Unleaded or Premium Unleaded in Mazda6 2007?

Question

Hi,

Can anyone tell me, is it okay to use normal unleaded in Mazda6 sports ( 2007) eventhuogh the recommended one is Primium? Iam goin to buy a Brand new Mazda 6 next week? Iam bit concerned abt the price of both fuel types as Premium is expensive than normal.

Answer 1

Unless you're buying a Mazdaspeed 6 (that's the fast, AWD model), run regular. The only Mazda 6 that takes premium is the Mazdaspeed.

There is no benefit to using premium (that's high-octane...in the US, that's 91-95) gas in an engine that is designed for regular (low-octane...in the US that's from 86-88). None. The ONLY exception is if the engine is full of crud or otherwise about to die, and it is building up and retaining heat in the combustion chambers that causes the fuel to ignite prematurely. Your 2007 Mazda will NOT be doing that.

If it IS a Mazdaspeed, it MIGHT be okay to run regular, but it is not recommended. Running low-octane fuel in an engine designed for high octane can result in the fuel igniting prematurely, causing "knock," which is parts in the engine slamming against one another in ways in which they are not supposed to slam against one another. This will, over the long term, cause severe damage. Most modern engines have "knock sensors" which detect this and alter the timing, compensating for it, but still, it isn't a good idea. At BEST you'll see degraded performance. At WORST you'll still be damaging the engine a little bit.

In short, if the owner's manual recommends premium, RUN PREMIUM.

Answer 2

Its all a matter of compression ratios.
If the car says premium is 'recommended' then you can use lower, but knocks are a high possibility. Also many cars where it is 'recommended' tend to get very poor mpg with regular-frequently poor enough that premium is cheaper.
If it says premium is 'required' then they can void your warranty and you can have problems from using lower grade fuel.

Last time I checked though, only the Turbo charged I 4 (Mazdaspeed) needed premium, all others used regular just like their sister cars the Fusion and Milan.

Do not use a higher grade fuel than is recommended. Higher grades are for higher compression (usually used in large engine luxury cars and turbo charged cars only). Its a waste of money and at best will run too rich-meaning a portion of the gas youre buying wont burn but will go out the exhaust.

Answer 3

Mazda 6 2007

Answer 4

Just a little more clarity: You won't NECESSARILY get a ping noise with lower octane fuel. Most modern engines have knock sensors which will retard the spark to prevent pinging. So the end effect is an engine which is outputting less power because of the octane rating of the gas. A higher compression engine will require a higher octane rating. The problem is that the compression of the engine ignites the fuel, thus making the gas burn before it should (it should burn when the spark plug fires). The only way to know for sure is to keep detailed records of your mileage. Fill up 5 times with 87, then fill up 5 times with 93 and see if there's a difference in mileage.

Answer 5

If it says premium use premium. Check what the manual says for octane and compare at the pumps what you need.
It will save you much warranty hassle at the dealer should something arise.. if they find out you used regular and something goes wrong... guess what, you're out of luck. When the warranty is over, do what you want.. they arent putting that on there to increase your fuel bill, its there for a reason..
Dont chance it, it could cost you a heck of a lot more than a few dollars every time you fill.

Answer 6

Read the instruction manual carefully. All this information is included in this simple to read (technical writer's make sure that a third grader can use it) book! In case you fail to read it, I personally own a Mazda6 and I did not see anything in the book that requires the owner to use premium unleaded! According to their website you only need 87 octane unless you want to fill big oil's pockets.

Answer 7

If premium is recommended, then go premium. This will save you trouble with warranty issue as dealer will pick on anything to get out of warranty.

Did Mazda recommend 91 or 93 octane? If it is 91, you can mix 89 with 93 and that will save you a little bit of money.

Answer 8

Mazda 6 2006

Answer 9

Mazda used to put the fuel grade required inside the gas filler cap. If not, it will be in the owners manual.

One of my instructors, when I was in school, was a retired petroleum engineer. He said it is a waste of money to use premium if regular is what the manufacturer recommends.

Answer 10

If it is recommended to use the premium then that is what I would do, I had a car that said to use premium and when I used unleaded, you could really tell! It was a Buick Park Avenue Ultra.