What's your longest stretch of road trip - continuous driving stopping only for gas?

Summer? Winter? Change in altitude? Running E-0, 91, or 87?

What did you notice about your RDX?

 

change in altitude does not affect Naturally aspirated engines........................................... .......................................

so, this means it will drive the same in Denver at a mile high as it will drive the same in Houston at below zero.....

these naturally aspirated engines have a high engine compression and needs 91+

this is all in your owners manual.
read it.

 

thanks, justnspace, have read the manual...but what was your longest stretch?

some folks have told me to use 87 at a mile high, but i typically use 91 and/or e0 as often as possible.

just looking for real world experience.

 

because of the high compression, its always best to use 91+

yes, the computer adjusts for 87 octane, but you'll get less fuel economy and less power. plus the chance of knocking.

the J35 has been around for more than 10 years.................


i'm repeating everything that is found in the owners manual......

 

okay fine, I will answer your question of longest stretch...

I have a J32 which the J35 is a derivative of...

I drove from Houston Texas to Miami Florida

 

I don't have a +13 RDX but I've driven from southern CA and to Jacksonville, FL, and Houston, TX, from ABQ, NM, in the last two years. Trips of 6-8hrs to Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Denver are like day trips if you live in the southwest. Also taken my TSX, RDX and MDX as high as 11,000 feet in Colorado on I-70. I always stick with 91 octane fuel for all three. Both the NA TSX and MDX run out of HP once you start to really climb in altitude (anything over 6000ft). You can still maintain the speed limit; but, you can feel the strain on the engine as you start to climb. Only my turbo RDX (Hondata+ETS intercooler) performed with flying colors at those extreme altitudes. The trip from Southern CA was after X-mas and the weather went from light rain, freezing rain, 12 inches of snow in flagstaff, snow packed and icy roads, and back to 40 degrees and dry in ABQ in 12 hrs. My Conti DWS and sh-awd on my MDX got a workout and performed perfectly the whole time.

For me, the best thing I did was go with quality gas when traveling cross country. I have both a Sams and Costco card and make all my gas stops at one or the other (depending on availability). I like the them both because the gas is usually 5-20 cent cheaper, bathroom are much cleaner, snacks are $1.50-$3, and plenty of parking (if you have a rear cargo box or trailer behind you).

The rest of the long haul travel is just proper maint, tire psi level, good wipers with wiper fluid for bug guts, and lots of good tunes to listen to.

 

You can use a lower octane gas at higher altitudes. 87 octane on Pike's Peak is like 92 octane at sea level.

 

Just completed a 1,300 mi round trip from Vancouver, WA to Napa, CA, (plus the driving we did while there). Stops were for gas only--except for one quick take out McDonald's burger. Used only Top Tier gasoline at their highest octane. The 2016 RDX performed superbly. I drove with the crowd in the passing lane and the RDX was like a thoroughbred. After a full day of driving (twice) I got out of the car and had no pains, no strains. I'm 67 for what that matters. I did all the driving. If you're familiar with I-5 on this route, you know there are lots of mountains with their curves to ascend and descend. It was an amazing drive. Could not be more pleased. My wife and I commented a number of times how comfortable and quiet the ride was.

 

Drove my 2013 RDX AWD from Northern VA to Miami and back. Approximately ~1100 miles each way. 18 hours with stops to eat, use the bathroom and some power naps.

The trip was made in late November of 2015 and it drove great. Prior to driving, had the oil changed and OE tires. Was a very comfortable ride and my wife slept well..lol.

 

Sorry, but that is incorrect. NA engines lose power at higher altitudes but turbocharging has nothing to do with octane.

Higher altitudes mean thinner air which lowers the compression of an engine. Accordingly, you can use a lower octane rating at higher altitudes regardless of the type of engine.

 

You always know such interesting stuff. Thank you very much for sharing. Very much appreciated!

 

Justin was also wrong that the cars "need" 91 octane. 91 is recommended and will provide a bit more power (or rather, using lower octane will reduce peak power slightly) but the car will run just fine on 87 - and 85 octane at higher altitudes.

As engines pile on the miles, they often require higher octane gas to control pinging, but if there is no pinging, and no appreciable loss of power, the 87 is fine.

With the difference in prices between regular and premium in the 75 cent range, I'd think very hard before I regularly used premium (yep, I did that on purpose) in a car that "recommended" 91. That's $12 extra on each tank of gas - and I generally tank up once a week

 

not sure if true. I remember Majofo schooling us on this- he claimed altitude would effect NA engines, but not FI ones, as they build a set amount of forced air pressure, where an NA engine wouldn't.

this stemmed from the sonata 2.0t vs TL 6MT conversation we had, where some folks didn't believe my turbo sonata would beat my TL. Majofo suggested that due to the higher elevation I am located at, say, verse that in Texas, that this could very well be the case why my TL couldn't keep up with the Sonata.

And to help dismiss other pertinent questions that may come up- the "race" was done soon after my TL had a ton of maintenance done on it, so it should've been in tip top condition.

Just food for thought!

 

I've lived most of life in CO, AZ and now NM. and force induction engines with a supercharger or turbo(s) is the way to go at high(er) altitudes. My 3.7L V-6 MDX can feel like a 3.0L V-6 while my 2.3L turbo (Hondata+ETS intercooler) doesn't miss a beat at higher altitudes. I don't know how the +17 MDX hybrid works at 70-80 mph after +4hrs on the road (might only be fwd only after X speed and Y time). My MDX replacement vehicle down the road will mostly likely have a supercharger or turbo(s) engine (along with awd).

 

That's just plain wrong. Fuel injection doesn't 'build forced air pressure' at all. All normally aspired engines will lose power at higher altitudes, it's just plain physics. Modern electronic fuel injection systems will adjust the fuel injected at higher altitudes, reducing it to match the lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes (because air is less dense there) so that the engine will not run too rich. Less air, less fuel, and less power. And octane requirements for a given NA engine will be lower at higher altitudes as well. The only way to offset this is to supercharge (or turbocharge, basically the same thing). That does increase the air pressure into the engine, increasing the oxygen level, and the FI system will supply increased fuel to match. Super/turbo-charged engines will often need higher octane fuel because with the increased input pressure the effective compression ratio is higher under boost...it depends on the engine design.

 

bingo

 

Thanks y'all!

I did my nerd-travel research. Hopped onto GoogleMaps and traced my route. Then I hopped onto GasBuddy to find only clumps of top tier stations every 325 - 400 miles apart. Then went back to Google to find places to stay at 2 of the 6 places I'll be stopping for gas. Lastly, I created a GoogleDrive doc of my itinerary and shared with family.

Next up: get a pre-road trip inspection.

Followed by: Job search, journey check list, auto detail, packing, job search, Tetris-fit luggage and other travel gear into rear cargo area...and job search.

 

Very true. I just did that 1900 mile drive from DC to Santa Fe in my TSX wagon. I-40 most of the way and then US 285 into Santa Fe. On the first hill into Santa Fe it felt like I lost 50 horses with the normally peppy TSX huffing and puffing up that hill. No pinging or other noises, but it just felt like it was running out of steam. OTOH, I drove to Pikes Peak a few years back in my BMW 335xi and I felt no difference driving up that "hill".