What fuel do you use? Regular or super?

[PrecisionX]

I heard it is "recommended" to use super in this an the maxima but what does everyone actually use for fuel?

[Kompresshun]

I run premium in mine, because that's what's recommended and it performs the best with it too. I have run mid grade with no real issues, but it decreases the fuel mileage enough to not offset enough savings between it and premium. It decreases the performance some as well.

You definitely shouldn't run regular in it at all. It can potentially cause some major issues and will not save you any money really, even though you're spending less at the pump.

[JOzz]

Premium. I add Lucas Fuel Treatment once a month. Runs smooth, no knocks or issues.

[Bulbman]

I didn't know fuel was an issue for the 95 Maxima until I read the book on the I30. They have the same engine and fuel requirement. We ran Max for 7 years on regular but I did replace an injector. The I30 gets mid-grade and is doing well. I think the real killer is ethanol mixed fuel and would avoid those.

[jltibbs]

Yeah, premium is most definitely the wisest choice. Cleanliness of the fuel system and maximum burning efficiency make a huge difference in performance and fuel economy.

Welcome to NICOclub.

[300ZXttZMAN]

I don't have a Maxima but I run super premium in my Z.

Welcome to nico!

[Z31toZ32]

I run premium in mine, because that's what's recommended and it performs the best with it too. I have run mid grade with no real issues, but it decreases the fuel mileage enough to not offset enough savings between it and premium. It decreases the performance some as well.

You definitely shouldn't run regular in it at all. It can potentially cause some major issues and will not save you any money really, even though you're spending less at the pump.

I agree that it is recommended, but isn't a higher octane nothing more than resistance to detonation? If you aren't detonating, what is the point of running higher? Can you somehow tell or measure if the knock sensor is reducing performance of the car, or is it too small of a difference to ever notice?

I have a hand me down maxima that has been in my family for the car's life, and we have never used anything besides regular 87 (generally shell) in the car.

[loystock]

Regular will do but if you are lead-footed or love hard starting, then premium is a must.

[Kompresshun]

I agree that it is recommended, but isn't a higher octane nothing more than resistance to detonation? If you aren't detonating, what is the point of running higher? Can you somehow tell or measure if the knock sensor is reducing performance of the car, or is it too small of a difference to ever notice?

I have a hand me down maxima that has been in my family for the car's life, and we have never used anything besides regular 87 (generally shell) in the car.

I just am going based on my own personal experience with my I30 and my 95 Maxima, along with numerous other discussions on this topic. I don't buy it because the tag on the fuel filler door tells me so, I buy it because it's proven to make a difference and it's better for the vehicle.

Sure regular will do, but what is it saving you to run regular? I'm willing to bet that you're not getting the same fuel economy that you would from running premium, so yeah you may be saving a few bucks when you fill up, but you're not really saving much(if anything at all) over the course of that tank of fuel. I get 20-21 mpg city and 30-31 mpg highway running premium, but if I even run mid-grade, you can shave a minimum of 2-3 mpg off of those numbers.

I see your point on detonation too, but why dare to find out? I'm not that cheap and I don't drive my car gently, so i'd rather stick with what works. I can tell a noticeable difference in my car between just mid-grade and premium, so I don't want to see what regular would do for it.

Regular will do the job and I can understand if it's a hand-me-down car, but I even ran premium in my 95 Maxima and it had 200k on it when I bought it. After driving Mustangs for years and experiencing similar results between fuel grades, i've learned it's not worth it to save a few bucks and sacrifice performance. It's a 4 Door Sports Car and should be treated as such

[loystock]

AMEN, A33!

Just bear in mind that in some areas/countries, premium may have octane rating of 93 or higher, 96 in some cases. Such octane rating is ideal for high-compression engine. A while back, we have a member from overseas who used such fuel in a Maxima. His mileage/performance went down most likely due to inefficient combustion. Mileage went back to normal when he reverted to 91 octane.

We only use premium, usually Shell, in all our Infinitis. One time, my son came home with a CEL on. First thing I asked - did you use regular fuel...and yes he did. So I reset the CEL, added Redline Fuel System Cleaner, top off the tank with premium, drove the car on the highway, revving multiple times and the problem went away. Coincidence or not, I don't care. One thing you should avoid is approaching/reaching detonation as it imposes so much stress on the engine resulting in premature component(s) failure. Of course, the Knock Sensor will work with the ECU to retard ignition to avoid detonation but by then the engine has been stressed out. And bear in mind, some people, instead of replacing a defective KS, resort to using a 550K ohm resistor to save time and money. So the engine may be knocking like crazy but the ECU won't do anything as it sees KS signal as 'normal.'

[miccris93]

Since I've owned my I30, all that has been in it has been either BP Ultimate or Premium from Wawa (big chain in South Jersey). Plus for me, the BP by my house has Premium for the price of Mid-Grade 3 times a week, so that helps a little for me

[OwnerCS]

93 Octane for the 95 Maxima, 99 I30, and 91 Q45..

All use the same Nissan knock sensors..