Q45 - Premium gas $4.85 gallon. What about using regular grade?

[rich 96Q45 san diego]

i am dying out here in San Diego with the gas prices. It was $80 to fill my tank last week!!!!

Please convince me not to use the lower grade gasoline!Thanks to all that replied to posting about the pain I feel at the pump. I appreciate everyone's input and the candid responses. I have always had my eye on a Q45. Previous to my Q45, I have owned a Mazda Millenia S and currently have an old J30 w/ 171k miles back on the east coast. Recently, I picked up my 96 Q45 (76k miles!!) almost three weeks ago in San Diego. She is a beaut! White with beige interior. Between the dollar jump in gas because of price difference of the east coast and west coast plus gas prices jumped in the same period with the price increase across the nation, I was bumming! I had the choice of buying a car with better gas mileage three weeks ago, but still wanted to fulfill my desire of getting a Q45. I rarely buy cars new and rarely pay full price for things and I was wondering what were the ramifications and drawbacks to using a lower grade gasoline. I watch my $$$ wisely. My credit card gives me 3% back on my gas purchases. I never looked for the gas station with the cheapest prices cuz it only would only add up to saving a dollar. I just havent been to Exxon since the Valdeze spill. I do watch my dough so that I can enjoy life's pleasures and save my dough in case life throws me a curve ball. The gas prices with $70 going to pump rather than $4o on the east making me think otherwise. The answer to my question was answered at this NICO site. I have always wondered about what would happen if I didn't use "premium fuel" in my car and now I have a good idea though some of you went over my head! This site is cool!

After reading the replies and the discussions to my postings, I have decided to stay with 91 octane gas.Meanwhile, I am taking those suggestions to get better gas mileage and biting lip at the pump!



Modified by rich 96Q45 san diego at 7:49 PM 6/26/2008
Modified by rich 96Q45 san diego at 7:50 PM 6/26/2008

[qship96]

Chances are your knock sensors are non- functional , and ignition timing is already retarded past the regular fuel octane maps.....test sensor operation and if they are faulty, go ahead and use the regular grade

If knock sensors are functioning, use premium only.

[maxnix]

RTOM and RTFSM.

You will save $300 a year in cost and cause $3K per annum in damage.

[sijoko]

i am dying out here in San Diego with the gas prices. It was $80 to fill my tank last week!!!!

Please convince me not to use the lower grade gasoline!

The biggest problem with using 87 octane is that the engine will ping like crazy in this heat. You might be able to use it if you adjust your base timing lower. I'm thinking around 13 or 14 BTDC. However, be prepared for a drop in power and mileage. Also, be prepared for a bunch of people on this site to shout you down about putting anything but 91 octane in your car.

I built a hydrogen generator for my silver Q and am in the process of adjusting the engine to operate with it. This is not an easy route to go. You have to be willing to do some research before you try this out. Hydrogen is not something you toy with. There are plenty of vids on Youtube about hydrogen generators a.k.a. HHO generators. Also, plenty of info on the web.

[apossiblehybrid]

if you can't hang buy a civic and you can use regular all day long.

[Rex]

Downgrading on gas will only save a couple bucks, reducing the total amount you drive or finding a car with better fuel economy should be your focus if the gas costs are too much.

(To all) If gas costs are an issue, a Q45 (or any V8 luxury sedan) is not the right car for you

[maxnix]

Yeah, complain all you want, evergy is still cheap, just not as cheap as it once was for a while there.

Each Chinese accounts for 2 Bbls. of Oil per year. Each American for 25.

[lpreston]

You have to do whats right for the car. It appears from your post that you don't want to give up your Q...and I understand why. Maybe you can make a slight adjustment in your budget....not eat out one extra night or something to make up the difference.

I understand the pain.....this is my little bundle of joy:



While I'm dumping $150 of diesel in it, I just remember that it gets 22 mpg on the freeway and its impossible to tow a 40' gooseneck with a sedan.

As for the get a Civic comment, it appears the guy came here asking for advice on how to not have to get a Civic. Show some love!

[Q451990]

Look on the bright side... the extra 20-25 cents per gallon at $4.85 is only about 4% more over regular vs. 16% back in the good old days.

Heath

[AlabamaDan]

It all depends on how long you want to use your Q. If you just want to use it for a year or two and dump it - go ahead. Most of us try to keep our Qs at or above new standards for the long haul and using 87 octane isn't going to do that. I see irony in someone with a username "rich 96Q45 san diego" complianing about money.

[elwesso]

Anytime i see someone post stuff about regular in a Q45 thats the first sign to OPT OUT of owning this car...

20c more per fill up adds up to about $4 more a tank. If you cant afford $4 mroe per fillup to use a Q45, then you cant afford to drive a Q45 PERIOD.

Dont take this the wrong way, but its the facts man!

[NightRiderQ45]

Exactly...just do the math and you will realize that you are not saving much by using 87 octane. A example from my own personal experience. $3.69 (87) $3.79 (89) $3.89 (91) octane. Yes these are the most recent gas prices in my area. It cost me $38.xx to fill up from where my gas hand was at Sunday using 91 octane. I got around 9.767 gallons. If i would have used 87 octane, it would have cost me $36 by multiplying the gallons by the 87 octane price. It's not worth it. Worse case is probably $4 like wess stated.

[elwesso]

im basing my numbers off of putting 20 gallons in your car when its 20c more expensive than regular which is typical.

Of course, the max you SHOULD HAVE to fill up is about 17 gallons since you should never run below 1/4 tank, but we all knew that!

[Q45tech]

I'm thankful the price of fuel is now higher than the required mainteance costs. It makes the required mainteances and repairs look cheap by comparison.

Unfortunately poor people skip mainteances, then repairs to fill the tank.

V8's can only go down from here.

I can't wait for all electrics and the complaints about a KW/Hr tax to pay for roads and 15 cents per mile tax to pay for the 100 new nuclear reactors to charge them.

[96Qowner]

Yeah, I'm with Wes and Heath.

Seriously, man, it's not that much more. What are you going to save? On 20 gallons, you'll save $6.00? Six bucks on a $90 fill?

Look at it this way: $6.00 per fill is 1 1/3 gallons at $4.50/gal. That's maybe 22 miles of city driving out of about 350 miles. If you go through 20 gallons a week, that's a whopping $25/month. If your budget is that tight, you're in deep excrement - you need to dump the Q45 pronto. Maintenance cost is a LOT higher than that.

There are a bunch of better ways to save 25 bucks a month. The car runs best on high octane fuel. It's designed for TRUE 93, something you can't even buy anymore. Don't try to run it on 87.

[slybydesignq45t]

I too live in San Diego, and the only way to really get around gas prices is to plan your trips including entertainment trips, like going to a bar or club. Let your car warm up, I do this every single time I get in the car and even though people may look at you time to time, wondering why you haven't pulled off in 3 to 5 minutes its ok. They don't understand that your treating your car good by not pulling off to early.

Also make sure your tire pressure is correct.

BUT BY DON'T EVER EVER USE THE WRONG GAS. I have found that the Shell Station in Point Loma is the cheapest for premium no matter what the average price is. If it takes premium use premium. You save big on future repairs. Skimming on an 8 Cyl, Lux car is not cool.

I am at about $70 a week full 7 days with entertainment trips. I used to spend $160 a month a couple of years ago. Then jumped to $4,000 in gas alone in 10 months, because I drove close to 200 miles a day 7 days a week.

I then moved closer to my job and am now still paying an average amount based in the overall increase in goods and services compared to 4 to 5 years ago.

I think of it this way. I took the bus every day for $65 a month, but what I lost in time was crazy. I actually lost money because I wasn't making money. My social life took a dive as well because I could never get to places in time with public transportation.

What you pay in price you get back in time if your smart enough to calculate the gains vs the losses. My opinion is we have to adjust the income and stop complaining because its not going to change its actually going to get worst based on the storms that are effecting our economy.

My opinion, calculate your current income, then include the current increase in all goods, which has been about 20 to 35%. Then try your best to increase your income by that much. I have started a small auto detailing company to increase my income by the difference. It paid for my gas, and I haven't needed to use my main source of income.

Safety is a factor as well. I prefer big strong cars, vs little gas saving cars such as a Versus, because lets face it even if you drive good others may not. And my daily job includes looking at horrible and fatal crashes. I saw (God Bless the lady) pictures yesterday of a lady who hit a guard rail, driving a small car. She never had a chance. When I crashed my E320 at 65mph, I and passenger walked away with nothing, no bruises nothing. It hit the center divide full forces spun out 360'd 3 times, hit a palm tree then flew into a ditch full speed. I praise the fact that I drove a big car in the instance and not a smaller gas saving car. Once again sorry for the long post.

[bullittandy]

RTOM and RTFSM.

You will save $300 a year in cost and cause $3K per annum in damage.

How do you come up with $3000 in damages? I'd like to see objective facts please.

Putting lower grade gas doesn't save much money but it makes people feel better. Feeling better is important but its also important to use the engine as it was designed.

So whats the solution? Mixing 87 octane and 93 octane because you get the minimum octane rating AND you feel better. There is no reason to put higher than 91 octane in the car and this method has the added bonus of forcing you to keep the tank at least 1/2 full.

[szh]

So whats the solution? Mixing 87 octane and 93 octane because you get the minimum octane rating AND you feel better. There is no reason to put higher than 91 octane in the car and this method has the added bonus of forcing you to keep the tank at least 1/2 full.

The OP is in San Diego. California doesn't have anything higher than 91 available ... so trying to mix 87 and 93 is simply not possible here!

Z

[maxnix]

How do you come up with $3000 in damages? I'd like to see objective facts please.

Single bank valve job. We don't even have to consider piston and bearing damage from predetonation.

[bullittandy]

Single bank valve job. We don't even have to consider piston and bearing damage from predetonation.

The computer retards the timing so that it won't ping even on 87.

"Single bank valve job" doesn't make any sense.

[qsiguy]

If you are driving to get better mileage anyway, don't exceed 2500 RPM or accelerate quickly and you won't get detonation. As long as you aren't putting a high load on the motor it's fine. Lower octane fuel will typically yield higher MPG as long as you don't get detonation. Just drive like an old lady. You motor isn't going to spontaneously combust if you don't use premium. I used it for a long time in this car, never had any trouble with the valves, pistons, or fuel injectors.

[Q45tech]

Kocking tends to cause bearing and ring wear more so than head and valve seat problems. Assuming it not bad enough to punch thru piston crown.

Just turn the CAS advance down to 13 degrees and blow the soot out every 2 weeks.

[maxnix]

1.) The computer retards the timing so that it won't ping even on 87.

2.) "Single bank valve job" doesn't make any sense.

1.) OBD I ECU in G50 won't compensate sufficiently. Only thing one can do is set real timing back like Dennis suggested as ECU assumes 15° BTDC, and hope the increased thermal load and decline in performance dosen't offset any cost of fuel savings.

2.) Well, being a V8, there are two banks and thus two valve heads. The point is repairing just one would be prohibitive to potential savings, let alone the whole engine.

[Q45tech]

And worse due to state, fed, and ss taxes you need to make $110+ to pay the $80 almost $6,000 per year gross.

At least IRS raised the reimbursement rate to 58.5 cents per mile but 25 cents of that goes right to fuel.

Be sure every mile is a business mile not a commuting mile. Work from home.

[bullittandy]

Kocking tends to cause bearing and ring wear more so than head and valve seat problems. Assuming it not bad enough to punch thru piston crown.

Just turn the CAS advance down to 13 degrees and blow the soot out every 2 weeks.

Knock is one thing, ping is another.

Look I'm just using a little perspective and running 87 in a modern car is not going to destroy it. Is it good for it? No but we dont have to be Cassandra-like.

[BadQ45t]

I'm thining if your trying to drive you Q to get gas mileage, why drive it in the first place. I have started to drive my Q only when I need the big car, other times I drive my X-Terra which is quite happy with 87 and doesn't beg to be driven fast. When I drive the Q I flog it, what is the real out-of-pocket difference.

Man, those Alabama gas prices are good, send some to us in CA. We're approaching $5.00 a gallon in the Bay Area, Diesel is already there!!!

[bullittandy]

People want to use lower grade gas because it makes people feel better, it doesn't save much money and it is not recommended but it makes people feel better.

I talk to people all day long about the destructive things they do to make themselves feel better and people can be really creative. 87 octane is a pretty mild vice.

[NightRiderQ45]

People want to use lower grade gas because it makes people feel better, it doesn't save much money and it is not recommended but it makes people feel better.

I talk to people all day long about the destructive things they do to make themselves feel better and people can be really creative. 87 octane is a pretty mild vice.

Exactly...quite mild compared to the other things that make people "feel" better. Oh guess what guys!?! I went to my local Phillips station, the only one here so far that doesn't use ethanol...but anyway, I stopped at the pump that I usually pump from, and the gas was $2.89/gal!! The gas went up ten cents yesterday so regular was $3.79 mid was $2.89, and premium was $3.99!! I guess someone typed the wrong number in. Well, I know that my car uses premium, but you all can kiss my a$$ if you think that I wasn't going to jump on that deal for mid grade lol!!! It usually cost me around $50 from the 1/4 tank, but I was able to fill up for $34!! I mean, $2.89 is still high, but buying cheap gas made me "feel" better lol.

[elwesso]

As stated, on any stock Q45 ECU you shouldnt have an issue.. Key word there is "shouldnt" because anyones car who considers putting low grade fuel in their car is not up to as new operation standards (yes that was a slam, not to anyone particular)...

engineers always figure in the idiot or the pro-rated knowledge fact that the general public has over an experienced professional.

[rich 96Q45 san diego]

i am dying out here in San Diego with the gas prices. It was $80 to fill my tank last week!!!!

Please convince me not to use the lower grade gasoline!

MY UPDATE:Thanks to all that replied to posting about the pain I feel at the pump. I appreciate everyone's input and the candid responses. I have always had my eye on a Q45. Previous to my Q45, I have owned a Mazda Millenia S and currently have an old J30 w/ 171k miles back on the east coast. Recently, I picked up my 96 Q45 (76k miles!!) almost three weeks ago in San Diego. She is a beaut! White with beige interior. Between the dollar jump in gas because of price difference of the east coast and west coast plus gas prices jumped in the same period with the price increase across the nation, I was bumming! I had the choice of buying a car with better gas mileage three weeks ago, but still wanted to fulfill my desire of getting a Q45. I rarely buy cars new and rarely pay full price for things and I was wondering what were the ramifications and drawbacks to using a lower grade gasoline. I watch my $$$ wisely. My credit card gives me 3% back on my gas purchases. I never looked for the gas station with the cheapest prices cuz it only would only add up to saving a dollar. I just havent been to Exxon since the Valdeze spill. I do watch my dough so that I can enjoy life's pleasures and save my dough in case life throws me a curve ball. The gas prices with $70 going to pump rather than $4o on the east making me think otherwise. The answer to my question was answered at this NICO site. I have always wondered about what would happen if I didn't use "premium fuel" in my car and now I have a good idea though some of you went over my head! This site is cool!

After reading the replies and the discussions to my postings, I have decided to stay with 91 octane gas.Meanwhile, I am taking those suggestions to get better gas mileage and biting lip at the pump!