What Fuel?
08-09-2010, 01:17 PM
#1
Cruisin'
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What Fuel?
I just picked up a 2010 TL and the dealership told me 89 octane is fine. We put 91 in my wife's RDX but it as the turbo. What's the general consensus around here on fuel?
08-09-2010, 01:31 PM
#3
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
Exactly, 91+ only. I had the experience of using 87octane in my 2001 3.2CL when my city ran out of gas last year during the mini-crisis. It will run, however the engine was designed for 91+ octane and there was a notable performance difference among a few other things. Running on anything other will eventually damage your engine as well. Your owners manual as justnspace said does provide better insight than the salesman at the dealer.
08-09-2010, 04:44 PM
#4
i havent had my 2010 long enough to do the test i did on my type s, but i will only use premium fuel in my acura...
when i tested the miliage on my type s, it was getting 350 miles on 14 gallons of premium fuel...when i put 89 octane in it would get 320 miles on 14 gallons...
quick math...tells me that i was getting 25 mpg on premium, and 23 mpg on 89 octane.
someone else can do the math, but when gas was 4 bucks a gallon, it was costing me more to use mid grade then it was to use premium...
when i tested the miliage on my type s, it was getting 350 miles on 14 gallons of premium fuel...when i put 89 octane in it would get 320 miles on 14 gallons...
quick math...tells me that i was getting 25 mpg on premium, and 23 mpg on 89 octane.
someone else can do the math, but when gas was 4 bucks a gallon, it was costing me more to use mid grade then it was to use premium...
08-09-2010, 05:57 PM
#5
toptiergas.com
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Since the minimum additive performance standards were first established by EPA in 1995, most gasoline marketers have actually reduced the concentration level of detergent additive in their gasoline by up to 50%. As a result, the ability of a vehicle to maintain stringent Tier 2 emission standards have been hampered, leading to engine deposits which can have a big impact on in-use emissions and driver satisfaction.
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08-09-2010, 07:20 PM
#6
i havent had my 2010 long enough to do the test i did on my type s, but i will only use premium fuel in my acura...
when i tested the miliage on my type s, it was getting 350 miles on 14 gallons of premium fuel...when i put 89 octane in it would get 320 miles on 14 gallons...
quick math...tells me that i was getting 25 mpg on premium, and 23 mpg on 89 octane.
someone else can do the math, but when gas was 4 bucks a gallon, it was costing me more to use mid grade then it was to use premium...
when i tested the miliage on my type s, it was getting 350 miles on 14 gallons of premium fuel...when i put 89 octane in it would get 320 miles on 14 gallons...
quick math...tells me that i was getting 25 mpg on premium, and 23 mpg on 89 octane.
someone else can do the math, but when gas was 4 bucks a gallon, it was costing me more to use mid grade then it was to use premium...
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08-09-2010, 10:33 PM
#11
Racer
Did it ever occur to anyone that the salesperson who wanted you to buy the car, was trying to tell you that you could save money on gas, and therefor afford the car easier?
08-09-2010, 11:14 PM
#12
In the 3rd gen engine, the compression rate is 11:1. That's pretty high.
In order to get the maximum performance, 91+ octane is used.
I hate cars has used an octane higher than 93 and it improved performance, but not sure on the details.
I think he used 103.
let me see if I can find the thread, in which he states it.
In order to get the maximum performance, 91+ octane is used.
I hate cars has used an octane higher than 93 and it improved performance, but not sure on the details.
I think he used 103.
let me see if I can find the thread, in which he states it.
Last edited by justnspace; 08-09-2010 at 11:21 PM.
08-10-2010, 09:28 AM
#13
Trolling Canuckistan
They would be wasting a shit load of money. It won't make there car any faster or more powerful unless they have modified the engine to make use of the higher octane fuel.
This topic has been discussed so many times but here we go again. Your car can run on less than 91 octane fuel, however you will have decreased fuel economy and performance.
All octane ratings refer to is how combustable the gas is under pressure. As some one else mentioned with a high compression (rule of thumb anything over 10:1 CR) engine like the TL has, you want a high octane fuel to prevent pre combustion of the fuel during the compression stroke.
Because 91 octane fuel is not universally available (tough to find higher than 89 in Montana) the car has been designed with a knock sensor that will identify lower octane fuel and make adjustments to the ignition timing to prevent issues.
This was designed as a protective measure if 91 octane is not available. It was not intended for constant use of low octane fuel.
This topic has been discussed so many times but here we go again. Your car can run on less than 91 octane fuel, however you will have decreased fuel economy and performance.
All octane ratings refer to is how combustable the gas is under pressure. As some one else mentioned with a high compression (rule of thumb anything over 10:1 CR) engine like the TL has, you want a high octane fuel to prevent pre combustion of the fuel during the compression stroke.
Because 91 octane fuel is not universally available (tough to find higher than 89 in Montana) the car has been designed with a knock sensor that will identify lower octane fuel and make adjustments to the ignition timing to prevent issues.
This was designed as a protective measure if 91 octane is not available. It was not intended for constant use of low octane fuel.
08-10-2010, 10:08 AM
#14
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
08-10-2010, 10:17 AM
#15
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
I've done that before. Ran it in my CL once, they sell it at a spot in Petticoat Junction outside of Beech Island, SC. No real noticeable performance difference.
Now if you did like this guy I knew in Ft. Worth and run JP-4 in your car like he did in his 84 Camaro....can you say new engine required.
Now if you did like this guy I knew in Ft. Worth and run JP-4 in your car like he did in his 84 Camaro....can you say new engine required.
08-10-2010, 11:07 AM
#16
Suzuka Master
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Two thoughts, why worry about a few cents a gallon on a $40K car? On the JP-4 (50/50 gas/kerosene) thing - gas engines don't do well on kerosene.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 08-10-2010 at 11:10 AM.
08-10-2010, 11:45 AM
#17
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
08-10-2010, 02:27 PM
#18
Racer
I only run Sunoco Ultra 94 on my cars. I have never put in a tank of Shell yet in this car, maybe i'll try it see how it runs. But i'm pretty happy with Ultra 94 at Sunoco.
08-10-2010, 06:58 PM
#20
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
08-10-2010, 07:40 PM
#21
Originally Posted by 2009 TL Owner's Manual pg486
Your vehicle is designed to operate on premium unleaded gasoline with a pump octane of 91 or higher. If this octane grade is unavailable, regular unleaded gasoline with a pump octane of 87 or higher may be used temporarily. The use of regular unleaded gasoline can cause metallic knocking noises in the engine and will result in decreased engine performance. The long-term use of regular-grade gasoline can lead to engine damage.
08-11-2010, 01:05 PM
#28
Trolling Canuckistan
I agree 100% if you are talking about 87 octane (regular) where you will most likely lose about 40-50 miles of range on the tank (vs what you would have done on 91 octane). So if you put 17 gallons in the tank and it was a .20 difference between regular and premium, you saved $3.40 by using regular. The problem is that 40-50 miles would equal about 2 gallons of fuel. If fuel was $2.50/gallon, you would have spent $5.00 to save $3.40.
08-11-2010, 01:25 PM
#29
Salesperson says 89 is okay..I think its okay to run once or twice a month..but i wouldnt do it all the time. Plus if you have problems...then you would have to take it for service...$$$$$$.
I find when I wash my car...it performs better...HA!
I find when I wash my car...it performs better...HA!
08-11-2010, 02:19 PM
#30
I'm going to disagree slightly with you on this one. In my experience there is a slight savings from using 89 octane (mid grade) but you are literally talking about pennies per tank.
I agree 100% if you are talking about 87 octane (regular) where you will most likely lose about 40-50 miles of range on the tank (vs what you would have done on 91 octane). So if you put 17 gallons in the tank and it was a .20 difference between regular and premium, you saved $3.40 by using regular. The problem is that 40-50 miles would equal about 2 gallons of fuel. If fuel was $2.50/gallon, you would have spent $5.00 to save $3.40.
I agree 100% if you are talking about 87 octane (regular) where you will most likely lose about 40-50 miles of range on the tank (vs what you would have done on 91 octane). So if you put 17 gallons in the tank and it was a .20 difference between regular and premium, you saved $3.40 by using regular. The problem is that 40-50 miles would equal about 2 gallons of fuel. If fuel was $2.50/gallon, you would have spent $5.00 to save $3.40.
08-11-2010, 03:04 PM
#31
Mademoiselle Chanel!!
Just like washing a plane it reduces drag. They washed the planes on the regular when I worked on the flight line. There was an airline or it may have been UPS that bragged in a commercial about how washing their planes saved on fuel cost.
08-11-2010, 03:11 PM
#32
Trolling Canuckistan
i havent had my 2010 long enough to do a test, and probably wont, but with my 07 type s, its about 30 miles per tank more with premium vrs mid....its more then 1 gallon of gas...lets say mid cost 2.70 and premium cost 2.90...when i put 14 gallons of gas in my car i could save 2.80 putting mid in vrs premium, but got a gallon or soo less worth of miliage from that...the extra 10 cents i netted got me an extra gallon + worth of miliage...now you tell me, how is using mid saving you money, if the same holds true with the new motor like it did with my 07 type s, and the higher the fuel cost, the better off you are using the premium...
I think for the most part we are agreeing with each other. All I was saying is I haven't seen a dramatic difference between "total cost" on midgrade vs premium (at least not enough of a difference to warrant cheaping out on the octane level). When you get to 87 octane, it makes absolutely no sense and most certainly will cost you more mil per mile.
Personally I use 93 octane (91 typically isn't available in my area, you go 87/89/93) and reccommend it to my customers as well. I do let them know they can run their Acura on less than 91 octane (unless they drive an RDX) but it won't actually save them money as they will see a decrease in the range on a full tank.
08-11-2010, 03:36 PM
#33
Nothing against you 777 
08-11-2010, 04:28 PM
#35
Trolling Canuckistan
Your sales person is an idiot! Its not ok to run it once or twice a month. 91+ is the only way to go. Sales people are just sales people. They aren't mechanics and most seem to have less knowlage than the people who are purchasing the vehicle. Nothing against you 777
Nothing against you 777 
08-11-2010, 04:58 PM
#36
Senior Moderator
As far as going with 97+ ocatanes, it won't really benefit the driver unless the car is being driven in very harsh conditions. Stick with 91/93 and you'll be fine with your car.
Very funny, next time you do that it'll be a nice vacation, consider this a warning to all the others here to be civil. Acurazine doesn't mind loosing a few folks that misbehave.
08-11-2010, 05:26 PM
#37
89 is not okay by a lot of different measures! The TL's motor is a high compression one and will knock heavily on 89 and moreso on 87. If you want to run it, by all means go and run it. You'll see your MPG drop by a few, yes a few miles per gallon and you won't save any money. If anything, you'll be wasting more money as your valves will be out of spec in a little while and will chatter requiring an adjustment, 600 dollar job the last time I checked.
As far as going with 97+ ocatanes, it won't really benefit the driver unless the car is being driven in very harsh conditions. Stick with 91/93 and you'll be fine with your car.
Very funny, next time you do that it'll be a nice vacation, consider this a warning to all the others here to be civil. Acurazine doesn't mind loosing a few folks that misbehave.
As far as going with 97+ ocatanes, it won't really benefit the driver unless the car is being driven in very harsh conditions. Stick with 91/93 and you'll be fine with your car.
Very funny, next time you do that it'll be a nice vacation, consider this a warning to all the others here to be civil. Acurazine doesn't mind loosing a few folks that misbehave.
i will only put premium fuel in my acura, but my mom is driving a tsx that she has had since 06 and only uses 89 octane and has never used premium and the car has 100k miles on it and runs like a champ...i keep telling her to put premium in it and she will get better miliage, but she doesnt care....
08-11-2010, 05:56 PM
#38
Your sales person is an idiot! Its not ok to run it once or twice a month. 91+ is the only way to go. Sales people are just sales people. They aren't mechanics and most seem to have less knowlage than the people who are purchasing the vehicle. Nothing against you 777
Nothing against you 777
08-11-2010, 08:32 PM
#39
Use what your manual tells you except in the case of emergencies. Regular octane won't kill your engine in the short run, but I wouldn't put anything other than 91+ octane regularly. I hope by the time the next generation arrives, we can use regular in our TL's. I know some of the Lexuses (Lexii?) are going to be able to run it soon.
08-11-2010, 11:14 PM
#40
it doenst matter how much you paid for your car, what matters is what the car was tuned to use...in the case of acura, its premium...if you paid 100k for a car and that manufacture recommendes you use 87 octane, then that would tell you that your car was tuned for 87 octane, and anything else would be wrong....