Hey guys,

I'm new here, not a TSX owner yet but hoping to become a bona fide member of the club very soon. I just have to find a dealer with an arctic blue one -- I (think) I'm set on that color, but they are apparently really hard to come by.

I didn't do too much real-life shopping around before I decided on a TSX. Mostly just "build & price" stuff on the Internet. I just really liked the TSX from the start, though. Test drove a CG one with navi recently and man...too sweet.

Anywho -- got a few really dumb questions that will probably make you roll your eyes and laugh, but here goes anyway:

1. I assume that when people say they installed an "OEM" piece like a spoiler or front body kit, they are talking about the Acura factory kits rather than some third-party stuff?

2. Does the TSX require premium fuel? I keep reading that the TSX requires premium fuel, but the dealer tells me no, regular is fine unless you really need the extra performance. I'm not a performance freak -- where I'm coming from is I just want a great, comfortable car that looks awesome, has some luxury features, gives me a good ride, is reliable, and will last me a long time. The TSX fit the bill. What kind of fuel does it have to use?

3. I drive mostly on weekends. I commute to work on a train and park my car at the station. I know what you're thinking -- why buy an awesome car if you're not going to drive it much, and why risk something happening to it by leaving it in a parking lot all day? Well....I definitely see that point, but as long as I don't have to navigate So California freeway rush hour crap traffic, why not? I HATE driving in that mess. On the weekends, I get out on the open road. So any suggestions? I'll definitely need a car cover. Should I buy the official Acura car cover or is there a less expensive one that works well? Also security is a factor. Any suggestions as to security system? I'm not really familiar with what Acura itself has to offer in that regard. Need to talk to the dealer about that.

4. I'm thinking about just getting the standard 6-CD changer instead of the more expensive MP3 CD system that Acura has to offer. But I'd really like to be able to take my iPod on the road. I've seen a system called Icelink that looks like the ticket. Does it hook up easily to the standard 6-CD system?

I guess that's about all my dumb questions for now. I've been trying to search the forums for answers but couldn't really find definite answers to these questions.

Thanks!

 

1. yes

2. yes

 

4. Yes but it disables XM radio.

 

Damn...If #2 is an absolute yes -- it absolutely can't run on anything less than premium fuel on a long-term basis (even though the one I test-drove was running on regular) -- then that is a definite negative factor. With the price of premium at nearly $3/gal here, I will have to seriously consider whether I really want a car that has to have that. Yes, I know I'll be buying a near-luxury sedan, but still, long-term ongoing cost of ownership is something that I want to be smart about, too.

Don't really care about XM radio, so that's not a big deal.

 

Which is more expensive. To pay $2.50 for regular and get 25 mpg or to pay $3.00 for premium and get 30 mpg?

I am not aware of any car that uses regular, has the power and performance of the TSX, and gets 30-35 mpg on the highway. I just got 30 mpg on a 375 mile trip with 1/4 in heavy rain (with pools of water on the road that would try to jerk the steering wheel to one side or the other) and 1/4 in light rain. My 150 HP Grand Am would have gotten between 20-22 mpg on that trip. It is also nice to be able to travel 375+ miles without having to stop for gas. At 30 mpg, 16 gals. will provide a range of nearly 500 miles (480 miles to be exact). That is the longest range of any vehicle that I have driven.

Premium gas, in an engine that is designed for premium gas, has a turbo-charging effect. It give you more power without a significant increase in weight.

 

What part of So*Cal are you from?

And how do you know the TSX you drove was filled with regular gas?

 

If i'm not mistaken, usin' premium gas will not give you a turbo-charging effect. However, it'll prevent your engine from detonating. And if u want even better milage, i would go for the permium-plus.

 

Is premium-plus 93 octane fuel?

Here in California our highest pump gas octane is 91

 

Thanks for the replies.

I'm in the L.A. area of So-Cal. And while I didn't take a sample of the fuel in the gas tank home with me from the TSX I test drove and submit it to a lab for octane tests , the guys at the dealership seemed to be telling me the truth: They do use regular in the cars.

Of course, they're a dealership, not an owner that will own the car long-term, so I know there's a difference. I'm just saying that the dealer told me that it didn't need premium.

However...if premium gas really does increase the overall mileage enough so that the cost differential becomes a wash as you suggest ($2.50/gallon regular fuel for 25MPG versus $3/gallon premium for 30MPG), then that would be OK. However, I sort of doubt that the mileage boost would be that dramatic. Are you guys really getting 30MPG out of your vehicles?

Oh, and I'm not concerned or impressed with the performance improvements of premium fuel. That's not a big factor to me. But increased mileage is a different story. Anything that would prove to me that when I do the math, I'm not really wasting extra money for fuel for no other reason than that the compression ratio of the car makes it require the expensive stuff.

Speaking of compression ratio, I'm not a car whiz, so can someone explain to me why a Corolla's compression ratio of 10:1 uses regular, and a TSX's compression ratio of 10.5:1 (.5 higher than the Corolla) needs premium? Does half a decimal point make that much difference? Or is it just the fact that anything over 10:1 will start getting into premium fuel territory?

Thanks again.

 

1) yes

2) you don't have to use premium. basically, you can use an 89 octane, but your engine was designed to run optimally with a 91+ octane. i don't recall seeing anyone post that they got knocking with an 89. however, you will probably experience less power output (especially at higher rpms) and a lower mpg rate with a lower octane.

3) an acura car cover can be replaced with another better quality cover, even though i have an oem one. i suggest that if you don't get an oem one, you spend a little more to get one that doesn't scratch, is "breathable," and is uv/somewhat water-proof.

for the security system, you may want to look into something like lojack or increasing the system's sensitivity. can the stock system be adjusted?

4) also, an icelink isn't too hard to install from what i've seen posted here. (you can always do a search or ask elduderino.)

 

Assume you keep your car for 100,000 miles and average 25mpg, you'll consume 4000 gallons of fuel during the vehicle's life. According to AAA, the average price for regular is $2.251/gal and $2.477/gal for premium.

That equates to a total spend of $9,004 for regular and $9,908 for premium. $904 over the life of your car isn't very much. I assume it would take probably 6 years to for the average person to drive 100,000 miles so that works out to about $150/year or $12.50/month.

Sauceman is our resident fuel economy specialist and has gone as high as 38.8mpg with the TSX.

 

So, will I end up paying more for gas over the long run, or is it basically a wash, as Jim Holloman claimed? It appears that premium fuel means you will get more mpg and thus can go a longer distance before needing another fill-up. Is that actually true?

This does makes me feel better, though. There was just a psychological barrier I had to get past with the thought of having to lift up the handle to the 91 octane pump every time I fill up -- but if the math works out, then I can handle it. And I'm below average on the mileage -- I don't go 100,000 miles in 6 years. So it would work out to even less per year.

And the whole "possibility of the engine detonating with lesser fuel" thing freaks me out.

That's interesting about the oem car cover. I would've thought the opposite -- the Acura one would be better than a third-party one (especially for the price, although I know they totally overcharge for this stuff).

I really do like the OEM spoilers, at least on pics I've seen on the Internet. Might spring for that later.

Eventually I'll probably get that whole kit installed, plus
1. Moonroof Visor
2. 17" "High-Performance" Sparkle Silver Alloy Wheels
3. Fog Lights
4. Door Edge Trim
5. maybe a trunk tray

I really like the Internet pics of the car with all of that stuff on it. I won't really get into DIY mods (my skills are not really up to snuff and I don't trust myself with that), but for me, this would be great enough!

 

Crusing on freeway continuouly at around 70 mph, or at 3,000 RPM (MT6), you could easily get 31+ mile/gallon of fuel efficiency. However, considering you are at L.A. and in I405 and I10 traffic, realisticlly, you are probably looking at about 25+ mile/gallon of fuel efficiency.

Jim brought up very good points about TSX. Paying for $3/gallon premium gasoline, you are paying $5 extra than buying the regular gasoline at each fill up, but you get 320 miles of very satisfying driving experience.

 

dang, where you at ?

 

I have not tested the TSX, but in one vehicle, running regular would reduce my mpg by an amount that completely offset the price difference.

So, I cannot say that it is a complete wash in regard to the TSX, but there is definitely some overlap. The TSX handles lower octane fuel (which burns faster than higher octane fuel) by retarding the spark timing. A retarded spark timing means that less torque is being produced for a specific quantity of fuel and, consequently, mileage will suffer. The primary advantage of higher octane fuel is that the fuel burns slower, allowing the spark timing to be advanced. If the timing is too advanced for the octane rating, then the values will not be on their seats when the combustion occurs and will be slapped onto there seats by the combustion pressure rather than by value springs or torque rods. This is what we call "value pinging."

In regard to the "turbo-charging effect," I am using the term loosely. Given an engine block of a specific size and weight, there are at least three rather common means of increasing the power output without any significant increase in weight; attach a turbocharger, attach a supercharger, or increase the compression ratio. A turbocharger and a supercharger increase the pressure within the cylinder prior to combustion by pumping in air under pressure. Increasing the compression ratio also increases the pressure within the cylinder prior to combustion by compressing a quantity of air into a smaller space. So, I say you get a "turbo-charging effect" -- more power out of an engine without increasing displacement or weight.

In the "old" days, we would increase the compression ratio by replacing thick, composite, head gaskets with thin metal gaskets. That would then require either higher octane fuel or retarding the spark timing. Retarding the spark timing would effectively offset the advantage gained by the higher compression ratio. If replacing the head gasket wasn't enough, we would then mill the heads to further reduce the size of the combustion chamber.

I remember the days when you could buy 98 octane fuel at some stations such as Sunoco (sp?). Airports had 110 octane fuel for the piston engine aircraft. The highest octane I have seen at airports since lead was banned is 100 octane. I believe that is the highest that is now available. Race car drivers will buy the 100 octane because it will allow them to run a higher compression ratio -- and therefore produce more power.

 

I just got back from filling the tank at Citgo. At 440 miles I put in 13.74 gals. giving me 32 mpg. With a 17 gal. tank, I should have had 3.25 gals. remaining. At 32 mpg, 2 gals. would be 64 miles, so the tank should have been good for 500 miles with a gallon reserve. One of these days, I am going to but a container of fuel in the trunk and push it to 500 miles -- or until the tank is empty.

 

Sounds good, Jim. Thanks for the info.

I'm really looking forward to the day when the dealer gets an arctic blue one in for me to check out! (probably in both senses of the word -- check it out, and then check it OUT and drive it home).