So whats the details on the premium fuel only requirement for G3 TL?
Absolute requirement or "recommended" or ???
I know......no big deal spending an xtra buck or two on a fill up, just curious-

 

Mainly for our cars high compression ratio (11:1)

Its an absolute requirement. You can get away with 89 octane if 91 or greater isn't available to drive a short distance. The car will eventually knock and anything less than 91 is not healthy by any means.

 

only 91 0r above. I ran 93 from day 1,

 

Officially, Acura's word is "recommended", not required. Acura.com says Gasoline with an octane number less than 91 may be used, with reduced performance.

The car won't knock because it has knock sensor that will retard the ignition timing before you can hear it knocking, but you also won't get the advertised horsepower.

That being said, I've been running only 91 from the first fill up.

 

Shifter.

If u can put up with ur car knocking , and reduced power, and want to save buck or two on fillups then sure 87 is the one for you.
read my thread.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171899

if u want ur TL to run like a TL, then please read this thread.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171937

 

Do yourself and your engine a favor and use the recommended fuel or 93 if 91 is not available in your area (like here).

On the inside of the fuel filler doors on both my '04 manual and '05 automatic TL's it says in large letters, "PREMIUM UNLEADED FUEL ONLY".

This doesn't mean "PREMIUM UNLEADED FUEL SOMETIMES" or "PREMIUM UNLEADED FUEL RECOMMENDED". It means use premium unleaded fuel always. If you get in a bind and cannot find 91 octane or higher gasoline, then you can get by until you can dilute your tank with what the engine is designed to burn. And then there is this little fly in the ointment.

If you burn fuel with a lower octane rating than the engine calls for and something happens, such as a burned valve or a cracked piston, then guess who pays for the damage? Do you think Acura is likely to pay if someone has been using the wrong grade of fuel? If I were Acura, I'd politely submit an estimate with the expectation that the customer pays everything.

 

As usual, Southernboy says it so well!! Others will say if you can't afford the extra money for premium, you shouldn't have bought an Acura. Bottom line, the 91 octane allows you to meet the ULEV emissions, which is a good thing. You paid for the hp, pay for the fuel to feed it. Expect to pay an mpg penalty for not using it. Your engine was designed around it...use it

 

Yeah, what others have said... the fuel cost savings isn't that great if you're comparing mid-grade to preminum which where I live differs by $0.10 per gallon. Let's say you're using 50 gallon/mo. for 1 year @ $3.25/gallon base price

600 gal/year of mid grade = $2,010
600 gal/year of prem. = $2,070

Savings = $60/year

Not worth it if you plan to keep your car for a long term in my opinion. If you're really cheap about it, buy the premium fuel and eat out less frequently or something :p

 

@shifter7 - here, read this thread.

 

i have used mid grade for about a month straight, with no ill effects...i do notice my gas miliage is slightly lower with mid, and i do use premium, just not as much as mid...

 

here is a good question...does the new accord require premium fuel...its got the same 3.2 tl motor in it does it not....

 

ok, just did some research, the new accord has the 3.5L rl/tl-s motor in it...i know its not rated at the same hp, but its only required regular unleaded...so make your own educated dissions...i personally dont think 91 is required or a must...it might run a hair better, but sure cant tell...

 

you keep on telling yourself that!

 

I would only use 91+ also. We have 93 around here, so that's what I run. As for the guy a couple posts up saying it wont hurt because of knock sensors ect., truth is the damage can be happening before the knock sensor even pics it up. It may only happen a "little" but it all adds up. A little knock here a little knock there will take it's toll on pistons, rods and bearings. You may never have a problem, but then again, for $60/year why take the chance. Think about how easy it is to piss away $60 (beer, smokes, junk food, eating out, girls, strip joints, ect.-I don't smoke, or frequent strip clubs, just using it as an example)

 

Thanx guys, you a da best...........

 

Hmm, what's that supposed to mean?

 

It actually doesn't... the compression ratio in the accord is lower than in the TL. Both are 3.5 L V6 engines, but they are different just as the Corvette's LT1 differs from the ZR1 Corvette's LT5. Yeah, they're both 5.7 L V8 engines, but the similarities end there

If you wanna use 87 or 89 octane in your car, go right ahead... it is after all YOURS.

 

I was having issues with my automatic TL sticking in second or third gear when in full automatic mode and it would governor out at redline.

I did NOT have it in manual mode. Come to find out, the "high octane" fuel I was buying had 10% Ethanol in it, and Michigan does not require that be disclosed. The cats at Acura told me that was the cause of the transmission challenges. Point being, not only use premium, but get it from Shell or BP where they ALWAYS have gas without added ethanol.

 

That's grossly incorrect. According the 2008 owner's manual, it's totally acceptable to use fuel containing up to 10 % ethanol (E10) in both the 3.2 and 3.5 L models. E10 is actually increasingly common in many mid-western states -- it has been for about 20 years. Plus, how would that translate into your tranny? Sounds to me like you have bigger problems.

 

I still wonder what the point is of even considering a lower octane fuel. a few more bucks on gas yields better MPG and better performance...its a total no brainer

 

If you're up to it, read the "Valve Chatter" thread in Problems and Fixes. At least read the last 5 pages or so to get an idea of the effectiveness of a knock sensor when the stock engine is "over tuned" from the factory.

 

and on that note, I am closing this thread. To the OP, if you do a search for this topic you will literally find hunreds of threads on it. It comes up at the very least once a month.