After reading a post on Octane levels, I decided I'd say a few words to clear up any misconceptions people may have. A 4Runner will run the same or better on 87 as 93. Octane does have to do with the refinment of the gasoline, but here's how it works, as I understand it. There are several chemicals in gasoline that are explosive, flammable, combustable, whatever... Now the piston works by pressurizing the gasoline, and then adding a spark to combust it. However, some of the chemicals will combust solely due to the fact that the pressure has increased. If you've ever been in an older car (1975 or before), you might have heard of "knocking". This is when the certain chemicals combust under pressure before the spark is generated. Bad for the engine? Definately. With new cars, it isn't a problem becaus they're made so well, unless you drive Lamborghni, Ferrari, Porsche, etc... I accidentally filled my dad's BMW up with 87 and it didn't cause any problems, but he doesn't drive it like a race car. Now unless you have removed the rev limiter or hav a supercharger in your 4Runner, 87 octane has the same perormance as 93. If you are a nut and have removed the rev limitor, 93 will give you better redlining performance, because it has more balanced levels of chemicals so the gasoline won't combust solely under pessure. That is dangerous though... don't do it! A supercharger provides more oxygen, and naturally the explosion is a bit bigger, so 93 will give better performance as it won't combust unless prompted by the spark, and won't produce too big of an explosion which also can create "knocking".That's how I understand it, so use 87 from Shell... it's the cheapest one around now, I think, and while you're there pick up some Moon Pies and Honey Buns from the Corner Pantry.
:confused:

Zach

 

sounds good.

good summary of all the threads going on about octane

 

I gave my car a treat from its normal 87 arco to 91 chevron.. and i notice no difference in my car...

 

new poll........

you say shell is the cheapest im in los angeles ca and arco is the cheapest at $1.70 a gallon....:eek:

 

Sounds right to me; what was explained to me in Ford Technician school was that the higher the octane, the slower the burn. If you are at a high elevation, you can also run lower octaine (since there is less oxygen to burn).

Another thing that people think is that "techron" is better, higher quality, and cleans your engine. IMHO that is total BS, to me, it is a marketing strategy (using my business school knowledge).

People ask well how do you clean your injectors, well I don't know if Toyota does this, but with Ford we had a concentrated chemical and a special machine to do this. The cleaner cannot go into the tank because it would eat your lines, so we would splice into the fuel rail and have the machine pump the cleaner/gas mixture into the engine and run it for 15-20 minutes.

 

Shell here in South Carolina is $1.57/gallon of 87 unleaded. They just sent the F-16 squadron in SC out 3 days ago though to the middle east, so it might be around $1.70 next week...



Zach

 

The news is claiming that all these price raises is "price gouging"
- I tend to agree.