Is premium gasoline really worth it ??!?

Question

Is all this high performance, supreme with Techron bulls**t reallly worth it ? Or is it just another oil company scam on folks with disposable incomes ?

Answer 1

according to experts who study fuel efficiency in detail, is both regular and premium gasoline. And it would be a waste of money to favor premium over regular, especially in these times when gasoline prices are high, according to the experts.

Virtually nothing is gained by filling up with a premium or more expensive grade of fuel than the vehicle manufacturer has recommended, the experts say. And many of the same experts explain that drivers may not lose much performance from their cars by using a lower grade of fuel than recommended by the car manufacturer.

There is little difference in energy content of regular versus premium gasoline. They both contain about 111,400 British Thermal Units of energy per gallon.

The price difference, however, between the fuel grades is anywhere from 20 cents to 40 cents, depending on where you live in the United States. The experts' consensus goes against the long-held belief by thousand of drivers who fill up with premium only, or on every third or fourth trip to the pump. The idea is to fill up with premium every so often to clean out the engines or rev up the performance of older engines.

But according to the experts, this practice is like tossing quarters in a wishing well, since most engines are designed to operate on relatively low-octane regular unleaded gasoline.

Octane is defined as a fuel's resistance to knocking. There is no benefit if the octane is higher than what the engine needs. Engine knock occurs when fuel in a combustion chamber ignites before it should. This disrupts the engine's operation. But electronic knock sensors are now common and have nearly eliminated engine disruption.

The American Petroleum Institute says if you find that your car runs fine on a lower grade, there is no sense switching to premium. The Institute recommends following manufacturer's recommendation, but even those manufacturers say that it is more of a suggestion than a command.

Answer 2

Inked_2007 has it right...with one caveat: if you have a high-compression engine (usually supercharged, turbocharged or modified), you might need a higher octane fuel. Your manufacturer will tell you. My wife's Pontiac Grand Prix GTP comes from the factory with a supercharger. The factory insists on 93 octane - any lower and the engine starts knocking (which can ruin the entire engine in short order.) And yes, premium fuels do contain more detergents that clean your fuel system. regular grades only have enough to (theoretically) not make your fuel system any dirtier, but not enough to make it any cleaner, either. Trouble is, it's cheaper to get a bottle of fuel system cleaner every 5000 miles or so - and it has the same result.

Bottom line: don't bother unless you need it. And if you need it, then you really NEED it!

Answer 3

Costco has a killer deal on a 6 pack of Techron you just poor in your tank.

High Octane "allows" your engine to make power by allowing the engine managment system to optimize the engine parameters such as timing, fuel curves etc. for power and mileage. If your engine is not a "high cylinder pressure" kind of engine - IE one with a turbo OR high static compression ratio ( check your engine specs - 9.8-1 or higher ) - you do not need it.

It does help in very hot weather any engine to perform better - because hot intake air temperatures make a motor more predisposed to detonate - which kills motors & causes horsepower loss.

Answer 4

The only reason you should ever put higher octane gas in your car is if it needs it. High performance cars need higher octane ratings to help prevent predetonation in the engine. If your car wasnt designed to need it (most arent), then there is absolutely zero gain from it.

your car should say "minimum _____ octane" on the inside of the gas door. Use that octane.


and its not a scam. And it doesnt clean your engine. Its a combustion retardant so your engine doesnt ping (predetonate upon compression).

and premium gas is 93 octane, not 97, and for working at a gas station you clearly have zero knowledge of how gas works.

Answer 5

It all just depends on the engine. Most newer (after 1975) cars are made to run on regular 87 octane. If detonation occurs, then step up to the mid grade. If detonation is still occurring after that, go for the premium. I MUST run premium in my truck since it was built for the higher octane fuel, but my V8 Mustang runs fine on 87.

Answer 6

you need to check your owners manual, some cars are more effecient with different octanes of gas. Mine for example was made to run best on mid-grade. Most 8 cilider vehicles need the premium. You can cause extra strain and wear on your car by using the wrong octane over and over again

Answer 7

Choosing Premium or Plus gas in a car that uses Regular gas is just a waste of money. Without going into boring detail, just check your owners manual for the type of gas your car's engine requires and use that.

Answer 8

Have had 2 Cayman s gen2, guy and pdk and have purely put in the costly stuff for worry of a mechanical breakdown. i'm no mechanic yet ought to no longer stay with the reality I didnt do all i ought to to maintain positioned on and tear on my engine. look after it via changing oil and topping up coolant yet do no longer forget approximately the gasoline. ninety seven plus i'm optimistic it says on the cap? All i be attentive to is it would not say ninety 5. Plus pull leaves out of the rad and shop as plenty tyre tread intensity as u can arise with the money for to keep away from suspension injury. i will arise with the money for to run my automobile yet no longer rebuild an engine.

Answer 9

for most cars, permium is counter-productive.

Octane is a measurement of the resistance of the fuel to pre-ignition. Almost all modern automobile engines are designed to operate on appx 85 octane fuel.

Some high performance engines would bennefit, but they will have the minimum octaine requirement in the owner's manual.

Answer 10

its just a little higher octane. if you filled up with regular, then added a bottle of gas-line de-icer, it'd be like filling up with mid grade.
it was proven in a study i saw on the news that regular gasoline, provided you drive conservatively, works just as well as premium. all Vehicles are made to run on 87 octane, premium is somewhere near 97 octane i believe, it will make your car run clean, but it wont affect mileage, just your bank.
i worked at a gas station for a while. there are 3 different grades of gas, but only 2 tanks filled with gas. you do the math.. scam? the octane is just added before it gets to your car. you dont need it.