Using Premium Fuel

[L.A.X]

I need to find an answer once and for all since the web has different opinions on the subject. Is using premium fuel a benefit for a 91 Ford Explorer. Does it help using it long term, short term? Ive read somewhere that some oil companies have fuel that qualifies as "Tier 1" and includes more detergents to help keep some fuel system parts clean. How often should a fuel additive be used like Techron Complete Fuel System cleaner? Im a clean freak, and I love to have my trucks internals as clean as possible.

 

[colintrax]

You're just starting another forum fight
Higher octane fuels are just that, a higher octane. Octane prevents detonation, the 4.0 OHV doesn't run high compression or advanced timing. So no need for 91.
If you wanna prevent carbon deposits, run techron in every tank and use seafoam occasionally. Kinda overboard though IMHO

 

[Karpov]

Not my subject but what means premium?


In here Finland we have 98 oct with 5% ethanol and 95 oct with 10% ethanol and 99 oct vpower.


Russia have 76, 82(no more i think), 92,95 and 98 but no ethanol.


I use Russian 92 oct. Works fine and mpg is so good so i dont even wanna switch back to 95 oct.

 

[Jason94sport]

In the US premium is anything above 89...

In a word no.

On a 1st gen it's designed to run on 87. It might in fact run a little better sometimes on 89 or 91....but it really shouldn't. There may be something wrong where the higher octane is covering up a problem.
You have to understand compression ratios of engines. The higher the compression ratio the higher octane you can use with a benefit...That's IF it's designed to work with it. I've seen high compression engines use 87 fine because it's computer is designed to pull timing & spark & is tuned to let you.

 

[L.A.X]

Sounds good, I was wondering if there was any added benefit. Sounds like Ill stick to 87 Octane. How about the different gas stations? I know some people who claim that Arco gas suck compared to Shell, Exxon, Mobil etc. Others state that all 87 octane is the same regardless of the oil company

 

[DsrtExplorer]

In my first 91 EXP I would top off with 89 (mid grade here) if I was heading out of town since I seemed to get just a shade better mileage on the road. Maybe it was worth it, maybe not....I live in a high desert valley at the base of the Sierras, and anywhere I go is a climb, the temps regularly exceed 100+ in the summer, and the normal speeds are 70+, so with these conditions, the few cents difference occasionally doesn't bother me if it helps at all. In town I use regular (87). On my current Exp, I haven't had it long enough to use anything except 87 Octane Shell and am still on my first full tank. I should get an around town MPG with my next fill-up, so I can start playing with different octanes then.

Below is a link to info on top tier gas. I use top tier in all my vehicles, with my preference being Shell or Chevron. Some say its a waste of dollars, but I use it. I have actually printed and keep a copy of the enclosed list in all my vehicles, so if I am in a strange area, I can refer to it and still get top tier gas.

One gas I will not ever use again is Spirit. I can actually tell a drop in gas mileage when it is in my V10, and my trailer generator barely ran on it. I needed gas and that was around, so I thought "what could it hurt?". Now I carry the list of top tier gas stations. My wife used to call me a gas snob, but when she bought her Caddie CTS, she started carrying my list!

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

91 Explorer XLT

 

[L.A.X]

In my first 91 EXP I would top off with 89 (mid grade here) if I was heading out of town since I seemed to get just a shade better mileage on the road. Maybe it was worth it, maybe not....I live in a high desert valley at the base of the Sierras, and anywhere I go is a climb, the temps regularly exceed 100+ in the summer, and the normal speeds are 70+, so with these conditions, the few cents difference occasionally doesn't bother me if it helps at all. In town I use regular (87). On my current Exp, I haven't had it long enough to use anything except 87 Octane Shell and am still on my first full tank. I should get an around town MPG with my next fill-up, so I can start playing with different octanes then.

Below is a link to info on top tier gas. I use top tier in all my vehicles, with my preference being Shell or Chevron. Some say its a waste of dollars, but I use it. I have actually printed and keep a copy of the enclosed list in all my vehicles, so if I am in a strange area, I can refer to it and still get top tier gas.

One gas I will not ever use again is Spirit. I can actually tell a drop in gas mileage when it is in my V10, and my trailer generator barely ran on it. I needed gas and that was around, so I thought "what could it hurt?". Now I carry the list of top tier gas stations. My wife used to call me a gas snob, but when she bought her Caddie CTS, she started carrying my list!

http://www.toptiergas.com/index.html

91 Explorer XLT

Thanks,
Anyone have an experience with the Valero brand gas stations?

 

[Number4]

I will run Valero, Shell, Union 76 or Chevron. Typically it's Chevron. I'll walk with a can before using Arco or any other 'off' brand.
I've been told that there are less detergents or what have you in generic 87's, this the reason for the marginally lower price. Premiums may be okay.
The last time I used Arco, it took 4 tanks plus additives to get my car to run right. That's just my experience.

 

[Jason94sport]

I use whatever is cheapest from a major brand. Lately it's been Hess. I really don't put ANY faith in what gas brand is better. They all have to meet min standards by law.
I use 87 in the X & 93 in my other car(requires it). How easy I can be on my gas pedal has more effect then brand X vs X gas.

 

[natenkiki2004]

My 2 cents;
My Explorer is not driven every day so the cost of the gas doesn't really concern me.

In the last week or so I've been bringing out some small engine equipment out of winter hibernation to get ready for spring (I'm overly eager). To prepare them for winter, I got fresh cheap gas and a healthy dose of stabil. Looking at the fuel filters I've added, I can clearly see a line running horizontal right in the middle of the fuel filter. If shaken vigorously, the whole filter becomes cloudy and will then sparkle as water droplets start forming. It looks like the filter is half-full of water. The engine runs fine but has an occasional pop like it's missing. I can only guess that this is due to the ethanol in the cheap gas I used.

I have also heard of higher octane/premium gas giving you slightly better fuel economy. Perhaps just enough to "break even" on the additional cost. I have no proof of this, just seen it claimed a lot.



All that combined, I put 100% ethanol-free premium in my rig. I've noticed no changes between regular and premium. I've never even checked my mileage since it's a new-to-me vehicle and I'm sorting out mechanical issues. If my Explorer was a fully reliable daily driver, I'd probably throw cheap gas in as long as it didn't cause obvious issues.

 

[siguaw]

Gas company will often buy fuel from one another if someone else has a depot ot refinery in an area they don't have one. Where I live we have a BP "ARCO" refinery. I often see the same delivery trucks leaving BP refinery and going to about every gas station in the county. Don't think that just because your buying from a Shell station your getting Shell gas. At least thats how it works around here.

 

[Maniak]

Some other anecdotes of information...


Our '06 mustang only gets chevron fuel since it has techron and the TSB from ford says if you get sulfer buildup on the sending unit (it is optical) that you fix it by pouring it a high concentration of techron into the tank.

for my DD, the 2000 civic I used to run Valero and whatever diamond shamrock out here uses.. It was cheap (price wise) and the car ran fine.. I recently switched to Shell fuel since I was getting discounts and my MPG has increased from an average of 35 to 37.

Now, for the explorer.. It is the honey badger of our vehicles.. It just doesn't care.. I get 15mpg average and if I take it on a longer (and slow) trip I can get 17...

Since we live in the boonies I like to keep 10 gallons of fuel at the house.. I just never know when I'm going to need to toss it in a vehicle, or maybe even the tractor.. The current e10 stuff we have here (typical fuel you find across the country) just won't last very long. I did find if I drive to the airport in the next town over (a small town) I can buy 100% real gas (not aviation stuff). It is more expensive ($.50+ per gallon more) but I can keep it on hand for a while and not worry about it going bad..

Also, If any our stored fuel starts to go bad I toss it in the tractor since the tractor was originally made to start on gas and then run on kerosene so you know it has some really low compression. I guess the tractor is the real honey badger of the family.. Now that I found I can buy real gas I haven't run into that, I just put it in the tractor because it needs fuel.

~Mark

 

[unclemeat]

Sounds good, I was wondering if there was any added benefit. Sounds like Ill stick to 87 Octane. How about the different gas stations? I know some people who claim that Arco gas suck compared to Shell, Exxon, Mobil etc. Others state that all 87 octane is the same regardless of the oil company

Gasoline for 95% of Americans is not different from different companies. Common carrier pipelines buy product from refiners, based on availabilty not on oil company. It all comes out of the same pipeline.

Brand name is about marketing not product pureity.

Now, there is a big difference where you buy. Gasolines are blended and reformulated. Ethonol is a common ingredient up to 10%.

If you buy gas in big city or area considered to have an ozone air pollution problem (ozone nonattainment area) then the gas is oxyegenated or reformulated. It typically contail 10 % less heat energy. Or 10 % less miles per gallon. Look for the stage II vapor recovery devices, rubber caps or vents in the nozel.

There are also summer and winter blends.

 

[Number4]

Gas company will often buy fuel from one another if someone else has a depot ot refinery in an area they don't have one. Where I live we have a BP "ARCO" refinery. I often see the same delivery trucks leaving BP refinery and going to about every gas station in the county. Don't think that just because your buying from a Shell station your getting Shell gas. At least thats how it works around here.

The gas always starts out the same, may even come from the same refineries. The differences is in what's added. Shell and Chevron put additives in their 87, this will make it more expensive but better for the car. Arco and others sell a cheaper 87 because they don't use additives. (To the best of my knowledge. It's simple economics.)
A hamburger might be cheaper than a cheeseburger, don't mean it's a good deal.
And everyone knows us Americans will buy cheap crap, just because it saves 0.09 a gallon, which over one tank ain't a squat of a difference.

 

[Jason94sport]

The same additives are added to all gas by federal law. Some companies may put in more things that don't really help or help less then 1% of vehicles.
If we want better gas mileage & better running cars/trucks we need to get that Ethanol crap out of the gas. Worst BS tree huger propaganda ever!
Ethanol free gas is popping up, though....
http://www.buyrealgas.com/index.html

 

[Maniak]

http://www.buyrealgas.com/index.html

pure-gas.org is another site that will list places with 100% gas. That is how I found the station near us that I use for our stored fuel.

Keep in mind, some of those places are selling race fuel which may have lead in it AND be 100+ octane and even worse, > $7/gallon

~Mark

 

[cgbier]

Jason, would you believe a treehugger when he told you that real treehuggers (who also understand the science behind it) don't like ethanol much?

 

[Jason94sport]

Not really............

 

[cgbier]

It's true though. Ethanol has a very bad ecological balance - looked at the whole production chain. You need more energy to produce ethanol than ethanol actually contains.

 

[OffTrac]

I only use nonethanol gas in my truck and usually in the Edge as well. The only time we differ is when we get $1.00/gal off at Kroger and we fill up the Edge there. Nonethanol has been $3.99/gal for months. Not a penny more or less. It was $4.29/gal for nearly a year before that, never fluctuating. It makes fuel budgeting real easy.

We have tested multiple trips to Savannah of around 300 miles each trip and get 30mpg on the Edge with E0 and 24-25 with E10. Results verified multiple times as it's our short vacation of choice.

Our non ethanol station is a small mom and pop place, no brand name. When out of town, Chevron or Shell.

I don't bother with gas mileage in the Sport Trac.

I will not put ethanol into any of my small engines.