I realize this form is bout oil, but I was wondering what most of you who are able to get 200k + miles out of your vehicles are using? You gues just using 87 octane? Or are you using Amoco Ultimate with all their detergents, etc..

I use to be a beleiver in Amoco's Crystal Clear Ultimate, but the gas prices have gotten me so pissed off, I refuse to use premium unless my engine pings. All my veh's recommend regular anyway.

What are you using?

 

Since California has a highly reguated formula called RFG II, there is really no difference between brands. Premium no longer contains a higher detergent level than regular. Use regular if that is what the manual calls for and it does not ping. I noticed that when I had my Ranger, it needed a Techron treatment every year or so to stop the pinging on regular. The 2.9 may have had a tendency for carbon buildup.

Jim

 

208500 miles on a '92 exploder, been running nothing but 89 octane 10% ethanol blend. The only reason I run that is because it's cheaper here in Iowa.

 

I have several vehicles at or near 200k. I use regular 87 octane, usually from my local Kwik-Trip store.

 

I own a 2000 Dodge Grand Carvan, and the Dodge dealer told me I need to get complete fuels system cleaning every 15k. My god! They are trying to tell me to spend 80-100 dollars every 15k to get my fuel system flushed?

Someone please tell me that using Shell or BP 87 octane will keep my fuel system clean. I heard that Shell is now a Top Tier gasoline supplier so suposedly there are enough detergents in all three grads to keep the engine clean.

On the other hand, carbon is a byproduct of burning gasoline, so does any gasolilne packed with additives really keep any engine clean?

 

I think I'd find myself a new stealership. I try to stay away from them, because I have found them hazardous to my wallet!

 

My daily driver for work, 94 Crown Vic, just turned 141,000 miles and I run 87 octane in it with no problems. Also run Valvoline Max-Life 10W-30. Doesn't burn a drop of oil between changes.

 

I ran 87 in my '01 F-150 4.2L, never had any troubles with it and got pretty good gas mileage. I was using 87 in my '04 F-150 5.4L, and it worked fine until I installed the Predator performance tune. I'm using 93 now, found the 87 was getting some preignition under heavy loads after the computer recalibration. I've never used any sort of fuel injector cleaner, only changed my fuel filter at 15,000 mile intervals. Most dealers will tell you that you need to have the fuel system flushed, but it's really just a way to take advantage of an unknowning customer and make a few bucks off of them. Unless there is an actual problem with the fuel system, there's not much sense to do anything with it other than change the fuel filter at the specified intervals.

 

Unless your car requires a higher octane,there is not any real reason to use it.

Higher octane means that it burns a little slower in the engine.This may be needed on engines that have higher compression or some type of modifications but for the most part is not needed in most cars.

A high octane gas is most likely not going to do any more than the 87 octane that you car requires.

It will just cost you more in gas.

 

I run 87 in everthing I own. Only 89 on rare occassion of pulling something heavy or wheelin on the beach.
I use Chevron gas, and Texaco too now that it also has the Techron additive.
If my local Mobil station is much lower in price.....no problems running Mobil either. Only the Chevron/Texaco because of the Techron Additive. Good stuff.

If your engine is pinging...check your timing. If not that, start running the bottled Techron additive...or some other good cleaner......stuff might just be all gunked up.

 

I began using Texaco back in 97 in my 94 Taurus 3.8L & it really woke it up & improved throttle response & finally fuel mileage, which improved from like 17.2 to 23.5-25.5 around town. This improvement has held up since I began in midsummer of 97.

I now switch between Chevron & Texaco every 6 months to keep gas mileage, throttle response & CCDI down in my 4.0L Ranger.

Now Chevron then Texaco are giving me the best fuel mileage & diveabilty here in SW Va.

In the Rangers 4.0L I suffer from CCDI with the slightest build up of combustion chamber deposits & have found switching between the two best performing fuels every 6 months, I can keep it at bay, without having to go through the "decarbon" TSB.

So all my rides are switched between these two brands of 87 octane & are so far doing very well.

For years I had used Amoco premium "white gas" as their non leaded was called around here, in my Zypher 3.3L, but when the EPA began to mess around with petrol, Amoco's reciepe went to pot here, when they began to load their premium with so much ethanol you'd get drunk filling the tank LOL.
So I had to look for another petrol for it too. Setteled on Chevron for it & it's doing fine now.

So for me it's been mostly branded 87 octane, from Texaco & Chevron.

On the Ranger's 4.0L, the Chevron will give me about 2 more mpg than Texaco, which gives me about 2 more mpg than the remainder of available suppliers around here & I've tried them all, over the years!!!!

Seems to me, the better the mpg, the more eficent the combustion process is & the less soot the engine, oil & filter have to deal with & the less soot loading & deposits you have, seems to me your likely seeing less wear in the long run.

So IMHO, as it takes about 5 tanks of gas or 1000 miles of driving, for one gas brands detergents to remove the others deposits, in the long run, it pays in more ways than one, to take the time to find out which two brands of fuel perform best for your ride, then switch between those two at least twice a year to keep the internal engine deposit build up minimized.

 

Unfortunately, the opposite might be true. Ethanol blends are the ones that get less mpg, but they actually burn cleaner. The problem is that alcohol has less heat energy per gallon than gasoline. It burns cleaner because of the OH branch of the molecule contains oxygen. Diesel leaves a lot more soot behind but gets more mpgs partly because the fuel has more heat energy per gallon.

Jim

 

I run 87 octane in both my 97 F-150 with 183,000 miles and my wifes 89 Accord with 177,000 miles with no problems whatsoever.

 

I use either SHELL or Chevron 87, a both are close to me. Never any fuel problems with either. Do you remember when gasoline had lead in it, years ago? i can remember how it had a noticeable red tint color to it. Unlike today's gasoline, which looks almost transparent in color.

 

I have been running 87 octane in my gas vehicles for as long as I can remember. I try to get at least 150K miles out of them before I replace them, and then I am sure whoever bought them could get at least 100K more if they take of it.

I read an article recently in our local newspaper claiming that for the tier one retailers such as BP Amoco and Shell that the additive packages to the fuel were basically the same between grades. The article also claimed that an engine that is designed for 92+ octane will run just fine on 87 octane these days. The article claimed that the computer would compensate the timing, etc. to ensure no knocking or other bad things happened. This article immediately went against my better judgement, but it does have me thinking they may have a point with the newer engines.