What Octane Fuel Does Your Explorer Run On?

[Brysha]

Hello,
I currently run on 89 octane here in CA.
I was just wondering what grade you guys run on. I have a 94 Mazda Navajo, 84700miles, and I am contemplating switching to 87 octane because of the high gas prices.

 

[HuiDaddy]

After reading your post, i was gonna blast you for using 89 octane, but then i thought about it... 3,000 miles ago, i did switch from regular to synthetic oil... do i need to switch from 87 octane to 89 octane? I have and will always use 87 octane... GAS IS FRIGGIN EXPENSIVE down her in San Diego... What do you guys think? The manual says 87... but is Ford screwin everyone so that their explorers will break down sooner???

 

[briantf]

Your truck is meant to run on 87 octane. Octane is a measurement of resistance to detonation. It doesn't mean the gas has more energy or anything else.

If you put 89/92 in, you're wasting money. If your truck is pinging/detonating, then you have a problem with your engine that needs fixing.

It's not equivalent to synthetic oils at all - there's no performance benefit, b/c your engine was not designed for higher octane gas.

Even my wife's SOHC 98 Explorer is designed for 87 octane - that's what trucks are designed to run on.

A Mustang Cobra R is designed to run on 92 octane - you put 87 in, the computer will get data from the knock sensor, retard the timing severely, and hose performance.

Put in the gas the vehicle is designed for. Save your pennies for a Mustang ;-)

Best,
Brian in CA

 

[DCider]

I was running 87 originally. I would hear pinging when accelerating hard so I switched to 89 and all was well. Then I did some mods, KKM, Superchip, hi-flo CAT and muffler. I tried to run 89 but heard the engine ping due to the advacted timing of the SuperChip and switched to 92. Problem solved.

------------------
David Cider
'92 Explorer XLT 4x4 4.0L 4Dr 4...

Current Mods:
Hi flo cat and muffler, KKM Air intake, SuperChip, Magnacor wires and AutoLite Double Platnum plugs

Pending Mods:
JBA headers, 4" Suspension Lift, Tires & Wheels

 

[D F Willy]

Stock explorers are supposed to run off 87 octane in the owners manual, but i tend to put in mid grade, since the engine is getting a little old.

 

[Turner55]

i've never really thought about it...i put 87 in and everything's fine...i couldnt afford that mid or high octane stuff anyway(good thing i dont have a mustang)

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'93 explorer sport 4x4

 

[S.Matsushige]

If I'm not mistaken, unless you are running a chip like Hypertech or SuperChip, I think 87 should be used. The chip manufacturers recommend 92 when using their chips I believe. My '91XLT has 150K and runs fine on 87. I think keeping up with the throttlebody cleaning and MAS cleaning should help with the pinging. Gas is high here in Hawaii too!

 

[rpenner54]

I have always run 85 octane. Never had a problem. I think I may ping when going up I-70 and I am doing 4th gear with pedal to the metal in the summer time.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport Modified

 

[01EB5.0]

85 octane?! I haven't seen 85 for YEARS! they don't sell it around here anymore. I always run 87...why run the higher....also the rating may be over the rated number...that is the minumum octane it can be.

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TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4

 

[rpenner54]

Huh, I think its 85. Cause it goes Unleaded=85, Super=87 and Premium=91 I think anyways. You got me currious now I will double check the next time I am at a pump.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport Modified

 

[01EB5.0]

Maybe it's different by you, but at the Clark station I always go to it goes Unleaded = 87, super = 89, premium = 93 and racing = 100.

------------------
TravisN1@AOL.COM
1995 XLT 4x4
80,000 miles
K&N Drop-in
Bosch +4's
BFG Long Trails
Have a nice day!

 

[Gigantor]

I know I may get shot for adding to this debate BUT...
I use Mobil 93 octane and today I performed an experiment. On my trip to college I brought my speed down to 66 miles an hour, around 2,000 rpm and my gas milage JUMPED!!! I was getting about 14-15 on previous trips when I would go 75+. Now that I have dropped the speed down to 66 I got 21.21mpg. For me that is an all time high.
I have a 93 4dr 4x4 with 3.27 gears.
The plain hard truth!

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Nick
'93 XLT 4 Door 4x4
Bosch Plat+4's with SplitFire Dual Core wires and a
K&N Air Filter with a Modified Air Box

 

[xr600boy]

I have to run 92 in my explorer do to the chip I have in it.

 

[rpenner54]

Well I went by a gas station today and it was 85, 89, and 91. So I don't know what the deal is. Dead Link Removed

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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport Modified

[This message has been edited by rpenner54 (edited 04-08-2000).]

 

[Ira]

Ryan,

You may be using a station that has oxygenated fuel. From what I remember, it will lower the octane rating. Around here, we have regular at 87, mid grade at 89, and premium at 91. If you check your octane rating at another station (different brand of fuel) you may find that their regular is 87. If so, I would recommend using it instead of 85.

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Ira
91 XLT 4x4

I used to be schizophrenic, but we're OK now...No we aren't...Yes we are... shut up.

 

[rpenner54]

Yeah all fuel in Colorado is oxygenated. I think in the summer they un-do that but I am not sure. I have been running this for 1 year now without any problems so I think I will stick with it. It doesn't seem to hurt anything.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport Modified

 

[Peter Weber]

Guys,
the reason why Ryan talks about 85, 87 and 91 is because of the high altitude in Colorado. Here in California we have oxygenated in the normal 87, 89 and 92 (or 93 depending on brand) ratings in the lower altitudes (well actually everywhere except the Sierra Nevada). Once you get up past 5 or 6k feet like Tahoe, Mammoth, etc. the ratings change. Less oxygen, lower detonation point needed, therefore regular becomes 85.


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Peter
'99 Sport 4wd SOHC

 

[GJarrett]

Nick, lowering your speed had a whole lot more to do with your new good gas mileage than the octane of your fuel. I have a '99 EB with the onboard computer. I've played with observing my instantaneous MPG readout on the computer while going different speeds. I haven't done it lately, but to the best of my memory, on mine it was something like:
55mph=24+mpg
65mph=19.5mpg
75mph=15mpg

Speed makes a huge difference in efficiency when you're piloting a vehicle with as much wind resistance as ours.

Gerald
"Nerves of Steel; Brain of Chipmunk"
~~~~~~~~~
'99 Eddie Bauer 4x4 4.0L SOHC aka "The Jeepeater"
Mods listed in my Explorer Registry post 7/8/99
Dead Link Removed "What the heck is he doing out here in that thing?"



[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 04-08-2000).]

 

[Peter Weber]

Gerald
Completely agree with your numbers. I observed similar or maybe even a little better. But my Sport is lighter than your EB. I think the optimum mileage for an Explorer with the 5-speed automatic is probably between 50 and 55. That'll keep it in overdrive at pretty low revs.
Another little trick (most people probably know and do this) is to drop it out of overdrive going up a fairly steep grade. Instead of applying gas to keep up speed going up hill, drop it out of overdrive and you probably feel a jump in speed as the revs go up without even pushing down on the big pedal on the right.

------------------
Peter
'99 Sport 4wd SOHC

 

[velcrofly]

rpenner54, you are not going crazy, that's just what Colorado has....lower octane than the rest of us.

I always got the best mileage for the $$ using 89, using 87 or 92/93 was just horrible.