Mid Grade gas makes noticeable difference on my Ranger

[CrabGuy]

I'm surprised with how expensive our gas is in Cali that the difference between 87>89 is only $.15 to $.20 more compared to what others has said here. For me, that equates to about $2 less each way on my 540 mile trips to Oregon using mid grade. I noticed a 1-1.5 mpg increase over 87 oct. I don't drive slow (70-75 mph avg.) and wasn't towing. I've never accurately checked my city mileage but I do know it sucks! Somewhere between 14-16 mpg. The cost difference between grades for me is worth it just for the way the truck responds better in both city and highway driving. YMMV

 

[sgtsandman]

Yeah, PA has a very wide gap in between the different octane levels. So, depending on location, just the price step may negate the benefits of the higher octane.

I’m doing some experimenting to see how the truck performs with better fuel, just to see. Unless I’m making the trucks work, I’m suspecting the boost in mpg and performance isn’t going to be worth the increased cost unless it is really needed.

 

[sgtsandman]

Sgt makes a very good point a few posts up. Also take not of the station you are getting fuel from. Is it doing a high volume of business so that the gas does not have time to sit in the underground tanks for weeks on end? This is even more critical with gas that contains ethanol, which is most stations.

I generally get gas from whoever has it cheapest and the octane rating recommended in the owners manual (which is 87 for all of my cars) and as long as that station has had a high product turnover.

In my 35 plus years of driving, this has not failed me and all of my card and I have had several cars hit 200k with zero fuel system issues.

AJ

Most people don’t realize that most gas stations only have about a day or two worth of capacity in their tanks. The trucks come in to drop fuel late at night or very early in the morning every day or every other day when traffic is at it’s lowest.

So, the average person doesn’t see that or realize how limited the supply is.

The benefit is that the fuel is kept fresh. The negative is that if there is an interruption in delivery, the gas stations will be pumped dry in short order.

 

[Roert42]

Around here is it usually $.75 a gal difference between 87 and 93, I've seen it at almost $2 a gal difference at some point in the last couple years. Gas seems to be settling a bit.

I think it's because around where I live you don't see many people buying 93. Where I work is more of a high rent neighborhood, and 93 is generally cheaper then at home and 87 is generally higher. So prices are much closer.

 

[Josh B]

93 is a waste for most people who do not own a race car.

I went from 87 to 89 at a cost of $0.40 per gallon and am already seeing noticeably improved performance on the highway including 75 mph with relative ease.

I did not intentionally do today's excursion but coming home from town I was headed out of town to the old road and without really thinking about it went straight and stayed on the dirt roads (mostly gravel)
I haven't been through those roads in ten years, some parts even longer. I sure noticed lots of grow places too :/
I was on just a long leg of it and poking along in 4th(high gear) and not hardly even paying attention, but it was running smooth on a semi bumpy dirt road in 4th gear (M50D which needs attention) and not griping at all.
That is unusual

 

[Roert42]

93 is a waste for most people who do not own a race car.

Depends. A lot of these newer higher performance cars need it. You want to get 3/400+hp on a new car with a warranty you’re gonna need some compression.

 

[Josh B]

yeah, and everybody I know has the other kind I did a driving gig during a layoff and after an injury that left me sidelined a bit. Hers was an Acura, this was 2004 or 5 and it had a pretty mean motor in it. Most times it was dr visit or dentist, whatever and I'd usually go to Starbucks or sometimes I'd drive out on Natchez Trace right outside of town there and there was this monster bridge made me dizzy driving across it but there wasn't much traffic out there and sometimes I'd open it up a bit, but had to be careful, that thing could get away from someone in a hurry. It had settings for the transmission that went from mild to I guess everything but a specifically stated "RACE". I'd put Premium in it

 

[RonD]

Yes, 9.4:1 compression ratio is about the limit of 87 octane
4.0l SOHC has 9.7:1, so needs the Knock Sensor to operate on 87

3.0ls used 9.3:1 and no Knock sensor in most years, so if you got any Carbon build up they would get "pingy"

 

[Josh B]

So what level is the 89 octane good for? It's doing a nice job on mine

 

[RonD]

I would guess 9.6:1, you would still be getting some knocking in the 4.0l SOHC, but not much, I doubt you could tell any difference with 91

Also iron heads or aluminum heads aluminum can be less "pingy" and 4 valves verses 2 valves matter, 4v are less "pingy"
And cam and spark timing

 

[sgtsandman]

So what level is the 89 octane good for? It's doing a nice job on mine

I’m running about 90-91 in the 2011 right now (the tank had about 7 gallons of 87 left in it when I refueled with 93). It complains less when starting to move from a dead stop. I haven’t noticed much of a difference otherwise. I’ll check the mpg at the next fill up when I’ll put in a true 91.

Going off my ScanGauge II, the mpg doesn’t seems to be noticeably better but this is the first tank. I’ll give it another tank or three of 91 and see how she does.

Then I’ll try 89 and rinse and repeat for around three tank fills.

From there, I’ll probably go back to 87 for daily driving and either 89 or 91 for when I’m making the truck work.

 

[Blmpkn]

I sure noticed lots of grow places too :/

Yeesh, not even decriminalized in OK.. people gotta hide that stuff better lol.

Getting pretty close to the time of year up here where you can't drive past anyones house without seeing a whole crop on their front porch/front lawn

 

[Josh B]

I’m running about 90-91 in the 2011 right now (the tank had about 7 gallons of 87 left in it when I refueled with 93). It complains less when starting to move from a dead stop. I haven’t noticed much of a difference otherwise. I’ll check the mpg at the next fill up when I’ll put in a true 91.

Going off my ScanGauge II, the mpg doesn’t seems to be noticeably better but this is the first tank. I’ll give it another tank or three of 91 and see how she does.

Then I’ll try 89 and rinse and repeat for around three tank fills.

From there, I’ll probably go back to 87 for daily driving and either 89 or 91 for when I’m making the truck work.

I'm gonna stay on the 89 long as the mileage warrants it, or at least close to warrants it, due to it running so much better, In time I may do half and half, doubting I'll ever go to 93 tho.
At Love's where I've filled up since they opened a couple years ago that's the only choices that I kinow of, 87, 89, and 93, I might triple check the prices on that again and see how they all add up after becoming more familiar with it

 

[sgtsandman]

I'm gonna stay on the 89 long as the mileage warrants it, or at least close to warrants it, due to it running so much better, In time I may do half and half, doubting I'll ever go to 93 tho.
At Love's where I've filled up since they opened a couple years ago that's the only choices that I kinow of, 87, 89, and 93, I might triple check the prices on that again and see how they all add up after becoming more familiar with it

It seems that the three grades offering are what you posted. If there is four grades offered, 91 is thrown in the mix. Everything else is a separate nozzle or a completely separate pump.

 

[Josh B]

Right, there's a separate diesel nozzle and that one for gas handles all three grades of gasoline