87 Octane

[Sven59]

Originally Posted by Hocky

It is only a small thing until you get into the car and start hammering on it, ending up with a hole in a piston and a $15,000 repair bill. Tell her to put the right fuel in it.

The car was designed to run on 87, you lose performance. I if you add 93 the car automatically recalibrates. I have not heard of one person on this forum that has damaged the engine because of 87. With the various gas stations you will get different octanes, just because it says 93 doesn't mean it is. If you want to see the effect by a dash logic and monitor the Kr. It will give you an idea if you are having issues.

[DRKS1D3]

Originally Posted by Hocky

It is only a small thing until you get into the car and start hammering on it, ending up with a hole in a piston and a $15,000 repair bill. Tell her to put the right fuel in it.

This 100%! BTW, I've been happily married for 9 years. You don't have to jump up and down like a flipping lunatic and scold her for not running 93 octane. Tell her (gently) that the car runs at optimum performance on Premium. If she gets upset over that...well then, I don't know what to tell you.

[flipstyledsm22]

Originally Posted by Hocky

It is only a small thing until you get into the car and start hammering on it, ending up with a hole in a piston and a $15,000 repair bill. Tell her to put the right fuel in it.

Lets say it is on empty and I put 93 in it, then go race around the back roads a little. Would that hurt the car, being that it has learned (retard the timing) to perform under a lower octane? Do I have to do a fuse pull every time I fill it back up with 93?

[flipstyledsm22]

Originally Posted by Sven59

The car was designed to run on 87, you lose performance. I if you add 93 the car automatically recalibrates. I have not heard of one person on this forum that has damaged the engine because of 87. With the various gas stations you will get different octanes, just because it says 93 doesn't mean it is. If you want to see the effect by a dash logic and monitor the Kr. It will give you an idea if you are having issues.

I've read a lot of your posts and I actually trust you more than most on here. Thank you for the comment. I am still searching for hard data on these claims though. It'll be good referencing for future questions.

[ZED SLED]

Originally Posted by flipstyledsm22

Lets say it is on empty and I put 93 in it, then go race around the back roads a little. Would that hurt the car, being that it has learned (retard the timing) to perform under a lower octane? Do I have to do a fuse pull every time I fill it back up with 93?

Only thing a fuse pull will do on a ZL1 is enhance your placebo effect. If you did read the manual you should have seen where 87 can be used, but expect a loss in performance. Translation-You will get your ass handed to you by a stock v6 Mustang

[Sven59]

Research, research, research there is such a wealth of info on this forum. If I have a problem I can usually tell the dealer the problem based on research here. But, yes a lot if bad info crosses these forums. I doubt your wife is going WOT in the car and as long as you realize and keep putting 93 in I would think it would balance out. I can only can get 91 here and I have noticed some Kr occasionally after filling at a different station. Maybe get some torco!

[1troyd23]

Simple solution...My wife used to complain about putting premium fuel in her Acura. Now she drives a Tesla Model S.

[Hocky]

Originally Posted by Sven59

The car was designed to run on 87, you lose performance. I if you add 93 the car automatically recalibrates. I have not heard of one person on this forum that has damaged the engine because of 87. With the various gas stations you will get different octanes, just because it says 93 doesn't mean it is. If you want to see the effect by a dash logic and monitor the Kr. It will give you an idea if you are having issues.

That is flat out not true. There is not an "octane sensor" in the motor. It doesn't know that you put the wrong fuel in it. For it to start pulling timing back, the motor has to knock. The more the motor knocks, the more timing it pulls away. It'll "learn" itself toward the low octane maps, but at the end of the day, it wants to put high octane timing to it. It might not break this time or next time, but you're absolutely shortening your engine's lifespan and risking potential catastrophic failure by allowing it to knock. It would never be an issue if it was kept out of boost and driven softly, but the second you start beating on it is the second that you start hurting it.

[Hocky]

Originally Posted by flipstyledsm22

Lets say it is on empty and I put 93 in it, then go race around the back roads a little. Would that hurt the car, being that it has learned (retard the timing) to perform under a lower octane? Do I have to do a fuse pull every time I fill it back up with 93?

No, you don't have to do anything, it will be fine. Just remember, topping off a 1/2 tank of 87 with premium doesn't give you premium fuel.

[flipstyledsm22]

Originally Posted by Hocky

No, you don't have to do anything, it will be fine. Just remember, topping off a 1/2 tank of 87 with premium doesn't give you premium fuel.

I understand that. That's why I don't beat on it, unless I've completely filled it up with premium fuel. I typically try to check on her fuel levels and fill it up myself, but our schedules are never the same.

[RAMTechRob]

I would show her the manual.

[Sven59]

Originally Posted by Hocky

That is flat out not true. There is not an "octane sensor" in the motor. It doesn't know that you put the wrong fuel in it. For it to start pulling timing back, the motor has to knock. The more the motor knocks, the more timing it pulls away. It'll "learn" itself toward the low octane maps, but at the end of the day, it wants to put high octane timing to it. It might not break this time or next time, but you're absolutely shortening your engine's lifespan and risking potential catastrophic failure by allowing it to knock. It would never be an issue if it was kept out of boost and driven softly, but the second you start beating on it is the second that you start hurting it.

Required Fuel (ZL1 Only)

If the vehicle has the 6.2L V8 engine

(VIN Code P), use premium

unleaded gasoline with a posted

octane rating of 91 or higher. For

best performance, use premium

unleaded gasoline with a posted

octane rating of 93. You can also

use regular unleaded gasoline rated

at 87 octane or higher, but the

vehicle's acceleration could be

slightly reduced, and a slight audible

knocking noise, commonly referred

to as spark knock, might be heard.

If the octane rating is less than 87, a

heavy knocking noise might be

heard when driving. If this occurs,

use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or

higher as soon as possible.

Otherwise, you could damage the

engine. If heavy knocking is heard

when using gasoline rated at

87 octane or higher, the engine

needs service.

[clarkkent]

"You can also use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the vehicle's acceleration could be slightly reduced, and a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as spark knock, might be heard"

This is what the other guy is referring to. It takes time for the car to adjust to the lower octane, it does that when it detects pinging. Even that little bit of pinging it DOES detect to retard timing could lead to damage to the engine, and a shortened engine life

[Sven59]

Probably the best thread on this issue, some smart people chime in. http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371551