Re: Improves Engine Performance

Sep 10, 2007 3 Replies


Your local gas station probably offers you 3 levels of gasoline, like


> gold, silver and bronze. These typically have different levels of
> octane in them and you will generally get a little better mileage for
> the more expensive type.

Higher octane gas NOT get you better mileage. Use the octane rating that is suggested for your car - no lower, no higher.


Using high octance gas in a low octane engine is a waste of money. Using low octane gas in a high octane engine will cause detonation and damage, or cause the computer to adjust timing and waste power.

"Noozer" wrote in message news:F13Fi.144577$fJ5.109823@pd7urf1no...

"I noticed that some older Buick Ultras with Superchargers--check & lemme know if I'm wrong--had lower compression ratio than the non-s/chg'd., something like 8:1 on the s/chg'd. and 8.5:1 on the non-s/chg'd. On the surface, lo-octane seems ok. "

That surface assumption would be wrong. While it may well be that the -mechanical- compression ratio is lower on the supercharged version than on the normally aspirated one, the -effective- compression ratio would rise greatly as boost builds. Bottom line, why not try using whatever grade the manufacuters recommend?

Lee Richardson

Sorry I wasn't clearer when I tried to indicate that's what I do and recommend : " And who knows when I'll wish to "feel" it? Needs hi-octane then! However the knock sensor detects my foot, lowers the timing via computer, runs inefficiently thru this otherwise hurting time, and fails to let me feel what it really had, being constrained by all the lower parameters than ideal!" I agree wholeheartedly with you. I've also found in most cases,

*parts* the mfg. calls for are hard to beat--DexCool excepted. sam

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