Hey guys, I'm new to the forum, and I just bought my TL 2 days ago. I filled it up today, and I noticed it said to put premium unleaded in behind the gas cap. I always thought that the only reason for premium gas in a car is if it is a forced induction, and putting premium in a NA car was always a waste. Should I be putting premium in, or will it run the same on 87?

 

Definitely use premium gas! I cheaped out with my 2005 TL for the first 6 months I owned the car and bought the "regular" unleaded, by the end of the six months my car was missing and running really rough (all of a sudden). I ended up getting a bottle of octane booster and using only premium fuel from that point forward and I never had anymore trouble. In my opinion, it is worth the extra $$$ to have your great looking car running well too. My new TL will never see a drop of the cheap stuff for sure!

2008 TL-S MT

 

Not another one of these threads....

 

lol....

 

lol werd we get 1 a week huh

Just put minimum 91... I have 3300 miles on my Type S and used 91 octane once... it drank the 91 way to fast so I preffer 93 octane from Shell or Sunoco only

 

93 octane from Shell

I notice a substantial accelleration difference versus ANY other brand and I'll gladly go out of my way to get it and/or pay a few cents extra per gallon for the extra power it provides.

V-Power



Check out http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html
Shell is on the list of gasoline retailers that meet a minimum criteria by auto manufacturers for detergent content.

 

JUST BUY PREMIUM. You bought a car that isn't exactly cheap. Get whats right for it.

I am sick of this stupid question.

 

Thanks for the response guys, I knew this was a newbie question, but I searched for "premium gas" and couldn't find anything. Thanks for putting up with the newest newbie.

 

Boyles Law
PV=nRT (pressure * volume = number of moles of gas present * universal gas constant * temperature)

As you compress a gas, it heats up. As the air/fuel mixture heats up, it tends to explode without a spark. With a forced induction system, you also have heat soak from the turbo. Intercoolers help with this, but they're not perfect.

Higher compression ratio cars create greater compression (and power) by taking a larger volume of air and compressing it into a smaller space.
Forced-induction system forces a greater mass of air but compresses it less. However, since there are a greater amount of air molecules to react with the gasoline (which there will be more of if the system is "healthy"), you get a more energetic reaction.

You can also look at it a different way.
A higher compression ratio (say, 11:1), normally aspirated system starts off at 1 atmosphere (air pressure at sea level; 14.6959488 psi or 1.01325 bar) and compresses the air to maybe 11 atmospheres (161.6554368 psi!).
A lower compression (say, 8:1), forced induction system might start off with an additional 1 atmosphere (29.3918976 psi, from the turbo- or supercharger pressurizing the intake system) and only compress it 8 times it's original pressure. Of course, that's 235.1351808 psi!

It's all about how much air you're forcing into how much space. The more air forced into a smaller space, the more heat is generated and the greater resistence to pre-ignition you need.

Incidentally, a related concept is used to create refrigeration systems. You compress a gas and wick all of the heat away (basically, take thermal energy out of the refrigerant). Then, when you decompress the gas, it becomes colder than when you originally compressed it.

 

can we close this thread

 

Also, if you look at the cost per year (15,000 per year) / (20 mpg) * ($.20 more for premium on average) = $150 more per year you're paying for premium. IMO, $150 is worth it for a car that cost over $30k, ya know?

 

I Purchased my 2007 Acura TL in November '07. Have 14,000+ miles on it and just love the car. I have been a Nissan Altima customer for years, and made the switch after sitting in an Acura TL at an auto show. I have been using Shell V-Power Premium and have not had a problem. Premium gas is a small price to pay for a car that is fun to drive and gives me so much pleasure and satisfaction.

Enjoy The Ride! John

 

These are three pretty good discussions of premium vs 87 octane fuel use in the 3G TL:

Premium vs Regular Fuel

What gas mileage are you getting?

What gas do you use?

 

Why take a chance on your 30k+ ride? Premium all the way !

 

I'm so sick of this topic.....if you're that cheap...buy a Civic and put regular gas in the tank and drive away....this topic needs to go away forever!!!

 

Devildogge (?) your kidding right! look around a little Like here: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84834

And you may not need a flame suit...also if you plan on keeping the car awhile buy a service manual...

 

That's a good engine you paid for. Do the right thing and use 91 octane.

 

I agree gauravp......