I'm trying to sell my car to this guy, and after some conversation he said he didn't want to buy the car because it needed premium fuel. Personally, I almost never use premium, just because its so expensive nowadays, but he is making me wonder if I am doing harm to my car. Can anything go wrong if you use unleaded instead of premium for a long time?

 

my car, olga... she doesn't deserve that ****.

 

if your car requires 87, use 87.... 93, use 93. By using lower octane than required, you will actually consume more fuel due to the change in timing and boost by the ECM. On the other hand using higher octane than required will not give you more power nor fuel economy. Only exception is if you have an ECM flash/tune for a fuel octane other than factory recommended.

 

He's a 2.8 - no turbo. OP, the car will run fine on 89 but it'll run better on 91/93. If the buyer is that concerned about $1.60 more per TANKFUL FROM EMPTY, then no, it's not the car for him.

 

I use premium in everything that has a gas engine , including the lawnmower , weed whacker , chain saw. Never have any problems with stale fuel in the spring.
I have always found the higher octane fuel makes everything run better.

I agree with the Devil , if a couple of bucks more for fuel at fill up is going to be a problem then he might be better off with a Hyundai or a Yugo!

 

Your tank is 8 gallons?

Running 87 or 93 on my 12v shows no gain in mpg or power. A 1.8t you can see the difference in both

 

No, we vary by a dime between 89 and 93 octane here - 16 gallons equates to $1.60.

 

You should use what the manual says for your engine. For the 1.8T, 91 minimum. I don't know about the 2.8.

The octane rating is simply the fuels resistance to detonation. Using a lower octane fuel than required puts you at risk for knocking. It has nothing to do with the "quality" of the fuel. Calling it premium is simply a marketing gimmick.

 

bingo!

 

Says right on the gas lid 93 octane. I drive a 2.8 and wouldn't put anything else in it. A guy i know has used regular for the last year and his engine has blown up.