hey guys, i have 002tls. since i bought it i have been using midgrade gas which in between regular and premium. i was wondering if i should switch back to premium? does it make any difference to smoothness of the ride? for the peoples who have used both b4, does premium really feels far better accleration?
is it a problem if i continue to use midgrade? btw my car has 170xxxx km

 

You need to use Premium only. Why are you even skimping $0.05 per gallon, thats less than $1.00 saving per fill-up.

Its not there to make better acceleration, its so you don't cause detonation at anytime during the powerband. Look at it like this: my TL-P is 9.8:1 compression and requires premium. I ran 3 months without it and ended up with 3 dead cylinders and $400 in repairs. Thats at 9.8:1, you have 10.5:1, quite the difference.

Use premium or it will bite you later on. Welcome to the forums

 

thanks for the reply, i already put about $70 worth of midgrade so far, ran about 650km still have 3 dash to finish. what should i do? drive it off all and then put premium? or is it ok if just fill it up wid premium now?

 

hey bro i am nt sure how this compression works, is my ratio more than urs coz mine is s type?

 

damn man, i didn't know using lower than premium would actually fubar the engine, since so many people seem to swear by regular. good thing i've always used premium.

it's fine to put in premium now

yes.

 

you can finish the tank or just go ahead and fill up with premium.

 

Going on 50K on regular with no issues. I have the 9.8:1 compression 00 TL, the recent Honda accord with a 10.5:1 runs on regular.

On our 05 RL 11.1:1 compression we run regular, now 15K with no issues. Mileage/performance is the same.

Out here, the diff between 87/91 is 20-30c/gal. Two cars, over their lifetime adds up.

If this poster is in Canada the difference between the grades will translate into even more savings.

 

Was in Toronto last weekend and regular was 89c/l and 91 was 99c/l. 65l tank is a $65 fill up. That's pricey when I consider my fill up is approx $35.

 

Hi Guys :

OK, I'm coming out for the closet and admitting I'm cheaping out at the pump and have been for at least 5 years with no issues. Now, that's not to say I'm getting all the horsepower that the specs say I should.

Here's my conspiracy theory as to why many pre-$25 per barrel cars "require" premium gas. In the competitive auto market, specifications are what many use, in part, to justify buying one vehicle over another. Having a higher horsepower rating versus fuel economy is the holy grail of engine design and companies spend millions on changing mechanical and computer settings to achieve this end. By simply increasing the amount of octane (higher grade gas), you get exactly that, more power with no effect on fuel economy. So, instead of our cars being rated at 198hp, Honda can say 214. (I made those number up, but you get the idea) With gas at a $1 US gallon it's not a big deal to spent $1.10 for premium gas.

If you look at new cars today, you'll find more are using regular gas and clearly advertising the fact in the new $50+ per barrel world we live in. I just looked at a Mazda 3 and both of their standard and optional larger engine run on regular gas.

So why doesn't it hurt the engine ? (I know some techies are going to jump on me for this...) It doesn't hurt the engine because the engine sensors detect the energy released during the cylinder firing and adjusts the engine settings (oxygen, timing, etc) to accommodate the power produced. This is why our engine don't "ping" like older cars when a lower grade is used.

Having said all of this, I have had reliable sources swear that they improved their fuel economy by switching to high test. It doesn't make sense but if anyone can verify this, I'd like to hear it.

Hope this helps.

smartypants

 

yes i am from canada n it gets pretty expensive to fill it up if i use premium.

 

switching to hightest?

 

The newer cars also have different electronics designed to work with lower grade fuels. The RL should not be ran on regular at all. Don't buy a car designed to run on premium if you're going to cheap out. The car is designed to run on premium for a reason, and there is even documented proof via Honda themself that shows the J-series' have performance improvement with higher octane grades.

Here's and example with a J35A1 - 2001 Odyssey
http://corporate.honda.com/press/art...20010104001165

The same hold true for the 03-07 Accords.

Also there is absolutely no way the 11:1 RL has the same performance and fuel economy running regular vs premium. It would be retarding it timing a lot to prevent detonation therefore losing power and economy.

Yes you might get lucky and run for years without problems on regular, but the fact is the car is designed to run its best using premium. Run what you want, its not my car you're hurting

 

Also the topic of which gas to run has been discussed before. This thread has already began to turn into "you can run this because" / "you shouldn't because", yet it has all been discussed before. Another thread on this is gonna be pointless.

To the author: you've been given our opinions from both views, decide for yourself which to run, its your car


This thread covers it well enough, and this post as well:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...m+fuel&post#31

 

lol...87 octane wont hurt anything. There is a nifty little sensor on our engines called a "knock sensor" The computer reads pre ignition and will retard timing as needed to prevent any engine damage.

Ive ran 87 in my car a few tanks-the only differences I noticed were on full out acceleration runs and my overall mileage was ~50-60 miles less per tank.

I run 93 in the car currently-peace of mind and its only ~$2.60 more per fill to run the high test stuff.

 

Thank you for your 23 years of automobile experience. Will all due respect I'll follow my own financial advice - seems to be working for me.

Money I save is buying me a new car in cash next year.

50K later, TL runs great. Clearly you're wrong.

Cheers big ears,
Rob

 

I tend to agree. If you look, all premium brands require premium fuel, often without higher compressions. Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus etc all have the same lower badge model on regular and a higher badge model on premium.

 

Chears big ears? Are you some kind of rainbow queen?

Follow your own advice, like I said before do what you want to. But this cheesy name-calling crap and bragging about buying a new car in cash is immature, nobody cares. And no I'm not "clearly wrong", you just disagree.

As I pointed out this thing has been discusses numerous times before, and in more detail. Which is why i provided this link. It will help Habaguba and others understand it better and in more detail than whats being said here, as well cut down on crap like this arguement.

As for my "23 years of automobile experience", as I've had to point out before I'm technically trained in this field and have ASE, MLR and KW certifications to back it up. No need to get an attitude because you think you understand something more than somebody else.

I don't know what you're personal problem with me is, Rob-2, but you need to cut it out in threads. Take it to PM's or drop it, its not needed on the forums.

 

Travel a little more, your lack of culture is showing. It's a friendly comment - seriously dude you need to get out more, see other countries and get ride of that ignorance.

Well your comment that it might work but years later would result in issues, 50K later suggests you're wrong. For many folks that's 4 years of driving and the car is 9 years old. So either I have a dead paper weight sitting in my garage tonight, or I have a functioning car that will take me out to work tomorrow. Can't be both, I'll put my money on I'm going to work tomorrow.

In an interesting comment you suggest one shouldn't buy an RL if they don't want to put premium gas in it. I find this interesting because

1. People have no trouble recommending upgrading safety equipment IE front calipers for ones that cannot be properly installed, and must be flipped (legend)

2. What luxury cars don't require premium gas?

3. Many modifcations are made to TL's without as much thought/debat as the grade of gas. When one does debate the gas, you get a lot of ignorant views/opinions. One has to start wondering - "When did everyone buy into premium only?"

Your comment is condescending at the very least. You're telling me how I should use my car? You sit there suggesting you have the best knowledge on financial stewardship? Name calling, didn't you call me 'cheap'?Get over yourself. Don't come out swinging and expect me not to comment on it.

The perpetuation of miss information, formed by marketing campaigns and brand positioning is what I'm annoyed with. I don't know you from Adam, so I clearly don't have a problem with you. I have a problem with people who say 'Because I was told so, it is' that kind of thinking is small minded and actually part of what I think is wrong with our country - but that's another discussion.

If you did the research you'd find it's 'no recommended' but also 'not harmful' on modern motors. The thread you pointed to says that as well.

Travel more, ask more questions and do a lot more research.

Catch ya'll later (for you in TN to understand)

Rob

 

Lack of culture… In what was were those friendly comments? “Thankyou for your 23 years of automobile experience, clearly you’re wrong, cheers big eags”. Of course, those were in no way condescending, especially that first part.

I never made a comment that it will, without a doubt, cause issues. “Yes you might get lucky and run for years without problems on regular, but the fact is the car is designed to run its best using premium.” Never said you’re guaranteed to have issues, I just stated its not what’s recommended.

No, you shouldn’t buy an RL if you don’t want to use the recommended fuel. What’s the point of buying a $50,000 flagship luxury car if you think you can’t afford the recommended fuel? Is it to impress the neighbors? Things like these should be taken into account for when purchasing a vehicle, although a lot of people don’t. It’s similar to buying a brand new ZR1 Corvette but saying, “I don’t think I can afford full-coverage…” Yes, a ZR1 is far more expensive than an RL, but if someone can afford a ZR1 then they should also be able to afford the insurance to cover the car. Apples and oranges, but the same principle; just different monetary figures.

1 – Recommending upgraded safety components such as a better braking system has nothing to do with engine performance in regards to fuel grades being used. Also, using 2-piston Legend calipers does not mean they are installed improperly. Although they are reversed from one side to the other, they are installed safely and correctly; the brackets were just designed different on the 2 cars.

2 – Quite a few luxury cars don’t require premium gas. To name a few:
Saab 9-7x, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKZ, Volvo SC90, Cadillac CTS

3 – Modifications made to the TL in no way effect the grade of gas that should be used, other than large amounts of boost. Even then, moderate levels of boost can be run on premium octane without issues. When people are debating gas grades then yes, you do get a lot of ignorant opinions. However, I provided documented evidence of performance differences between the two using another, less-efficient J-series engine. The same principle applies between the two engines (all engines actually) that once you start reaching certain criteria such as compression ratio for example, timing must be retarded to prevent detonation. When you retard timing on an engine without any modifications such as compression ratio, valve-timing/valve-overlap, or forced induction – the general rule (there are exceptions) is that power is lost. When power is lost, fuel-economy goes down. The same rule applies in the opposite side of the spectrum. A prime example of this would be the J35 swaps in the 6th/7th gen Accords. Some of those are achieving 35+ MPG on the highway. This is due to the increased power output per firing cycle within the cylinder. Start retarding that timing due to engine knock (caused by lower octane fuel) and the power output falls, along with fuel-mileage. JCharged has the same engine as some of those Accords and shorty I will too, followed by Kris who’s will be even more efficient than ours. Hopefully soon, we should have our own 35+ HWY MPG stories…if we can keep our feet off the floor.

People are “buying into” this premium thing because it does, for a fact, give increased fuel-mileage and power in our cars. It’s almost a rule-of-thumb for the J-series engines in general. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there buying premium fuel because they think it’s for their “luxury car”. However, as stated before, it has nothing to do with being a luxury car – its for engine efficiency.

My comments were in no way condescending towards you or anyone here. I simply stated my experiences with premium fuel, as well as documented evidence to the gains of using it and my personal suggestions. I simply told you to use your car how you feel, that it’s not my car and the decision is up to you…”the car is designed to run its best using premium. Run what you want”. Also, I never suggested I had the best knowledge towards your “financial stewardship”. I simply said why cheap out on gas since you own a flagship luxury sedan such as the RL. I didn’t say you were “Cheap”, but instead that you’re cheaping out on what’s best for your car. If you own an RL and your TL as you suggested, obviously you aren’t cheap. You seem to be reading between the lines into stuff that wasn’t said, as well as playing with what I’ve said. So no, I didn’t “come out swinging”.

As for the information I’m basing my opinions on, it has nothing to do with marketing campaigns or brand positioning. As I stated before, this is all based on personal experience and technical training in the matter, none of that “because I was told so, it is” comes into play here.

I’ve done plenty of research; my career is based around automobile engines, performance, diagnostics and repair – both gasoline and diesel sides of the spectrum. I’m not some uneducated southern red-neck as you seem to be insinuating. Like I said before, I’m certified in this field through multiple organizations; it has nothing to do with age or location. jjashaa for example is 19 and knows more about suspension than most people on here. Yes, suspension is basically just understanding simple concepts and math, but so is how an engine operates.

As a matter of fact it IS recommended, and the statement that it’s not harmful is not true in every circumstance. If the car is driven conservatively like most of America drives, no it will not cause damage. However, due to the nature of many of us on the forums with our performance-oriented thinking and aggressive driving habits, damage can be had running lower-than-recommended fuel. Many of the J-series engines from 98-07 are known to have lean-out issues higher in the RPM band. While lower octane fuel may be fine for relaxed, low RPM scenarios, once you start getting higher in the range you may run into potentially dangerous territory. The occasional tendency of lean-out combined with lower grade fuels in high-RPM situations can result in detonation to the point that the PCM or ECU may not be able to retard the ignition enough to prevent it to a certain degree, a sometimes dangerous degree in fact. I believe this is why I personally had damaging effects using lower octane fuels, because I – like many people on these forums – have a tendency to drive aggressively more than others. This, along with increased power and fuel-economy, is why i suggested to him that he use premium.

I didn’t try to offend anyone, particularly you, in any manner. I simply tried to give examples and explain why something is recommended and give a link to supporting evidence as well as a link to another thread with more information than this. You took things wrong and got very offensive and began with ignorant name-calling and misled connotations. I’m sorry if I did in some way offend you, however…you're out of line.

I tried to avoid this drama, but after the things you've said I figured I'd post this up. I'm done with this thread, say what you want about me, my age, and where I'm from if you must. However, I'd rather you keep it to PM's if you must.

Bye
-Adam

 

I found out last year during the gas crunch when Prem. wasn't available that my cars mileage suffered from using regular gas for 3 weeks. SO = how does anyone justify any savings if your mileage suffers using regular=just my 2 cents. I got around 2 miles less per gallon.

 

Please use premium the Acura TL was made to use the fuel do to the high compression that the V6 does. If not then the engine will suffer through pinging and knocking resulting in seriousl wear to the engine and horrible gas mileage.

My 1999 TL was a leasing vehicle it's whole life and was a 1 owner car for 4 months. Not bad but through its life the leasing company more than likely has been using regular gas because I noticed the car was eating gas fast. As soon as I switched to premium I noticed a huge difference in performance and in gas milage. Also if your using regular and you suddenly switch to premium your engine computer will have to re-learn that its using premium now instead of regular so you will probably have some rough start-ups. It happened to me but after about 5 or so fill-ups of premium gas that ECU got use to it and works like a charm!


The TL wasn't made to use anything but premium so use it. Premium prices might seem steep, trust me I go to the gas station and get really upset seeing regular cheaper but when you think bout the engine life, well premium becomes your best friend and I have gotten immune to the price of premium gas. I mean $2.65 in my area isn't that bad.

Again if you can't afford to put premium gas in a premium car then why have it?

@Luke7

Yes, you will get horrible gas mileage!