87 or 89 Gasoline in my 2006 Altima 2.5?

[toolband4308]

I just purchased a 2006 Altima silver on black, 2.5L and I have been putting 89 (Premium) in...Is that safe or should I stick back with the 87??? what is the Pros & Cons??

[alnissan]

Definately stick with 89. It will only make it run better(better than 87).

[Scandinavian Flick]

and its only 10cents more per gallon then low grade.. so fill the whole tank from empty its only $2

[toolband4308]

forsure!thanks!

[08altima35]

since when was 89 octane premium?

[toolband4308]

87 is Regular Unleaded, 89 is Premium Unleaded, 91 Is Supreme Unleaded, then Diesel

[08altima35]

well... okay. the i say add diesel

[Scandinavian Flick]

87 is Regular Unleaded, 89 is Premium Unleaded, 91 Is Supreme Unleaded, then Diesel

maybe its just the mid-west region of the country but our high grade gas is 93 octane

[sexybeasty]

hmm, yeah this one always stirs up a hornets nest of debate, but you really should stick to what is recommended. Not only are you spending a whopping $2.00 more per tank for 89 vs. 87, but the 89 is harder to burn and would reduce power slightly. Beleive it or not, the engineers who designed these cars did know what they were doing (we like to think otherwise ) Going even higher in octane can result in more unburnt fuel which can lead to more engine deposits and cat failure. There really isn't a need to go higher in octane unless you add a turbo or supercharger or increase compression.

On the other hand, the compression is high enough in the 2.5 so it may not be an issue, esp with 89. But then there's the issue of timing and the ECU doesn't adjust timing based on octane levels (it has no way to discern). I think these engines can adjust timing based on the presence of engine knock (via a knock sensor) when the octane level is too low, but they just retard timing in that case, which is not what you want if you are running higher octane gas since it will reduce power even more.

Just my 2 cents; I could be wrong

[eight3six]

my 07 3.5 says premium fuel is recommended so when i go to the pump 93 if they have it, 91 if no 93, and ALWAYS sunoco gas!

[domdada]

Higher Octane Level=Reduced Power? Huh? So why do race cars use 110 or higher Octane? Someone Please Explain This?

[sexybeasty]

the higher the octane, the harder it is to burn. That's why race cars use it. With the compression they run (and with SC/ Turbos, etc) low octane fuel will pre- ignite before the spark, which as you can probably figure, it a very bad thing. Higher octane fuel is needed for high output engines in most cases to avoid this. 3.5's need premium, 2.5's don't.

[D-Roll]

I use 89 octane, better than 87