My mom put 87 Octane fuel in my Mercedes instead of 91 while borrowing my car last week. I've since been averaging about 5 mpg over the 16 mpg I was previously getting, and so far haven't noticed any performance drop.
Can anyone explain why this is happening? I assume it's due to the knock sensor modifying the engines power output but it seems to be just as quick as ever.
Aaron Cox
How old is the Mercedes? Engines in OLD Benz cars love cheap bad gasoline
Really though, any car made from... say before 2004, Premium is a waste and should stick to Regular
Asher Lewis
Jesus. What a bagger.
Julian Hall
I'd hit that, amazing body and she still has a pretty face.
Zachary Sanchez
You obviously have no idea how gasoline works. You should ALWAYS put whatever octane the car requires. The only reason not to would be if a station doesn't have the octane you need.
Joshua Cruz
>pretty face Pretty fucking square
Nolan Thomas
>put whatever octane the car requires Except for the fact that as a car ages, gains wear inside the engine parts, and deposits of carbon and possibly slight sludging of oil up in places where only a rebuild can find...
You're not likely to get the benefit of higher octane in older worn engines.
Ergo, wasting money on High Octane fuel in an engine that's aged and doesn't get that benefit is STUPID.
Nicholas Garcia
Noob
Ayden Allen
Tell me, in your fun little world what octane means. Because in the real world, octane is the resistance of a fuel to burn, not amagical number that keeps your engine cleaner or gives you more power. Higher compression engines NEED a higher octane fuel to work efficiently. If they don't get the fuel they need, they will knock and if the knock is not accounted for, they WILL fail catastrophically. Please, learn something before talking out of your ass. Premium gasoline has NOTHING to do with engine sludge or wear on an engine.
Thomas Wood
You're an fucking idiot. Premium gas is a fucking meme. Modern ECUs can adjust themselves to run on lower octane fuels just fine. Even if the car requires premium, it will run just fine on regular gas and save you a ton of money. Unless you're going to a race track or some shit, you don't need premium gas.
Brandon Bennett
Yeah, they'll adjust by pulling timing and giving you less power and more wear on internal components. You won't save a ton of money unless you're working a minimum wage job, in which case you shouldn't be driving something that requires premium.
Holy shit, did Veeky Forums go retarded or has it always been this way?
Landon Mitchell
>less power A few hp doesn't matter on the street.
>more wear Cars go hundreds of thousands of miles on regular gas just fine.
>hurr minimum wage job Just because you make more money doesn't mean you can't be frugal.
Hudson Rivera
Yes, they CAN go for a good amount of time, but you're running on a measure meant to protect the engine in the case that you can't find the right octane. If the engine is recommended to run a certain octane, you should stick to it. You will not only get better mileage, but more power and less wear on internal parts, plain and simple.
Don't believe me? When the ECU pulls timing, the "boom" in the engine happens earlier before TDC than it would otherwise, creating more horizontal load on the rod bearings. Over time, this extra force will oval out the bearings, requiring earlier replacement than if you had just used the right fucking gas. Engines aren't tuned to run on whatever you can find on the side of the road. You can only target a certain efficiency, and if the efficiency set involves a certain variable (octane and detonation angle), it is in the interest of the engine to keep them as they are. It's really not a hard concept, but I could explain the difference that just a bit of extra sideways load on the bearings has.
Nathan Turner
* to clarify, the tangential force on the rod bearings is not extra, but it is a larger amount than would have otherwise been directed at that angle.
Sebastian Roberts
>oh no ill only get 500k miles out of my car rather than 550k :(((((((((((
Jonathan Sanders
What does a 1995 Miata require? I normally put 95 RON, and 98 RON every few weeks. I only put 91 if I'm super broke.
Dylan Walker
Not sure about RON, but regular is fine for that engine.
Nathan Sullivan
...
Jacob Ramirez
ugh, whos right, i almost felt stupid for filling my 02 is300 with 91
Henry Peterson
yeh mayng 07 es350 many ppl say regular is fine, the new es350s with the same engine no longer require premium, toyota uses similar (not exactly the same) v6 in camrys etc. which aren't premium
dayum homie only way to fine out is try dat shit i gezz
Mason Green
lol get the lowest octane. does Veeky Forums even read the manuals
Hunter Rivera
>When the ECU pulls timing, the "boom" in the engine happens earlier before TDC than it would otherwise
No, wrong. The ignition is timed so that maximum chamber pressure is reached just as, or shortly after the piston reaches TDC. When you use lower octane fuel, the ECU adjusts timing to prevent the combustion before piston is at TDC.
Jordan Bell
I wish that minecraft looking bitch would build me a sandwich
William Wood
Do whatever the manufacturer recommends. One tank of regular won't kill you but always go with the manual.