OT-Premium Gas

albionmoonlight · 01-28-2003, 09:14 AM

About 6 months ago, I got a new (used) car--a 1999 Olds. Alero--that was kept in good condition by its other owner. This car is obviously not a high performance car, but I plan to keep it for as long as I can. It's got ~34000 miles. I am changing/checking the oil, fluids, belts, etc. as I am supposed to.

I have also been putting the premium gas in the car on the theory that a few extra dollars a tank is worth keeping the engine clean. However, I have heard from several people that the high end gas is really no better than the regular stuff. I have also heard from people who say that it is better and is worth the money. No one seems to be able to agree, and no one seems to have anything to back up their belief.

Does anyone here have insight on the issue? Should I keep using the good stuff, or should I just use the regular?

Bee · 01-28-2003, 09:19 AM

If the vehicle manual recommends premium you should use it. If the vehicle doesn't require premium don't use it. Depending on the engine, you need to use the correct type of gas. Using the wrong type of gas can cause problems and shorten the life of your engine. It's not a case of one type of gas is better for all vehicles, it's a matter of octane content and what the engine is designed to run on.

Marmel · 01-28-2003, 09:21 AM

OK, my source is my Dad, for what that is worth, but he used to work on cars and sell cars when he was young, so he does know just about everything there is to know about them, but I cannot guarantee that this is correct info.

He said the premium gas is worth it if you are driving a V8 engine, otherwise for the smaller engines the regular is fine.

Fidatelo · 01-28-2003, 09:23 AM

I second Bee's opinion, if the manual recommends Premium it needs premium, but otherwise just use regular unleaded and pocket the change.

Bee · 01-28-2003, 09:27 AM

Here's a link.

They basically say to use what's recommended unless your engine is knocking and if that happens try a higher octane gas.

Rich1033 · 01-28-2003, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bee
If the vehicle manual recommends premium you should use it. If the vehicle doesn't require premium don't use it. Depending on the engine, you need to use the correct type of gas. Using the wrong type of gas can cause problems and shorten the life of your engine. It's not a case of one type of gas is better for all vehicles, it's a matter of octane content and what the engine is designed to run on.

I will second this info. It is always exactly what I have been lead to believe. The difference is the octane it contains. High preformance cars are designed for higher octane gas, your car isnt going to gain anything from the more expensive gas.

albionmoonlight · 01-28-2003, 09:37 AM

Thanks. I just found my owner's manual online, and it recomends 87 octane or higher. So regular gas it is. That just means more money for Red Fusion at the gas station.

albionmoonlight · 01-28-2003, 09:38 AM

Dola--

Fast reply rocks. This new board certainly should get the 92 octane.

Fritz · 01-28-2003, 10:36 AM

owners manuals use to recomend changing your oil every 7-8,000 miles.

stkelly52 · 01-28-2003, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fritz
owners manuals use to recomend changing your oil every 7-8,000 miles.

Interestingly, i remeber seeing a report a number of years back (maybe on 60 minutes?)where they tested engine wear and tear on NY city taxis over several years. and they came to the conclution that changeing your oil every 3 months 3000 miles offered no more protection than every 6 months 6000 miles. THey also said that there was absolutly no difference between the brands (except syntheics).

wade moore · 01-28-2003, 11:14 AM

My brand new , 2003 Toyota Celica says change your oil every 7,500 miles --- or 5,000 miles if you drive it roughly..

Bee · 01-28-2003, 11:37 AM

I've seen similar studies about changing the oil.

cthomer5000 · 01-28-2003, 11:47 AM

Yeah, that's why I change the oil on my car every 40,000 miles.

McSweeny · 01-28-2003, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cthomer5000
Yeah, that's why I change the oil on my car every 40,000 miles.

heh heh heh, yeah i'm on the 15,000-20,000 mile plan

Samdari · 01-28-2003, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bee
If the vehicle manual recommends premium you should use it.

The cynic in me (which is 99% of my soul) must step in here and say that there is probably some sort of financial incentive from oil companies to car manufacturers to recommend premium gas in their cars. What is printed in the owner's manual is often advice that is in the best financial interest of the company that prints it, not necesarily the owner reading it.

Bee · 01-28-2003, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Samdari
The cynic in me (which is 99% of my soul) must step in here and say that there is probably some sort of financial incentive from oil companies to car manufacturers to recommend premium gas in their cars. What is printed in the owner's manual is often advice that is in the best financial interest of the company that prints it, not necesarily the owner reading it.

Although I'm generally cynical, it's very uncommon for the manual to recommend premium oil. Generally it's recommended only in high compression engines on V8's (like in a Caddy or something similar). I think car manufacturers would be making a big mistake by recommending something like that with all the consumer groups out there that would be all over them, especially if it were found out they had taken money from oil companies. It would probably ruin the car company and it wouldn't surprise me if it were illegal.

bbor · 01-28-2003, 12:28 PM

It's funny...they used to tell you to change your oil every 10 000 miles...NOW..with new and improved oils....you should change your oil every 3000 miles...what gives?

Fidatelo · 01-28-2003, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bbor
It's funny...they used to tell you to change your oil every 10 000 miles...NOW..with new and improved oils....you should change your oil every 3000 miles...what gives?

I'm not sure, but it could be that today's engine's are more complicated, with more moving parts, all in a smaller area. They might just be much less tolerant to friction than older engines. Just a guess though.

Bee · 01-28-2003, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bbor
It's funny...they used to tell you to change your oil every 10 000 miles...NOW..with new and improved oils....you should change your oil every 3000 miles...what gives?

Engines today are smaller and generate more power (thus generating more heat). They also use less oil, so the oil generally breaks down faster under the additional heat and there's less oil to do the work.

As wademoore pointed out, it's not uncommon for manuals to recommend changing oil every 7500 miles. That's under ideal circumstances. I wouldn't recommend it if you drive in what I would consider "normal" circumstances. If you live someplace where it gets really hot, or really cold that hurts. If you live someplace with lots of traffic that hurts. If you do a lot of city driving (stop and go) that hurts. If you make a lot of short trips (10 minute drives or something like that) that hurts.

The studies I've looked at have always done comparisons of changing the oil every 3000 miles vs 5000 or 6000 miles in ideal situations. Most of us don't drive under those conditions, but if you do then it doesn't make a difference. If you use synthetic oil you can usually go longer too (synthetic doesn't break down nearly as fast as petroleum based oil).

If you are wondering, I did some research on this subject a couple years ago for a night class.

Fritz · 01-28-2003, 12:58 PM

The point I was trying to make goes along with Samdari's cynicism. Manufacturer recommendations are not necessarily best practices.

cincyreds · 01-28-2003, 01:01 PM

Let the Red Fusion Revolution begin!!

MylesKnight · 01-28-2003, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cthomer5000

Yeah, that's why I change the oil on my car every 40,000 miles.

I thought I was the only one doing this?

lcjjdnh · 01-28-2003, 05:07 PM

Personally I feel that premium gas is huge waste of money but maybe I'm biased.

I have this friend who drives a 1979 Buick Tornado. I just got my license last week, so for the past few months I have been bumming rides off him. Despite the fact his car is a gas hog and gets about 5 miles per gallon, he always uses premium gas and then complains about giving rides because it is expensive. WHen you try to be a nice guy and throw him a few bucks for all the rides he gives you, he gets upset and complains that its not enough money because premium gas cost more.

Sorry for the rant, just wanted to vent my fustration about "premium" gas.

MylesKnight · 01-28-2003, 05:12 PM

A '79 Buick Tornado? Now that is a Hooptie..

Qwikshot · 01-28-2003, 06:26 PM

I've got a 2000 VW, it states use premium gas, so I do.

GrantDawg · 01-28-2003, 07:27 PM

Again, the studies say only use Premium if recomended. That was one of the reasons I traded my Maxima for my Camry (better gas milage+ premium versus regular= much money).

Also, the study on taxi's and oil changes was done by consumer report. The final verdict was 5,000 miles should be fine and 7,500 would be ok, but 3500 is a waste of money.

lcjjdnh · 01-28-2003, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MylesKnight
A '79 Buick Tornado? Now that is a Hooptie..

I forgot to mention the best part, it's bright yellow and stands out in any crowd. Anytime he is driving anywhere, you can see the people looking at the car, wondering what jerk drives it.

The funny part is he was supposed to lease an Acura, which only would have used for a year or two before he went to college. Then his neighbor gave him this car and he decided it was the better option. It gives so much trouble and all I say to him is:

You get what you pay for.

01-28-2003, 09:21 AM	#3
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	OK, my source is my Dad, for what that is worth, but he used to work on cars and sell cars when he was young, so he does know just about everything there is to know about them, but I cannot guarantee that this is correct info. He said the premium gas is worth it if you are driving a V8 engine, otherwise for the smaller engines the regular is fine. __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions." Last edited by Marmel : 01-28-2003 at 09:21 AM.

01-28-2003, 09:23 AM	#4
Fidatelo Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, MB	I second Bee's opinion, if the manual recommends Premium it needs premium, but otherwise just use regular unleaded and pocket the change. __________________ "Breakfast? Breakfast schmekfast, look at the score for God's sake. It's only the second period and I'm winning 12-2. Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver maybe once or twice in a lifetime."

01-28-2003, 10:36 AM	#9
Fritz Lethargic Hooligan Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing	owners manuals use to recomend changing your oil every 7-8,000 miles. __________________ donkey, donkey, walk a little faster

01-28-2003, 12:28 PM	#17
bbor Pro Starter Join Date: May 2001 Location: toronto	It's funny...they used to tell you to change your oil every 10 000 miles...NOW..with new and improved oils....you should change your oil every 3000 miles...what gives? __________________ Pumpy Tudors Now that I've cracked and made that admission, I wonder if I'm only a couple of steps away from wanting to tongue-kiss Jaromir Jagr and give Bobby Clarke a blowjob.

01-28-2003, 12:58 PM	#20
Fritz Lethargic Hooligan Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing	The point I was trying to make goes along with Samdari's cynicism. Manufacturer recommendations are not necessarily best practices. __________________ donkey, donkey, walk a little faster

01-28-2003, 09:19 AM	#2
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	If the vehicle manual recommends premium you should use it. If the vehicle doesn't require premium don't use it. Depending on the engine, you need to use the correct type of gas. Using the wrong type of gas can cause problems and shorten the life of your engine. It's not a case of one type of gas is better for all vehicles, it's a matter of octane content and what the engine is designed to run on.

01-28-2003, 09:27 AM	#5
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	Here's a link. They basically say to use what's recommended unless your engine is knocking and if that happens try a higher octane gas.

01-28-2003, 09:37 AM	#7
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Thanks. I just found my owner's manual online, and it recomends 87 octane or higher. So regular gas it is. That just means more money for Red Fusion at the gas station.

01-28-2003, 09:38 AM	#8
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Dola-- Fast reply rocks. This new board certainly should get the 92 octane.

01-28-2003, 11:37 AM	#12
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	I've seen similar studies about changing the oil.

01-28-2003, 01:01 PM	#21
cincyreds High School Varsity Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Mississippi	Let the Red Fusion Revolution begin!! __________________ The Dallas Cowboys!! America's Team will rise again.

01-28-2003, 05:07 PM	#23
lcjjdnh College Prospect Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NJ	Personally I feel that premium gas is huge waste of money but maybe I'm biased. I have this friend who drives a 1979 Buick Tornado. I just got my license last week, so for the past few months I have been bumming rides off him. Despite the fact his car is a gas hog and gets about 5 miles per gallon, he always uses premium gas and then complains about giving rides because it is expensive. WHen you try to be a nice guy and throw him a few bucks for all the rides he gives you, he gets upset and complains that its not enough money because premium gas cost more. Sorry for the rant, just wanted to vent my fustration about "premium" gas.

01-28-2003, 05:12 PM	#24
MylesKnight College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Neptune Beach, Florida	A '79 Buick Tornado? Now that is a Hooptie.. __________________ IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BLACK & GOLD!!

01-28-2003, 06:26 PM	#25
Qwikshot Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: ...down the gravity well	I've got a 2000 VW, it states use premium gas, so I do. __________________ "General Woundwort's body was never found. It could be that he still lives his fierce life somewhere else, but from that day on, mother rabbits would tell their kittens that if they did not do as they were told, the General would get them. Such was Woundwort's monument, and perhaps it would not have displeased him." Watership Down, Richard Adams

01-28-2003, 07:27 PM	#26
GrantDawg World Champion Mis-speller Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Covington, Ga.	Again, the studies say only use Premium if recomended. That was one of the reasons I traded my Maxima for my Camry (better gas milage+ premium versus regular= much money). Also, the study on taxi's and oil changes was done by consumer report. The final verdict was 5,000 miles should be fine and 7,500 would be ok, but 3500 is a waste of money.

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