Premium gas setting too long?

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I have heard recently that premium gas, unless spec'd For your vehicle, should be avoided due to premium(93 octane here) setting in the holding tanks longer due to less volume of purchase. I don't know this to be true at all, but I have heard it from enough folks that I figured I would check with my fellow bitogers to see of your opinions.

This may be a regional/local thing where gas is known to be shady at times?...

Edit: two of the guys I heard this from are both retired mechanics locally and both said the exact same thing. This is why I'm guessing it could be a local thing.
 
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I've heard this with diesel in the UK too, but up until I got a company fuel card I always ran my own car on Shell V-Power diesel or BP Ultimate diesel and my fuel filters were always very clean at 35k.
 
Yeah I've never had a fuel filter issue on any vehicle I've ever owned especially on my civic which has the original filter on it with 176k miles. May need to get that sucker changed by now lol
 
The fuel holding tank is (or I should say, "should be") a) checked regularly for the presence of water and b) filtered before it enters your vehicle.

All that said I avoid service stations that are a deserted island and don't buy premium all together, so it's a non starter for me.
 
Premium gas will have a much lower turnover at stations in bad areas.
In better areas it has a faster turnover rate.

Premium gas is a gripe debate and brought up all the time on here. The auto makers wanna do away with 87 octane and it needs to happen if you want the gasoline engine
to be offered on new vehicles years to come. We have people come on here and ask if they really need to use 89 octane in their $50K Ram Hemi which specs 89.

https://autoweek.com/article/car-news/battle-octane-95-might-be-new-standard
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/03/gm-once-again-calls-for-premium-gasoline-to-become-new-standard/

In testimony Friday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's environment subcommittee, Dan Nicholson, General Motors' vice president of global propulsion systems, said making 95 octane the new regular aligns the U.S. with Europe and is one of the most affordable ways to boost fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Cut and paste below to show you auto makers current actions on the subject.

GM, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, working with the United States Council for Automotive Research, are seeking just one grade of fuel: 95. That would eliminate today's grades, generally 87 octane for regular, 88-90 for midgrade and 91-94 for premium. Even though premium gasoline costs about 50 cents more per gallon than regular, Nicholson says moving to 95 octane would cost consumers far less.
 
Some vehicles get better MPG with premium , some do not .

Higher octane gas would make it easier for auto makers to tune engines to produce more hp and probably better MPG . Thus make it easier to pass CAFE limits .

Would this benefit you and me ? I do not know . But you can bet , the auto makers are looking to butter their own bread , first & foremost .

I watched a video about the performance of WWII single engine fighters . By and large , the allies had an advantage of having higher octane gas available , than the Germans . This allowed our side to run higher boost pressure , yielding higher hp .

Octane rating does matter , in some instances .
 
Originally Posted by NavyVet88
I have heard recently that premium gas, unless spec'd For your vehicle, should be avoided due to premium(93 octane here) setting in the holding tanks longer due to less volume of purchase. I don't know this to be true at all, but I have heard it from enough folks that I figured I would check with my fellow bitogers to see of your opinions.

This may be a regional/local thing where gas is known to be shady at times?...

Edit: two of the guys I heard this from are both retired mechanics locally and both said the exact same thing. This is why I'm guessing it could be a local thing.


While the issue you refer to may indeed be "a thing", it is not something you have to worry about in my experience.

I have run modified tunes in my last 3 cars which require me to buy 93 octane gasoline. So for the last 5 years or so, I have been purchasing and burning the least purchased grade of gasoline from just about every gas station within 20 miles. Even better, I frequently use my hand-held tuner to datalog the engine's performance while burning all this gas. The data I have collected for my cars and the supreme gas here in the Metroplex does not show a problem with the 93 octane gas going stale or otherwise becoming unusable (or best not used).

That's not to say I don't run across some tanks of gas which the engine doesn't like as much as others. However, those instances are few and far between if I stick with the Top Tier stations and their gas.

And even when I run across some gas which the engine dislikes, it doesn't alter the running of the engine in any noticeable way. I wouldn't even know the gasoline was any different if it weren't for the datalogs I have to record and then go back and look through.
 
They're using 87 octane in their $50,000 new Dodge Ram truck that specs 89 octane cuz they're 3 months behind on 7 year car note that runs $650/month. When that truck breaks and is out of warranty, that same person won't repair it. The a/c will blow warm air, the tires will be bald, and the registration/tag expired. But he/she just had to have it. After all--"I deserve it"!
 
Originally Posted by Powerglide
They're using 87 octane in their $5O,OOO new Dodge Ram truck that specs 89 octane cuz they're 3 months behind on 7 year car note that runs $650/month. When that truck breaks and is out of warranty, that same person won't repair it. The a/c will blow warm air, the tires will be bald, and the registration/tag expired. But he/she just had to have it. After all--"I deserve it"!


I have a niece with a 2018 Journey 685 a month for 7 years cause she wanted it. 44k and buying used tires and oil change when she remembers. Pretty sure she is behind on payment as she lost her job.
 
Wow that's a quick turn.

I bet there's lots of people who can afford the truck but are not well versed in mechanical issues so they ask. Better they ask and get the correct answer than remain ignorant. Not everyone looking to save money is broke.
 
I don't think premium sits in the tanks too long. Last I heard, 41% of the cars sold today are spec'ed for premium. I know that doesn't mean 41% of ALL cars on the road fill up with premium, but premium fuel does see a lot of turnover.

As far as going to all premium and saying it's cheaper for everyone in the long run, I say it's a bunch of nonsense. Premium cost 28% more than regular today. If they want to win that argument, let them lower the price of premium NOW. The only reason automakers are campaigning for all premium is to help meet the CAFE standards at the cost of our pocketbooks.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
The only reason automakers are campaigning for all premium is to help meet the CAFE standards at the cost of our pocketbooks.

Yes, but increasing the compression ratio is certainly a thermodynamically legitimate way to increase efficiency. They've wrung about as much as they are going to get out of the oil and goofy start/stop schemes. Somehow I think those methods have cost a lot out of pocketbooks too.
 
Then why haven't they already done it? Premium fuel is commonly available. I don't think they can boost efficiency anywhere near the additional 28% by increasing compression. It is very expensive to increase the octane of fuel.
 
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is close to $30K. That says a lot! It's motor has 13:1 compression. I believe it specs 87 Octane minimum. That's a VERY efficient combustion chamber design!
 
I read somewhere recently they wanted to do 15% ethanol and have it available year round. I mean to get the higher octane you need either additive or the octane alcohol brings. Along with the additional alcohol will be less MPG ...but do you think the price per gallon will drop? ...I doubt it we will just buying more gallons.
 
Originally Posted by NavyVet88
I have heard recently that premium gas, unless spec'd For your vehicle, should be avoided due to premium(93 octane here) setting in the holding tanks longer due to less volume of purchase. I don't know this to be true at all, but I have heard it from enough folks that I figured I would check with my fellow bitogers to see of your opinions.

This may be a regional/local thing where gas is known to be shady at times?...

Edit: two of the guys I heard this from are both retired mechanics locally and both said the exact same thing. This is why I'm guessing it could be a local thing.



Supposedly, this is/was the rationale for all of the distributors/retailers in Maine (most supplied by Dead River Company, even the 'majors') to switch from 93 octane down to 91 octane, although one would think that even the 91 would sit and also get 'stale' if so few are buying it, or willing to pay the 'premium' for premium, and the price is close to what the 93 would be anyway (so WHY would that move any quicker than the 93??).
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In any case, there was a Sunoco in Bethel, Maine when I was there working on the New England Forest Rally which had a 93 octane sticker/button on their premium fuel option.
wink.gif
 
It is possible, but Mad_Hatter and skyactiv have the right idea. Stick to one that's used often enough. If you go to a hidden gas station in the poorest part of town where no one uses premium, or out in the sticks, you might have a problem. I even did once. I just stick to ones that get sufficient traffic and all is well.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Kestas
The only reason automakers are campaigning for all premium is to help meet the CAFE standards at the cost of our pocketbooks.

Yes, but increasing the compression ratio is certainly a thermodynamically legitimate way to increase efficiency. They've wrung about as much as they are going to get out of the oil and goofy start/stop schemes. Somehow I think those methods have cost a lot out of pocketbooks too.

Exactly kschachn...

A whole, whole lot of people in this country want to run el welfaro cheap gas in their vehicles... Even if the [censored] things costs 50,000 plus dollars... It's really stupid. And I believe you are totally right about how other inventive ideas have costs people a whole bunch of money too.
 
Ugh. People putting cheap gas in cars that require premium.

Just bought a used BMW 328i. Car calls for premium. Looks like previous owner was putting midgrade into it.

Yes, dealer techs can see exactly what you are using.

On my 135i, it shows a fourth catagory of fuel "super premium" for when using 93 and up octane. The 328 can not take advantage of anything over 91.

Edit: sorry about the sideways pic.

[Linked Image]
 
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