Ilovemountains

Hi guys, I was just pumping gas a few minutes ago and started to think to myself which octane is the best for my 3.0? I have always bought 93 or 89 but the last time I filled up my buddy pumped and filled it from E to full with 87. It is a little harder start “I think" and I do hear a little valve rattle when I pull out but “I think"! Is this noise in my head or will lower octane make my valve ping at lower loaded rpm? What fuel should I run in my 3.0? Im not against running 93 all the time but is it necessary to use better fuel. I dont know what causes the ping other than pre ignition but is it a bad thing? Please chime in on this one! Anyway I put $5 of 89 in it for now till I get a few replies then Ill top it off! Im just curious, can lower octane and the valve ping damage an engine?

4Runner 4Play

89 For me man, ya know why?


Cuz Iam not a billionaire!!! :cry:
Nah, I just dont think it's worth the extra $$ to get a higher octane. I've heard that when using the higher one it ignights and burns slower, so in turn you'll get better milage. That being said that it could be just a crock. Iam not 100% sure. However, when Iam gonna be going on a roadtrip and hauling alot of stuff I'll let the tank got to E, and fill er up with a higher octane than normal.... or..... use 89 and throw in a bottle of gas treatment ---> high octane stuff. Hope this helps you somewhat...
Cheers, Lee Hathaway

corvettelvr73

I run 87 all the time and it seems to be fine for me. Yeah maybe just a little i notice it being a little harder to start compared to 93 but not enough for me to worry about. I havent heard any pinging but it will if I pull trailers up hills in the summer or something. Im driving close to 400 miles a week with 80% being 60-85 mph with no pinging. Im my corvette it would act up alot with 89 especially in higher rpms. I just dont think 93 and 89 are what they ar cracked up to be for our trucks/runners.

BajaRunner

I live on the California coast, well, right on the beach to be exact, and I get moderate pinging with 87.

I bought my 4runner from an Arizona dealer, and the truck had no rust, or had ever been near the ocean. I know when I run 91 (highest in this area), i wont get pinging.

I just run higher octane when I have money. If I dont have much cash in the week I'll run 87.

ken.vs.ryu

been doing 89...but what does the manual say?

COYOTA $x$

"FROM THE NET"


Myth about Premium Gas

Many people believe that "premium" gas is the best gas. Not true. Premium simply means "premium price" for higher octane. Octane is a simple measurement for a gasoline?s ability to resist engine knock, a rattling or pinging sound that results from premature ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture in one or more cylinders.

Most gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (usually 87 octane), mid-grade (usually 89 octane) and premium (usually 92 or 93). The ratings must be posted on bright yellow stickers on each gasoline pump. The misnomer about octane is that the higher the rating, the better or more smoothly your car will run. In fact, premium gas can be bad for your engine if it was not designed to run at a high-octane level.

Although it may seem that the term "premium" or "high octane" implies that more energy is available, premium gas does not produce more energy than regular or mid-grade fuel. The octane grades are designed to accommodate engines with different compression ratios. High compression engines, found in most performance cars, require a fuel that burns efficiently at a higher temperature. That?s what premium fuel does, it burns hot under high compression. In a normal engine, premium fuel does not burn completely, resulting in excess carbon build-up and carbon fouling of the spark plugs.

The end result is a less efficient engine that requires tune-ups more frequently. Oh, yeah, did I mention it also wastes money?

The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane fuel is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars. Check your owner?s manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Regular octane is recommended for most cars. However, some cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, need mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.

AUJWE

I run 87 all the time and have never had any pinging.

bike4miles

My manual suimply said to run "at least 87." It has been my experience that I get the best performance out of 89 but I usually fill up with 87. I was running 91 for a while but I really didn't notice any more power and I herd high octain will cause carbon build up so I stoped using it. Never had any pinging at all no matter what gas I use. Just seems a little smoother with 89.

rimpainter.com

87, never had a problem and I can still smoke ricers and Mom's in Honda Pilots.

Flamedx4

80 proof. With beer chaser...

SLC Punk

Premium in both of mine.
Not because I am rich, but because they both require it.

dajabr

I run midgrade 87 and up. I get pings and hesitation with regular...

rimpainter.com

I think you N/A guys that are getting ping with 87 need to get to the root cause of the problem. Upgraded octane is just a bandaid on engines designed for 87. Something sounds out of adjustment, worn out, or a part needs to be adjusted - or all of the above.

Just a thought...

Bigkahuna808

premium for me Costco only offers 89 and 92 So I gotta go with the higher one. When I run the lower octane the truck seems to hesitate on hard launches. And damn I pay for it $2.38 a gallon

roger

Take a look at your owner's manual. Chances are it will tell you that 87 octane is fine. I've always run 87 in my '98 Tacoma w/104k miles...never had any problems.

Pig Pen

Mine seems to prefer 89 too. 87 tends to ping under heavy load w/ AC on hot days.
All gasoline has the same energy content. Higher octane does not contain more energy. It's just more resistent to detonation and preignition.
Older non-computer controlled cars had no beneifit from increasing octane rating if there was no pinging. Todays' engines have knock sensors and computers that retard timing if knocking is sensed. Advancing ignition timing results in higher cylinder pressure and better performance, and retarding timing lowers cylinder pressure and performance. The computer will try to maximize the timing advance and cylinder pressure to the point where the knock sensor picks up pinging and adjust it accordingly. Hence you usually do get an increase in performance in these engines by using higher octane as it bumps up the cylinder pressure.
I can't see paying the price for 92 if I'm satisfied with 89.

PirateFins

I have run all 3 and can't tell a difference between them, so now I run 87. Besides I'd need a second job to buy 92.

toy283

85. No need to run any more.

rwmorrisonjr

87 now that the SC is gone. My wallet likes the difference and I don't notice any change in mileage.

stevrock

I noticed a HUGE difference in my mileage when I switched around my gas configuration.

Here on a Native american reservation they sell gas for a couple cents cheaper per litre (yeah, I'm Canadian), so there have always been rumors as to why their gas is cheaper for us (watered down, incorrect measurements)....

I decided to do a little test of my own, I tried a different gas station on just regular gas (Shell 87 octane) and Irving (91 octane), they both seemed alot better on milage and performance.
My next comparison will be to Shell's premium 91 octane to see how that fares out.

I recomend the highest octane you can buy at your gas station, plugs are cheaper then gas for 100 km, get over it.