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Octane

3K views 40 replies 15 participants last post by  kdbdallas 
#1 ·
My brother has a 2012 v6 and wondering what's the highest octane he can run
 
#2 ·
Octane recommendations (v6)
Your vehicle is designed to use
“Regular” unleaded gasoline with a
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.
Some stations offer fuels posted as
“Regular” with an octane rating
below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with octane levels below 87 are not recommended.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel with the recommended octane rating, see your authorized dealer to prevent any engine damage

Octane recommendations (5.0L V8 engine)
Your vehicle will run normally on 87 octane regular fuel without damaging the engine, but premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 (R+M)/2 or higher is recommended for best overall performance.
For Shelby GT500 octane requirements, see the Shelby GT500 Supplement.

---------- Post added at 06:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------



In other words, if you have an untuned V6, you won't see much benefit from higher octane fuel.
 
#3 ·
Would a higher octane be "better" for the engine, even if there is no noticeable difference? (Like in the "life span" of the engine)
 
#6 ·
if the engine can not modify its tune to burn the higher octane differently you get zero use out of it, octane is used to incease the amount of timing the car can handle without detonation. If your car is tuned to go up to say 93 then it will help. Older cars run 87 and have only one tune (does not change) so running anything else is useless.
 
#8 ·
You can find this on the internet but supposedly the stock tune will advance the timing until knock or pinging occurs then back it off, higher octane fuel will theoretically boost power, but we are talking like 5 HP Max, I know I've seen dyno charts somewhere
 
#10 ·
The winner is


You are right 5 HP increase with 93 octane fuel, K&N drop-in maybe another 5,
maybe not. The new "Cyclone" 3.7 DOHC is a strong motor, enjoy!
 
#12 ·
#13 · (Edited)
Ford calls Ti-VCT, variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust valves, a feature that allows a full 60 degrees of cam timing adjustment on the intake side and 50 degrees on the exhaust side. Meaning when using higher octane (premium or race fuel) the knock sensor will advance ignition timing to produce more power until they detect knock then will ****** it to optimize power and fuel economy. Being that I'm not an engineer nor claim to be I assume that is why they say the engine will produce considerably more power than the stock sae numbers. Like I stated it I don't think it will be significant gains compared to tuning but should be a little higher than stock #s. Is it worth the extra $ per gallon? Maybe, maybe not. Hope that helps a little, that's what I get out of it.
 
#14 ·
It is better for running through your injectors and everything and it burns cleaner. I even use 93 in my 2000 expedition with almost 200000 miles. It won't make your car worse and trust me our cars love higher octane. It will even run c16 without modification our cars are incredible
 
#15 · (Edited)
The Ford engineers did a great job to design the 3.7 to run with 87 octane. A huge reason why I bought it, as I drive quite a few miles per week, and love the performance and fuel economy I get on 87 octane fuel. A $12.00 bottle of techtron fuel additive every 5 thousand miles will keep your injectors and fuel system clean.
Run the 87, and try to use decent grades of fuel, such as Shell, Mobile, etc, as they add fuel additives for cleaning in all their grades.

If you bought a tuner and have a tune loaded that runs with the higher octane, then yes, run the higher octane fuel. Running 93 octane in a stock setup is not going to be worth the extra 20 or 30 cents a gallon IMO.
 
#21 ·
And this here is the problem.. one person says "this is this" and then someone else says "no, this is that"

Anyone else have insights?
We can go democracy on this thing and say the side with the most votes win :D
 
#26 ·
Just an FYI, Techron is patented, about the only cleaner recommended by chemists that know, and its only 6.96 at Wally-World. Last week it was marked 4.97 at my local Wall-Mart and I took the last two bottles on the shelf. I have been using it in my Silverado for a few years now.

Next issue, manual says not to use additives. Well Shell and Chevron and other major grades of fuel put additives in the gas, so better not put gas in the car then since the manual says not to use bargain fuels and use major band names ;)

Next issue, how do you "really" know Lucas cleans fuel injectors better than Techron? Just asking, not saying ;)

Next issue, folks have had to buy Octane booster for decades since Tetraethyl Lead went the way of the Dyna Soar [pun intended to those that know AeroSpace]. Some brands are probably & likely crap. But are you stating to the NOS folks who say they give 3 points of Octane on their branded octane booster product that they are not being truthful?
Again, Just asking, not saying ;)
 
#27 ·
Because we have two twin cars at the shop like literally almost the same amount of miles and put one in one car one in the other and tested how much gas and how clean it was came put and Lucas's was better tested it again in 5,000 miles and way less gunk. I would say not truthful just trying to make money that's how the businesses world works its unfortunate but its how it is
 
#28 · (Edited)
Well, I have worked close to top brand marketing and advertising in America for almost 2 decades. Most (but never all) brand market companies have real substantial proof to backup their marketing claims.

Are you saying again, NOS 3.1 Octane boost claims are not true?

4 out of 5 Car Enthusiasts want to know :lol:

On the Lucas issue I can't dispute what you are testing, Trust in God, all others bring data; and that is what you are doing. Just however that I know several chemists in industry have said in the past Techron was the only Injector cleaner that works. Looks like from your testing and if the data holds, now there will be two.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Montreal, its called ultra 94 only from Petro Canada. Google it, I surprised you don't have it out your way?! It's funny that it says only available in Alberta and Ontario but yet we have it out here in montreal?! It also goes by the web name superclean 94 but on the pump itself it says ultra 94.
 
#41 ·
Highest "standard" in AZ is 91. In UT highest is 89. I could probably find a "speciality" place that has higher, but 91 is the norm here for premium
 
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