Which Octane to use - 2000 Camry LE - 30000 Miles on it.

Read your owners manual - all fuel-injection Toyotas have knock sensors and pretty smart EFI computers, and are designed to run just fine on regular grade gasoline. The manual says something to the effect of 'you /must/ use at least 87 pump octane regular, but you /can/ use mid-grade or premium "for increased performance".

The computer can advance the timing to get a bit more power out of premium fuel, but the power bump you get (under 1 HP) is not enough to make up for the 20c to 30c a gallon price bump for premium. The oil companies are going to talk up the alleged benefits of running premium fuel, because they make more money selling it.

Unless you're going out trailer towing, or on a long trip blasting up 8%+ highway grades with your foot mashed to the floor, save a lot of your money and just use regular around town.

But to be sure that it's handling the switchover to regular okay, the next time you stress the engine climbing a hill roll down the window, turn down the radio, and listen for the /lack of/ knocking to make sure it has adjusted itself right. If it sounds like someone's rattling a tin can full of pebbles under the hood, it's knocking...

No problem. Take the money you were wasting on premium fuel, and change to synthetic motor oil - that is something that is proven effective at getting you longer engine life.

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V4 eh? Boy, Toyota's ambitious!

I don't know, what's your MANUAL say? If it required premium grade gas, it would clearly say so on the instrument cluster: "PREMIUM FUEL ONLY."

-Tim

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Bruce L. Bergman being of bellicose mind posted:

Bzzzzzzt Not -all- Toyotas have been equipped with knock sensors. You don't find them on Corollas pre OBDII. ;-)

and pretty smart EFI computers, and are designed to run

I beg to differ. Premium fuel use shows it's best advantange when the EFI computer is in closed loop (lean with maximum ignition timing advance) and modulating the EGR normally at less than 1/3rd throttle. This is when an engine is closest to spark knocking. HOWEVER, when you go past 3/4 throttle ("your foot mashed to the floor"), the EFI computer goes open loop, much richer, and retards timing considerably which.... makes the engine LEAST prone to spark knocking.

Then, "mash ot the throttle" and note how all the spark knock disappears when the EFI goes 'open-loop.'

Use the cheapest gas u can find....some gas is not as good as others...like they put water or something in it to make more gallons to sell....lol

In news:N1%Gb.5854$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.news.adelphia.net, Jennie being of bellicose mind posted:

Jennie... stick to baking cookies. ;-)

Use quality gas, but 87. The lower the octane, the more power the fuel has per gallon. But you don't want to be too hard to burn or else you get pinging. 87 is good.

OTOH - I'm shocked at the sheer number of cars that now require premium fuel. The new 2004 Camry even does. The Buick Regal does. The BMW, Mercedes, and even the Volvo 40 series do. Sheesh - what the???

You do that in Canada in winter and the car goes about 4 blocks before the fuel line freezes and the car stalls Happened at the PetroCan on Hw10 and Hwy 401 about 10 years ago. They dug all the gas tanks out of the ground and replaced them to cure the water leaks.

The customers were mad as hell, as initially they said "it wasn't us", but when more customers turned up with frozen lines the game was up. The Mississauga news put it on the fron page as I recall.

others...like

perhaps it is because the regal is supercharged.

claims all the 2004 Camryrequire regular fuel. A couple of Celica models are the only US Toyotamodels shown as requiring premium (the Celica "Sports" Models - althoughI think combining Toyota and "Sports" in the same sentence is anoxymoron).

As for the Buick Regal, only the supercharged model requires premium. The non-supercharged models require only regular.

Ed

Thanks Joseph!

Which quality gas do you recommend? Chevron ..shell...??

Thanks for the advice!

others...like

You are not going to find that the quality of the gas differs much. About the only thing that varies is the additive package. I like Chevron's additive package the most, and Shells the least. However, the actual fuel is going to be almost identical since the properties are now tightly controlled by the various governmental agencies (EPA, CARB, etc.). I suppose if you buy gas at the "Happy Gas" station, you might run into sub-standard products, or contaminated gas, but I doubt it. I think as long as you buy gas from a newer, high volume station you'll be OK.

Ed

In news: snipped-for-privacy@mindspring.com, C. E. White being of bellicose mind posted:

"Ed" and "grudge" in the same sentence is redundant.

The Celica GT-S and the Matrix XRS are recommended to be run with 91 octane or above.

Mark Pippin

A couple of Celica models are the only US Toyota

If by grudge, you mean my expressing my opinion that Toyota does a good job of building boring, third rate designs, I guess you have me pegged. A Celica is about as "sporty" as a Corolla unless your idea of "sporty" menas weird looking body work.

Ed

to add to this the V40 is turbocharged, and like they say if you can't afford to feed her, you don't need her.