Recommended Octane?
06-28-2005, 06:26 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Recommended Octane?
Quoted directly from Manual
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Raiting 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
I'm a little confused. If it's 87 or higher, then does this mean that 87 or higher is recommended? Then, don't this mean that it doesn't matter what octane rating you use???
It seems to me that the manual is telling me to not use anything lower than 87 octane. It doesn't specifically state that it's recommended. It doesn't state that higher octanes are recommended either.
What's the deal?
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Raiting 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
I'm a little confused. If it's 87 or higher, then does this mean that 87 or higher is recommended? Then, don't this mean that it doesn't matter what octane rating you use???
It seems to me that the manual is telling me to not use anything lower than 87 octane. It doesn't specifically state that it's recommended. It doesn't state that higher octanes are recommended either.
What's the deal?
06-28-2005, 07:01 PM
#3
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Los Angeles County 909
Posts: 2,407
can you find lower than 87 octane in the US?
I read the manual and run 87 (common, its a camry engine). if you spend alot of time near redline, then I'd run 93 (or 91 for us cali folks).
general rule i follow: the more performance you demand out of your engine (regardless of modifications), the higher octane you should run.
I read the manual and run 87 (common, its a camry engine). if you spend alot of time near redline, then I'd run 93 (or 91 for us cali folks).
general rule i follow: the more performance you demand out of your engine (regardless of modifications), the higher octane you should run.
06-28-2005, 07:04 PM
#4
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,161
higher octane will give you ZERO PERFORMANCE BENEFITS.
higher octane is only required if your engine is knocking, or if you're engine is force injected. Otherwise, stick with what the manual tells you. You will NOT get better gas mileage, your engine will NOT run smoother, and your car will NOT go any faster.
don't believe me? read it from Shell directly: http://www.shell.ca/code/motoring/en...es/octane.html
higher octane is only required if your engine is knocking, or if you're engine is force injected. Otherwise, stick with what the manual tells you. You will NOT get better gas mileage, your engine will NOT run smoother, and your car will NOT go any faster.
don't believe me? read it from Shell directly: http://www.shell.ca/code/motoring/en...es/octane.html
06-28-2005, 07:08 PM
#6
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Philly/Wilmington
Posts: 893
Actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer.
I believed, if i remember, Japan has higher octane levels than America, that's why their car last pretty long
__________________
I believed, if i remember, Japan has higher octane levels than America, that's why their car last pretty long
__________________
Last edited by MR_LUV; 06-04-2020 at 05:29 PM. Reason: Awarded 15 Yr Badge
06-28-2005, 07:16 PM
#8
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 670
Originally Posted by raWr215
actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer. I believed.. if i remember, japan has higher octane levels than america, that's why their car last pretty long
And the link Dieselstation posted is dead on. I think Shell might know what they're talking about.
06-28-2005, 07:18 PM
#9
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 428
Originally Posted by raWr215
actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer. I believed.. if i remember, japan has higher octane levels than america, that's why their car last pretty long
06-28-2005, 07:19 PM
#10
Senior Member
SL Member
Scion Evolution
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: In the Hot Tub
Posts: 5,736
Originally Posted by raWr215
actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer. I believed.. if i remember, japan has higher octane levels than america, that's why their car last pretty long
Japan has some of the strictest smog laws anywhere. Most engines never see of 50K miles. has nothing to do with the gas. Also, some countries use a different octane rating:
What does 'Octane' mean?
Firstly, keep in mind that a gasoline’s octane rating is simply a measurement of the fuel’s ability to resist engine knocking. It does not refer to a substance or to the quantity of energy or power in the fuel. More correctly, an octane rating is often called an “anti-knock index”.
When unburned gasoline vapours spontaneously explode in the cylinder before the expanding flame in the combustion cylinder reaches them, it actually causes two simultaneous explosions (the other is from the spark plug). This results in a knocking or pinging sound, and when an engine knocks the result is a reduction in the power it delivers.
The higher a fuel's octane number, the higher its resistance to engine knock.
Technically there are three different "octane numbers" associated with every gasoline. The Research Octane Number, or RON, is measured under fairly easy test conditions. The Motor Octane Number, or MON, is a tougher test measured at higher engine speed and temperature.
The value that relates most closely to actual driving conditions is the average of these two values: Road Octane Number = (RON + MON)/2. This Road Octane value is the one referred to in Shell stations: Shell Bronze gasoline has an octane rating of 87, Shell Silver is 89 and Shell V-Power is 91.
Occasionally, less scrupulous Canadian gasoline outlets will use the confusion of these different octane measurements to exaggerate their octane rating claims, by advertising their fuel's Research Octane Number - which will be higher than the Road Octane Number. It is also a common practice in many European countries to advertise the Research Octane Number on their pumps, so you may see unexpectedly high octane values when travelling abroad. In Canada, motorists should always be sure that the octane number a vendor advertises is its Road Octane value, not its RON.
Engines in vehicles built for sale in North America are designed to a specified octane requirement to make sure they don't knock or ping (engine knocking reduces the amount of power it can deliver to turn the wheels). Once that octane level has been met, in normal instances your car will not experience more power or better mileage if you use a higher octane fuel.
In other words, if your Canadian vehicle owner's manual specifies an octane rating of 87, running on gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or 91 or more will normally not make a difference.
However, there are some exceptions to this, and it must be noted that if the owner’s manual specifies using gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or 91, then that’s what you should use because that’s what the engine is designed and tuned for.
Firstly, keep in mind that a gasoline’s octane rating is simply a measurement of the fuel’s ability to resist engine knocking. It does not refer to a substance or to the quantity of energy or power in the fuel. More correctly, an octane rating is often called an “anti-knock index”.
When unburned gasoline vapours spontaneously explode in the cylinder before the expanding flame in the combustion cylinder reaches them, it actually causes two simultaneous explosions (the other is from the spark plug). This results in a knocking or pinging sound, and when an engine knocks the result is a reduction in the power it delivers.
The higher a fuel's octane number, the higher its resistance to engine knock.
Technically there are three different "octane numbers" associated with every gasoline. The Research Octane Number, or RON, is measured under fairly easy test conditions. The Motor Octane Number, or MON, is a tougher test measured at higher engine speed and temperature.
The value that relates most closely to actual driving conditions is the average of these two values: Road Octane Number = (RON + MON)/2. This Road Octane value is the one referred to in Shell stations: Shell Bronze gasoline has an octane rating of 87, Shell Silver is 89 and Shell V-Power is 91.
Occasionally, less scrupulous Canadian gasoline outlets will use the confusion of these different octane measurements to exaggerate their octane rating claims, by advertising their fuel's Research Octane Number - which will be higher than the Road Octane Number. It is also a common practice in many European countries to advertise the Research Octane Number on their pumps, so you may see unexpectedly high octane values when travelling abroad. In Canada, motorists should always be sure that the octane number a vendor advertises is its Road Octane value, not its RON.
Engines in vehicles built for sale in North America are designed to a specified octane requirement to make sure they don't knock or ping (engine knocking reduces the amount of power it can deliver to turn the wheels). Once that octane level has been met, in normal instances your car will not experience more power or better mileage if you use a higher octane fuel.
In other words, if your Canadian vehicle owner's manual specifies an octane rating of 87, running on gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or 91 or more will normally not make a difference.
However, there are some exceptions to this, and it must be noted that if the owner’s manual specifies using gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or 91, then that’s what you should use because that’s what the engine is designed and tuned for.
06-28-2005, 07:20 PM
#11
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 670
Originally Posted by dmikon
Originally Posted by raWr215
actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer. I believed.. if i remember, japan has higher octane levels than america, that's why their car last pretty long
x 98749873 bhahahahahaha
06-28-2005, 07:21 PM
#12
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Germantown, MD
Posts: 2,004
Originally Posted by raWr215
actually higher octane will benefit you, it burns cleaner so your car will last longer. I believed.. if i remember, japan has higher octane levels than america, that's why their car last pretty long
This topic has been done to death and in the end only one conclusion is made...
It's your money, if you need the placebo to believe you're going faster, then do it.
06-28-2005, 07:28 PM
#13
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 48
well i live in colorado(high altitude...and we have 85 octane and the dealer said to run it on that....the octanes are different here so our 85 is like your 87 but it is what is recommended here so i dunno
06-28-2005, 07:29 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 23
" A high octane rating ensures that it takes a REALLY hot ignition source to ignite the fuel (such as a spark plug or the flame-front itself) and not just the rise in pressure & temperature that's a result of normal combustion. Note that the thermal rises in the cylinder are in direct proportion to the compression ratio of the engine (more below). The higher the compression ratio, the higher the octane of the fuel that's needed
Again, if the mixture in a gasoline engine ignites before the spark plug fires, we call that "pre-ignition." Pre-ignition can damage an engine before you finish reading this sentence. To reiterate, what we're really concerned with is called "knock" and that's the spontaneous ignition of the fuel-air mixure ahead of the flame-front as a result of the rise in cylinder pressure caused by the onset of ignition (caused by the firing of the spark plug). "
Again, if the mixture in a gasoline engine ignites before the spark plug fires, we call that "pre-ignition." Pre-ignition can damage an engine before you finish reading this sentence. To reiterate, what we're really concerned with is called "knock" and that's the spontaneous ignition of the fuel-air mixure ahead of the flame-front as a result of the rise in cylinder pressure caused by the onset of ignition (caused by the firing of the spark plug). "
06-28-2005, 07:32 PM
#15
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 48
Exactly....which is why the drag cars need higher octane the more you do to it the more it needs to run...which is why you get pre ignition and ping on the hot rods...so i would say unless you do a whole lot to your scion...low grade is fine
06-28-2005, 08:01 PM
#17
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 670
Originally Posted by Kaoticillusion
well i live in colorado(high altitude...and we have 85 octane and the dealer said to run it on that....the octanes are different here so our 85 is like your 87 but it is what is recommended here so i dunno
06-28-2005, 08:26 PM
#18
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 208
Originally Posted by dieselstation
higher octane will give you ZERO PERFORMANCE BENEFITS.
higher octane is only required if your engine is knocking, or if you're engine is force injected. Otherwise, stick with what the manual tells you. You will NOT get better gas mileage, your engine will NOT run smoother, and your car will NOT go any faster.
don't believe me? read it from Shell directly: http://www.shell.ca/code/motoring/en...es/octane.html
higher octane is only required if your engine is knocking, or if you're engine is force injected. Otherwise, stick with what the manual tells you. You will NOT get better gas mileage, your engine will NOT run smoother, and your car will NOT go any faster.
don't believe me? read it from Shell directly: http://www.shell.ca/code/motoring/en...es/octane.html
