Gas: regular or premium?

Post by **Princeofpower** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:39 am

Ok, so I have a 2005 g35 sedan. I read in the manual thAt it shouldn't get anything less than 91 octane. Who here has experimented with using different fuels and what are the repurcusssions of using the wrong fuel? I only ask becuase now that I bought the car I'm not sure that my premium money will last too much longer. What have been some of your experiences?

Post by **G_whizz** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:10 pm

There are aproximately 162873848459483829292929 threads on this if you do a search. I think we literally have 1 member here (Telcoman) that uses regular, but I think his is a different year and his manual okays low octane.

Use what your manual recommends.

You bought a sweet ride that probably cost you a pretty penny. Why use cheap gas??

You not only will sacrifice power, but you run the risk of engine damage and knocking. Should something go wrong and it's traced back to you using crap gas...they may not cover the warranty (if in fact you still have it)

Stay away (IMO) from fuel and oil additives as well.

Post by **Poyzinous** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:02 pm

http://forums.g35club.org/zerothread?id=401628

Post by **zozoka1212** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:35 pm

If you start using regular change your user name. Princeofpower won't make it. You need powerofpoor. LOL

Post by **Princeofpower** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:36 pm

Ok, So is there any way I telling whether or not my car was abused and neglected fuel wise before I purchased it? If it indeed was force fed 87 octane what impact does going back to 91 octane? But is there any way of telling?j

Post by **Princeofpower** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:46 pm

zozoka1212 wrote:If you start using regular change your user name. Princeofpower won't make it. You need powerofpoor. LOL

Right!!!!! I definately do not want to be prince of poor...That's wack. But thanks for the conviction!

Post by **SVTCOBRA** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:10 pm

We used 87 in our 05 sedan when we could not get prem. anywhere.It ran fine. No pinging.When prem. was available, we switched back to it.I didn't put 87 in my coupe....it stayed parked.

Post by **BrandAidDesignG35** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:34 am

Last week I let my GF pump at the station, I was ridin' shotgun.

To my dismay, I looked out when she was pumping only to see regular being forced into my gas tank

I rudely expressed my concerns when she got back in the car. I went out and bought some fuel treatment and got some Premium in there right away... that stuff's gross dude.

Post by **joe603** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:50 am

The ECU will compensate for the lower octane. You should be OK, even if the previous owner was cheap.

Post by **kmckis1029** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:12 am

my 2005 g35 said premium recommended... so you can use 87, but you will lose power.

i have only used 93 octane since i brought my car...

Post by **pfarmer** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:50 pm

kmckis1029 wrote:my 2005 g35 said premium recommended... so you can use 87, but you will lose power.

i have only used 93 octane since i brought my car...

I wouldn't worry about it too much, as you mention it is a matter of slightly less power for a sedan and I think that applies as far as 2008s. While I like you use premium I may actually be wasting my money for most of the type of driving I do. Personally I would worry a lot more about fuel additives.

Perry

Post by **MoonRiver** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:54 pm

I use 87 most of the time for my 07 6MT, but occasionally add premium. It doesn't behave differently. I guess It has something to do with the way of my driving. I don't floor, and with the its knock sensors which retard the timing as they detect knocking, for some degrees. I will though fill in mid grade even premium when the weather gets hot, 'cause then the engine runs hotter, prone to knocking. I don't drive much. You wouldn't believe it only clocked 7k in 27 months. In this case, premium only costs me a little more.

Post by **smockers83** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:37 pm

I love how we have a purported 162873848459483829292929 threads on this topic, yet a bunch of people still reply to each one.

I put forth in front of the board a movement to disallow replies to gas threads here on out.

All in favor?

Yay.

Post by **G_whizz** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:33 am

LOL.. no can do...we gotta help the noobs!!

Post by **kmckis1029** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:39 am

i understand were forums are coming from with repeat threads... but if a topic is that common then making a new post will get you a quicker answer than searching. (its like use a book or ask google/wiki)

then most people who "dont search" are people new to a particular forum. i say point them in the right direction, and dont flame them for asking a question. Then most of the time, eveytime the same question is asked more infomation is given than the last time.

Post by **smockers83** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:24 am

I was just kidding. I was a at one point, too. I just think it's funny.

Post by **pfarmer** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:06 am

kmckis1029 wrote:i understand were forums are coming from with repeat threads... but if a topic is that common then making a new post will get you a quicker answer than searching. (its like use a book or ask google/wiki)

then most people who "dont search" are people new to a particular forum. i say point them in the right direction, and dont flame them for asking a question. Then most of the time, eveytime the same question is asked more infomation is given than the last time.

This is also a moving target type of question in some ways. For example I believe for the 09s it changes for the sedan from the 08s (I haven't read the manual yet for the 09s). Also it appears to be somewhat controversial as noted by the answers. Personally I think very few have the concepts of cheap gas versus expensive gas versus lower octane versus higher octane and how all of this relates to the reliability and performance of a 'G' or the difference between recommended and required.

Maybe a good question would be does it actually harm a 'G' to run a lower octane fuel in it? In a 'G' that doesn't require it, it appears to be one of performance. For the guy who simply travels around town or on the freeway who doesn't push it, maybe the sensible answer to which fuel to use is the lower octane. Has anyone really done any test/research on gas mileage using various fuels? Has anyone really done any research on reliability using various fuels?

I rarely push my 'G' anywhere close to its limits, so maybe it would be a cost savings in my case to use lower octane providing there are no worthwhile advantages to using a higher octane fuel such as long term reliability. After all since it will adjust itself to the higher octane fuel I could always put it in as needed for specific trips, etc. Right now I am using the higher octane recommended fuel more like insurance than possible need.

Perry

Post by **joe603** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:07 am

...as our car gets older, younger people will be able to afford it. Expect to see repeating topics like this one a lot!

We do have a G-Series FAQ that can answer most questions in depth...I think we need to add a gas FAQ. Any volunteers?

Post by **Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:29 am

telco should be the one for the job!

Post by **telcoman** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:36 am

Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT wrote:telco should be the one for the job!

I should have 100k regular 87 octane miles on mine by the end of this year

pfarmer wrote:Maybe a good question would be does it actually harm a 'G' to run a lower octane fuel in it? Perry

Regular has not harmed mine

MoonRiver wrote:I use 87 most of the time for my 07 6MT.......

I use it all the time

I don't think that I am the only one using regular 87 octane in my G?Much has been written on this topic.

Consumer Reports, Car Talk, Government reports all confirm that regular 87 octane is fine for most vehicles. When i took delivery of my G with a full tank of gas I later found out it was filled with regular.Is there anyone here that knows for sure without a doubt that their brand new G had a full tank of premium?I think not!Of course the oil companys make extra $$ on all the premium gas that they pump. Owners manuals seem to try to push consumers to use premium.For new users, in my opinion, it is not necessary to use anything other than regular 87 octane. For the past few months I've been filling up at WaWA as they are the cheapest. On trips to Florida I use Petrol and any truck stops that pump large volumes of gas. I do not believe in using expensive synthetic oils either. Changing oil every 3k-3-5k will ensure a long engine life.Even if a loss of 10hp resulted between using regular 87 octane vs premium would it really matter on an 300+ hp engine.Not to me!

Telcoman

Post by **G_whizz** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:53 am

Telco..if I'm not mistaken...your manuel states that regular (for your make and model) is ok correct?

My manual says otherwise.

Post by **joe603** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:54 am

Just don't use the 10% ethanol mix...

I still say stick to whatever your owners manual recommends.

Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:08 am

G_whizz wrote:Telco..if I'm not mistaken...your manuel states that regular (for your make and model) is ok correct?

My manual says otherwise.

No the manual says the same as it does for the coupes. Premium Recommended for best performance.

It also says this on the back of the gas door!

If you always rev your motor to 4k rpm's or higher and drive like a freak... you need the premium.

My car is ok under 3k rpms on regular. but when you are WOT it runs like crap!

All G's Need Premium

DJ

Post by **smockers83** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:11 am

If collusion between car companies and oil companies were true, then Honda would be in on it, too.

My girlfriend just bought a new Civic recently and I was flipping through the manual and it said sport models need premium. I thought maybe my eyes were playing a trick on me. A Honda needing premium? I read it again and it was still there. Now the question is, how many sporty Hondaites actually use premium?

Post by **smockers83** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:16 am

From Consumer Reports:

Many people use premium gasoline in the belief that it's better for engines than regular. That can be a costly mistake, especially during times of high fuel prices. Octane grades don't represent a “good, better, best” choice; they simply measure the resistance of fuel to knocking or pinging, a condition in which gasoline burns uncontrollably in the engine's combustion chambers. Knocking and pinging can damage an engine.

While high-octane formulations resist knocking better than lower octanes, most engines are designed to take regular gas, which has an octane rating of about 87. Engines requiring premium gas are typically the more powerful ones found in sports and luxury vehicles. Those engines use a very high compression ratio, making them more vulnerable to knocking, so recommended fuels have octane ratings of 91 or higher. Using premium gas in an engine designed to run on regular doesn't improve performance.

Some engines for which premium gasoline is recommended can run on regular without problems. That's because the engine's knock-sensor system detects the presence of uncontrolled burning in the chambers. When it does, the engine's computer-control system retards engine timing, eliminating the knock but slightly reducing power. If you don't mind giving up some performance, you can run these engines on less-expensive regular gasoline. To check whether your engine is capable of running on regular gas, read your owner's manual or ask your dealership's service department.

P.S. to the mods: I'll work on a gas write up. Unbiased. Fair and balanced. I report, you decide (quite literally, too).

Post by **pfarmer** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:33 pm

G_whizz wrote:Telco..if I'm not mistaken...your manuel states that regular (for your make and model) is ok correct?

My manual says otherwise.

My manual for my 08 states it is ok to use regular for the sedan, that you may notice a decrease in performance. No restrictions, etc. like with the coupe.

So to me the question comes down if you don't need premium should you use it for another benefit such as mpg? Lets say you are always on the freeway and always travel at 60 mph. Another poster stated that they get 20 extra miles on a tank of premium (or something like that, maybe 20 gals). This would come out to 1 mpg benefit. If the difference was 10 cents per gallon it almost seems like a wash, premium sounds like a better choice since it becomes a more flexible choice. However does this hold true for everyone?

Perry

Post by **Zmaz** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:06 am

Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT wrote:
No the manual says the same as it does for the coupes. Premium Recommended for best performance.

It also says this on the back of the gas door!

If you always rev your motor to 4k rpm's or higher and drive like a freak... you need the premium.

My car is ok under 3k rpms on regular. but when you are WOT it runs like crap!

All G's Need Premium

DJ

Sorry to barge in like this, my 2005 Manual says for the SEDAN recommend 91 but will use lower and for the COUPE to not use less than 91 octane. I will post the EXACT wording when I get back

Post by **Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:04 am

Well that must be for an autotragic! lol... If you have a 6 speed i would be really surprised!

DJ

Post by **Zmaz** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:10 pm

it is tragic that I have an auto, but I don't have a choice

NOT GUILTY · Post by **NOT GUILTY** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 6:07 am

I have a 2004 G35 MT 6 sedan, I use regular gas with extreme fuel treatment.
I have increased gas mileage and no loss of power and I have been using it for a year now and I have over 130K on my car. I do 80mph on my way to work 4 days a week. no traffic where I am at 5:30am
FYI for those concerned about using less than preminum if I wasnt using extreme fuel treatment I wouldnt do it because you dont know what the long term effects are. My brother drives a Benz and he puts Extreme Fuel with regular gas in his car which he how I got started.

Gas: regular or premium?

Gas: regular or premium?

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Poyzinous)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (zozoka1212)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (SVTCOBRA)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (kmckis1029)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (Princeofpower)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (MoonRiver)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (smockers83)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (smockers83)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (kmckis1029)

Re: Gas: regular or premium? (kmckis1029)

Re: (joe603)

Re: (Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT)

Re: (telcoman)

Re: (G_whizz)

Re: (Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT)

Re: (smockers83)

Re: (G_whizz)

Re: (Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT)

Re: (Zmaz)

Re: (Tampa G35 Sedan 6MT)

Re: Gas: regular or premium?

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