium.
We generally just run Plus in the Pathfinder, the cost difference isn't that much over time and we can be more careful and get closer to the same mileage as Premium. We do notice some pre-detonation when getting into the mountains when we use Plus that we don't have when we use Premium.
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Originally Posted by medic165
damn, i know gas prices are ridiculous, but i can still afford to put premium on my 350z. Tell you what, the day i don't i sell it. 85 octane? >>>no way!
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gosh...quit crying about your gas-prices!!
Here in germany a Gallon Super (95 Octane) cost 6,62$ ....... and Regular (92 Octane) 6,15 $....... and it's still goin up!
Here in germany a Gallon Super (95 Octane) cost 6,62$ ....... and Regular (92 Octane) 6,15 $....... and it's still goin up!
#30
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Originally Posted by koco
Hahha.. yeah 85 will not make a big diffrence if any, if you redline yoru car every gear you change then you should deffently go on 93 but otherwise.. and espacially now.. with the gas prises why would you redline your car... save those 30 cents witch is $30 on ever $100 spent on gas... it will not **** up your engine...
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Originally Posted by koco
Hahha.. yeah 85 will not make a big diffrence if any, if you redline yoru car every gear you change then you should deffently go on 93 but otherwise.. and espacially now.. with the gas prises why would you redline your car... save those 30 cents witch is $30 on ever $100 spent on gas... it will not **** up your engine...
$100 of $3 regular is 33.333 gallons
33.333 gallons of $3.20 premium is $106.667 so you save less than $7
even if you assume $.30 markup (never see it in my area) its only a $10 savings.
If you get more than 1mpg drop in your mileage you negate any of these savings. I don't care to run the experiement in my Z but I would be willing to bet mileage goes down more than enough to make up the difference. If you are living on the edge of your budget that close you seriously bought the wrong car.
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Originally Posted by maxpowers
Well the tech has point......partially.
True you can run 85 octane, but anytime you run low octance, you retard the timing via the knock sensor therefore you lose hp.
Why purchase a Z if you want low horsepower?? Drive an econo box at put the rest of coin towards something else like flowers for your garden or some high quality face moisturizer.
True you can run 85 octane, but anytime you run low octance, you retard the timing via the knock sensor therefore you lose hp.
Why purchase a Z if you want low horsepower?? Drive an econo box at put the rest of coin towards something else like flowers for your garden or some high quality face moisturizer.
I would agree that 85 octane is probably not the wisest, but telling someone that if they want low horse power to get another car is stupidity. I bought a Z because I think its the best looking car on the market. I would not care if it had a 98hp 4 cyl in it.
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Originally Posted by JRinTXrog
I would agree that 85 octane is probably not the wisest, but telling someone that if they want low horse power to get another car is stupidity. I bought a Z because I think its the best looking car on the market. I would not care if it had a 98hp 4 cyl in it.
#36
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i have always been a little **** about mpg - my dad used to have a honeybee b210 that we ran in gas mileage rallys in the late 70's -(could get 60+ ave mpg with cutting the engine off down hills and long coasting to stops[not recomended with current power everthing cars!]) so anyway i have always recorded all my fillups and with this car noted which type of gas - i run 85 2/3rds of the time and 89 the fillups before autocross weekends
13400 miles to date on my 04 base 6mt purchased 1/16/05
ave mpg to date 25.1 - no difference between octane ratings (~.1 worse on the premium which i'll put down to autocrossing [6.9 mpg for the event but a nice 27mpg for the 45 mile trip there])
got ave of 27.333 mpg for the 4100 mile round trip central fla to (and up) mount washington New hampshire- all on 85 octane
(recorded 94.4 mpg for a while on the coast down mt wash!)
can't really tell the difference on the butt dyno either - i punch it and it goes, on either octane
anyone have one of those g-tech computers? - i'm interested to see some hp / torque numbers / 0-60 #s on the various octanes
as for different octane mpgs though 'mythbusted' in my book
-jim b(ymmv)
13400 miles to date on my 04 base 6mt purchased 1/16/05
ave mpg to date 25.1 - no difference between octane ratings (~.1 worse on the premium which i'll put down to autocrossing [6.9 mpg for the event but a nice 27mpg for the 45 mile trip there])
got ave of 27.333 mpg for the 4100 mile round trip central fla to (and up) mount washington New hampshire- all on 85 octane
(recorded 94.4 mpg for a while on the coast down mt wash!)
can't really tell the difference on the butt dyno either - i punch it and it goes, on either octane
anyone have one of those g-tech computers? - i'm interested to see some hp / torque numbers / 0-60 #s on the various octanes
as for different octane mpgs though 'mythbusted' in my book
-jim b(ymmv)
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Originally Posted by VashZ350
gosh...quit crying about your gas-prices!!
Here in germany a Gallon Super (95 Octane) cost 6,62$ ....... and Regular (92 Octane) 6,15 $....... and it's still goin up!
Here in germany a Gallon Super (95 Octane) cost 6,62$ ....... and Regular (92 Octane) 6,15 $....... and it's still goin up!
are those prices in Marks?
how much is it in US $ on the military bases?
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Originally Posted by koco
Hahha.. yeah 85 will not make a big diffrence if any, if you redline yoru car every gear you change then you should deffently go on 93 but otherwise.. and espacially now.. with the gas prises why would you redline your car... save those 30 cents witch is $30 on ever $100 spent on gas... it will not **** up your engine...
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Originally Posted by TK2005
If you want to risk your $30K car for $2 per fillup then have at it. I am sure most people won't.