my new '02 f150 4.6 has 1100 miles on it and i have used amoco(BP) 93 octane in it since day one.
i also have an '89 ranger 2.3 ltr w/ 290,000 miles and 90% of those miles were driven w/ amoco 93 octane. the engine pinged since the day i bought it w/29,000 miles and used the 93 octane to prevent it. so with 290,000 miles you might say i am partial to my 93 octane.
my point is, i recently heard that using premium or high octane gas is harmful to my f150. is this true? what do yall think?

thanks in advance
larrytjr

 

My auto guru told me that Chevron is the best, so that's what I use, Chevron regular (F150 5.4 171,500 mi.).

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Oct-02 AT 10:55 AM (EST)]The only thing with a higher octane such as 93 is that the fuel has less lubricity in it due to the burn off to get that high octane rate.
Lubricity that helps rings, valves, ect.
But I've seen no proof that in any way has caused problems with a engine.
I've had vehicles that needed 93 to stop the pinging.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Oct-02 AT 07:07 PM (EST)]No, it won't harm your vehicle. You can foul up the computer if you switch back and forth between octane's all the time (computer needs time to recalibrate sensors for lower octane levels and air/fuel ratio's.) I don't know about manual's being printed now, but i've had car manual's in the past that actually recommend a higher level octane if the car is pinging under light loads. This is usually a natural occurrence as vehicles get older.

I should say that it won't hurt your computer to switch between octanes frequently, but it may cause your engine to idle rough while the computer figures out where to make the adjustments. So if you alternate fuel weekly, your vehicle may never run exactly as it should. This is why a lot of people who decide to throw in some premium gas once in a while, complain that it actually hurts their mileage and causes a rough idle.

If your Ranger was pinging when you bought it, that was probably the best thing you could have done besides taking it into the shop and having it put on the computer to find the problem.

One of the posters mentioned chevron, I've heard the same things from any number of mechanic's. Chevron seems to be the best stuff on the market, probably due to the techron cleaner that is added in. There have been some complaints that the cleaning additives in these gasolines can be bad for your fuel injection system due to plastic parts that may be used in them. It's never been proven though. Same as it's never been proven that higher octane gas can cause engine trouble. I mean, your Ranger has used it for 200k miles right? hehe.

I did a search once and it seems Shell (may) or (may not) have a cleaner additive. Texaco has an additive, but I don't know how well it works. Chevron seems to be proven.