How is premium gas better than the cheaper options at the pump?

[fitzy7722]

I've always wondered what's the difference and if it really does improve your car's performance. Anyone know this or have an opinion?

[Deadddz]

theres less lead in it

[kay_kakes]

I dont exactly know, but I do know it's of better quality. Obvious statement, I know. Sorry, I don't have much info. But if you go to gasbuddy.com, the website shows you the gas prices of all gas stations in yor area so you can pick the cheapest location.

[YoMaMa84]

More concentrated mixture, less lead

[mexiFRO]

It doesn't matter if you have a low compression engine. If you run a higher compression engine, I hear you can get knock using a lower octane. I have ran premium and I have ran the basic in my truck and personally haven't noticed a difference. What car do you have?

[Vivek]

Engines are designed for a particular grade of Gas. Can't really say that 98 Octane is better than 91 Octane. Depends on what engine it is and what the manufacturer recommends.

having said that.. here's more info

Octane number is the number which gives the percentage, by volume, of iso-octane in a mixture of iso-octane and normal heptane, that would have the same anti-knocking capacity as the fuel which is under consideration. For example, gasoline with the same knocking characteristics as a mixture of 90% iso-octane and 10% heptane would have an octane rating of 90

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating


Also, if your car does not require premium gas, there's really no added benefits to using higher grade fuel.

[TheGunther]

I usually get 1 to two 2 gallons per mile better.

[shiv15]

As stated above use whats recommended for your car. If 87 is fine then dont waste money on higher octane.

[monk3yman]

it depends on your car if its a performance car then its gonna need premium but if its just a regular car then youd be wasting your money with any thing but regular.

[lowandslow]

Originally Posted by kay_kakes

I dont exactly know, but I do know it's of better quality. Obvious statement, I know. Sorry, I don't have much info. But if you go to gasbuddy.com, the website shows you the gas prices of all gas stations in yor area so you can pick the cheapest location.

It's actually not any higher quality, the higher the octane, the higher the temperature has to be for the gas to ignite. So higher compression motors,(that get hotter in the combustion chamber) run higher octane so that the gas does not detonate early(knock).

[getdiced010]

High performance engines have higher compression ratios. The more you compress something, the hotter it is going to get. Therefore if you were to put regular test gas in a high compression engine than it would ignite before being fully compressed to the ratio intended for that car (i.e. knocking). High test gas (premium and plus) burn hotter and can only be ignited by the spark plug, not the compression alone therefore the engine runs how it was designed to. Putting high test gasoline in a car that dosen't need it would the vast majority of the time be pointless.

[Ultra_Magnus]

Only use it if your car requires it, otherwise its a waste.

/thread

[FunkDaddy]

Originally Posted by Vivek

Engines are designed for a particular grade of Gas. Can't really say that 98 Octane is better than 91 Octane. Depends on what engine it is and what the manufacturer recommends.

having said that.. here's more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating


Also, if your car does not require premium gas, there's really no added benefits to using higher grade fuel.

This man speaks the truth /thread

[lowandslow]

Originally Posted by getdiced010

High performance engines have higher compression ratios. The more you compress something, the hotter it is going to get. Therefore if you were to put regular test gas in a high compression engine than it would ignite before being fully compressed to the ratio intended for that car (i.e. knocking). High test gas (premium and plus) burn hotter and can only be ignited by the spark plug, not the compression alone therefore the engine runs how it was designed to. Putting high test gasoline in a car that dosen't need it would the vast majority of the time be pointless.

Just barely beat you to it!!

[J-Bol]

Originally Posted by YoMaMa84

More concentrated mixture, less lead

We don't have lead in gas anymore. Hence it being called unleaded gas.

[fitzy7722]

Wow, everyone knew this...I guess I'm an idiot. Anyhow, my car requires it and never understood why and if I'd be doing harm to the car if I just purchased the cheaper gas.

[lowandslow]

Originally Posted by Vivek

Engines are designed for a particular grade of Gas. Can't really say that 98 Octane is better than 91 Octane. Depends on what engine it is and what the manufacturer recommends.

having said that.. here's more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating


Also, if your car does not require premium gas, there's really no added benefits to using higher grade fuel.

Well said.

There are things you can do to your car though such as adjust timing curves, set up new fuel maps/(or make carb adjustments if you're carbed) that will make your engine more efficiently, often resulting in more power or better gas mileage, but these adjustments with ignition timing/fuel will often require a higher octane gas to avoid knock. So the benefits really offset themselves by making you pay more for gas.

Adding power adders like turbochargers or superchargers is definitely a good reason to up the octane, because those are just shoving more hot air into your motor.

[themills]

Originally Posted by lowandslow

It's actually not any higher quality, the higher the octane, the higher the temperature has to be for the gas to ignite. So higher compression motors,(that get hotter in the combustion chamber) run higher octane so that the gas does not detonate early(knock).

X2, Less knock = less engine wear. Its a long term investment. constant knock i.e. early detonation over 150k mile is what kills you.

[lowandslow]

Originally Posted by TheGunther

I usually get 1 to two 2 gallons per mile better.

What kind of car you have?