100 octane fuel question

a nearby airport is selling 100 octane airplane gas for about 3$/gallon. my buddy uses it in his dirtbike to eliminate knocking and add a bit of performance. if i fill my car with that for one tankfull will anything die in my engine? i have never since i bought the car put anything other than 87 octane in it. someone told me its good to run very high octane once in a while to clean things out like carbon buildup and s*** like that. thanx in advance for replying

whoever told you that has succumb to misinformation,

if you put 100 octane in your none FI protege you will do nothing besides lose money and possibly power.

the octane rating is the gas' resistance to detonation (exploding at the wrong time) this is directly related to the compression ratio, NA the protege needs 87, turbo or high compression use 91 or 93, and if you crank up the boost use higher (because it raises the compession and make the fuel more prone to detonation)

100 octane gas is exactly the same as 87 its just a different compresssion setting, 100 does not mean more power, 91 does not mean more power, all it is is a marketing gimmic, "supreme" is no better then normal, ultra super techron, is no different then normal gas except it takes a higher compression.

there are no different additives or anything, its exactly the same.


the only major differnce in gas is weather or not its leaded or not, and you DO NOT want leaded gas.(stooges)

did this help?

the only time any car would need to run octane that is higher then the factory recommendations are:

-turbo/supercharger
-nitrous
-higher compession pistons
-knocking is detected (you would know)
-increasing the boost on a stock turbo system

usually 100ron octane is leaded fuel. bad bad bad for catalytic converters.

and a higher ron is only of use if you can adjust the timing or increase the cylinder pressure (FI or high comp pistons)

Most airplane fuel is slightly leaded to help keep it form freezing while flying. Airplane fuel bad for your car...

i think it'll just burn fuel faster than normal gas but it wont do any harm

Higher octane gas burns slower than low octane gas. You will lose power, and possibly MPG. It wouldn't mess anything up as long as it is unleaded, but there's really no point

Togan said:

i think it'll just burn fuel faster than normal gas but it wont do any harm

Click to expand...

Higher Octane doesn't burn faster.

taken from - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/octane.htm

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.

The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.

Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.

What are octane ratings?
Octane ratings measure 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.

What's the right octane level for your car?
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.

How can you tell if you're using the right octane level? Listen to your car's engine. If it doesn't knock when you use the recommended octane, you're using the right grade of gasoline.

Will higher octane gasoline clean your engine better?
As a rule, high octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car's engine. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the expected life of your car.

Should you ever switch to a higher octane gasoline?
A few car engines may knock or ping - even if you use the recommended octane. If this happens, try switching to the next highest octane grade. In many cases, switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, you may need a tune-up or some other repair. After that work is done, go back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine runs without knocking.

Is knocking harmful?
Occasional light knocking or pinging won't harm your engine, and doesn't indicate a need for higher octane. But don't ignore severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage.

Is all "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same?
The octane rating of gasoline marked "premium" or "regular" is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of 92 for all premium gasoline, while another may allow 90 octane to be called premium. To make sure you know what you're buying, check the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "premium" or "regular."

For More Information
If you're concerned about the accuracy of an octane label - or if you don't see a yellow octane sticker on a gasoline pump, write: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.

<!-- InstanceEndEditable --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="Boilerplate" --><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/boilerplate_eng.lbi" --><LINK href="/bcp/bcpstylesheet.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet>The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

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yeah that's the long version of my post lol

thanx again to all for clearning this up. ill make sure i wont waste my money on the airplane gas.

When I was in high school everybody used to buy the Sunoco 104 octane at like $5 a gallon and then race.

Very few people actually needed it, yet many people swore by it.

After reading Micah very long post I am considering of buying less expensive gas now. I usually bought the most expensive gas thinking that its better for my car, but having read the post I think I can buy the 2nd most expenisve gas or even the least expenisve gas depending on what my car takes.

Thanks Micah

kid prodigy said:

After reading Micah very long post I am considering of buying less expensive gas now. I usually bought the most expensive gas thinking that its better for my car, but having read the post I think I can buy the 2nd most expenisve gas or even the least expenisve gas depending on what my car takes.

Thanks Micah

Click to expand...

for a P5 87 octane seems sufficient

kid prodigy said:

After reading Micah very long post I am considering of buying less expensive gas now. I usually bought the most expensive gas thinking that its better for my car, but having read the post I think I can buy the 2nd most expenisve gas or even the least expenisve gas depending on what my car takes.

Thanks Micah

Click to expand...

it takes the least expensive... 87 octane.

Thanks myndfi3ld. I can save a lot of money now and put it into better use.

kid prodigy said:

Thanks myndfi3ld. I can save a lot of money now and put it into better use.

Click to expand...

You could save up for a turbo with the money you save... and then you won't be able to save the money anymore because you'll need like 91 or something. When my sister got rid of her 1995 grand am for a 2000 Eclipse GT she was so excited, and in the parking lot after we signed all the paperwork she opened up the gas lid and saw "Premium Fuel Only" and was so saddened. 93 octane (Mobil around here doesn't have 91) is 1.99 a gallon as of yesterday, ugh

1.99 lucky you !!! Here where i live, 92 is 2.31 .

high octane unleaded is cleaner than normal unleaded for your engine as the easiest way to increase the octane levels is to throw in stuff like paint thinners (cant remember the name). so it does keep your injectors cleaner etc.

also, there may be benefit to run the P5 etc on higher octane....if anyone can confirm if our timing changes during the rev range....nobody seams to know for sure because our timing retards if the knock sensor goes off, so why wouldnt the timing advance until the knock sensor goes off???