Regular or premium gas

[old timer]

I'm towing a 4000 lb trailer with a 5.7 hemi, no big hills would it make any difference to use premium gas when I tow.

 

[Rosy]

You'd need an OBD monitor or something like that to tell you if the computer is retarding timing to prevent knock. If it is, you might get a bit more power with premium but, if it's not, it would just be a waste of money.

 

[Joe Hogan]

There is something referred to as Top Tier fuel. Has a more comprehensive and consistent additive package than the standard discount stuff. You might consider this..

TOP TIER - High-quality Fuel Performance Standard - TOP TIER™

TOP TIER is developed and enforced by some of the leading automotive manufacturers and supplied by participating fuel retailers.

www.toptiergas.com

 

[old timer]

Thanks: I was just wondering, my son in law offered to duel out the exost and install a turbo package but not pay for it,lol.

 

[Chargerman]

Premium fuel is not needed and will not give you any benefit in performance or fuel economy that is noticeable. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and stick with regular and save the money

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

If your truck is designed to run on regular and regular gasoline is recommended by the manufaturer, running a higher octane gasoline will not affect anything except your bank account.

 

[Joe Hogan]

You might read the fine print in the MFG User Manual. I have found that engines with ECU controlled Timing, especially Turbo engines, claim they run fine on Regular but for optimal engine performance prefer Premium. The Ford V10 User Manual states this in what appears to be almost a foot note. Always ran Premium Fuel in the CanyonStar. Engine ran smooth and with power. No hint of knock, even in the mountain uphill in the height of Summer heat at Max weight.

 

[sanda]

This is my 4th hemi pickup and I've conducted tests on all of them using each of the 3 grades of gas. I can't tell any difference in power or mpg while towing 12,000 lbs on flat land or over the highest mountain passes. Regular grade gas in Colorado is only 85 octane and still no difference.

 

[Rosy]

This is my 4th hemi pickup and I've conducted tests on all of them using each of the 3 grades of gas. I can't tell any difference in power or mpg while towing 12,000 lbs on flat land or over the highest mountain passes. Regular grade gas in Colorado is only 85 octane and still no difference.

That's good info. I know some guys have seen on their monitors that the Toyota 5.7 will retard timing on 87 octane under certain conditions.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Glancing through the User Manual for RAM gas truck note the following:

"Besides using unleaded gasoline with the proper octane rating, gasolines that contain detergents, corrosion and stability additives are recommended. Using gasolines that have these additives will help improve fuel economy, reduce emissions, and maintain vehicle performance.

Designated TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline contains a higher level of detergents to further aide in minimizing engine and fuel system deposits. When available, the usage of TOP TIER Detergent gasoline is recommended. Visit www.toptiergas.com for a list of TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline retailers.

Indiscriminate use of fuel system cleaning agents should be avoided. Many of these materials intended for gum and varnish removal may contain active solvents or similar ingredients. These can harm fuel system gasket and diaphragm materials."

 

[old timer]

Thanks a bunch,camping now and will use regular on the way home.

 

[Crazydog]

This is my 4th hemi pickup and I've conducted tests on all of them using each of the 3 grades of gas. I can't tell any difference in power or mpg while towing 12,000 lbs on flat land or over the highest mountain passes. Regular grade gas in Colorado is only 85 octane and still no difference.

Nice to see someone giving us real-life observations rather than getting bamboozled by marketing that advocates for using "top tier" gasoline.
People would never see any difference if you filled their vehicle with a different grade of fuel.

 

[Rosy]

Nice to see someone giving us real-life observations rather than getting bamboozled by marketing that advocates for using "top tier" gasoline.
People would never see any difference if you filled their vehicle with a different grade of fuel.

Top Tier and grade (i.e. octane) are two different things.

 

[DennisT]

I ran regular in our V10 Forester and it ran fine.

Our Harley’s needed premium and the biggest difference we ever saw in those was fuel with no ethanol - performance was better and mileage went up a bunch.

 

[sanda]

IMO ethanol was one of the biggest scams our government ever laid on us. Less HP and MPG.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Man, I’m the odd man out, I guess!

Over the decades, I’ve run nothing but Premium in all my vehicles. The latest fleet being Corvette, 3 Raptors, BMWs, Mercedes, and even my HEMI Trailhawk. I know most of those had a Premium only statement and I can say they all run better on Premium in terms of performance and pinging/detonation; of course because the timing and mixture is more aggressive.

In the past, the cars that could run on anything were a Civic, mommy van, and Edge.

All that said, when o think of “Regular”, I think of leaded gas. So, assuming we are talking about UNLEADED, then the usual rating in California and the western states is pretty much 87, and Premium is 91at the most.

A few years ago, I remember getting high octane (I think 100) up in Washington in my Raptor (Twin Turbo V6), and it felt like a rocket!

So…now yall got me to thinkin how much money I’ve blown over the years. Thanks a lot…like I need something else to obsessively calculate ad nauseum!

 

[Neal]

I'm more along the line of use what the manufacturer tells you to use. If they say 87 then don't use 93.

 

[sanda]

Man, I’m the odd man out, I guess!

Over the decades, I’ve run nothing but Premium in all my vehicles. The latest fleet being Corvette, 3 Raptors, BMWs, Mercedes, and even my HEMI Trailhawk. I know most of those had a Premium only statement and I can say they all run better on Premium in terms of performance and pre-detonation; of course because the timing and mixture is more aggressive.

In the past, the cars that could run on anything were a Civic, mommy van, and Edge.

All that said, when o think of “Regular”, I think of leaded gas. So, assuming we are talking about UNLEADED, then the usual rating in California and the western states is pretty much 87, and Premium is 91at the most.

A few years ago, I remember getting high octane (I think 100) up in Washington in my Raptor (Twin Turbo V6), and it felt like a rocket!

So…now yall got me to thinkin how much money I’ve blown over the years. Thanks a lot…like I need something else to obsessively calculate ad nauseum!

I have also tried real gas in my vehicles a few times. I noticed a big difference in power and mileage. That's why I think ethanol is a ripoff.