Volkswagen Jetta vs. Toyota Corolla ??

[billt]

Non-ethanol helps prevent moisture in sitting fuel tanks.

This stuff works really well. And it helps get rid of any moisture in the fuel system. I throw a can in each tank in my truck every so often. It passes emissions with flying colors.

https://gumout.com/multi-system-tune-up/

[Big Frank]

I've seen non-ethanol REC-90, 90 octane recreational vehicle gas, at a gas station 150 miles away. It was really expensive, quite a bit more than 91 octane premium, but I can't recall the exact amount. So I saved 70 cents per gallon, or whatever it was, and filled my ATV with 10% ethanol 87 octane as usual, and have never had a problem with it in 20 years of riding. According to Wikipedia there are only 7 states that sell REC-90, but some others sell general ethanol-free gas. In most of the states with REC-90 there are only 1 or 2 stations in the whole state that sell it. Michigan has 19 of the total 37 stations, and Florida has 9.

In a consumer notice, the Federal Trade Commission, notes: “In most cases, using a higher-octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.” The only guaranteed result of using premium gasoline in an engine designed for regular-grade fuel is that you will spend more money on gas. I'll keep using the 87 octane my truck is designed for, and spend the $18 or so I save on each tankful to buy something useful, like more ammo, or food.

P.S. I only gas up once a month if I'm not gone on vacation. I'll be getting 75 cents per gallon off if I gas up before the end of the month, and 95 cents off per gallon next month.

[PegLeg45]

Come to the hot, humid south and you'd change your mind on higher octane if you tow anything with some weight to it. The higher octane gas is designed to prevent engine knock and pinging (detonation) when under load in higher temps. In the owner's manual of my truck it states to run higher octane when towing if you experience knock. In my 2003 truck, when towing a 5500lb camper in 90°+ temps I would get some slight knock when accelerating and going up longer hills. Switching to 89 octane solved the issue.

[Big Frank]

Most modern cars and trucks will automatically retard the ignition so you don't have knocking, as long as you're using the recommended gas. I've read my owner's manual front to back and don't recall it saying anything about using higher octane gas under any circumstances. But I'm not going out tonight to get the manual out of my truck to check.

The heaviest trailer I ever towed in the summer was built with 2 mobile home axles, but I don't think it needed such heavy duty axles. It could only hold 5 ATVs, so it probably didn't have much more than 2 tons on it, plus the weight of the trailer itself. I have no idea how much the trailer weighs but I can't pick up the tongue when it's empty. And it towed like a dream, like I wasn't even pulling anything.

[PegLeg45]

True that engine management systems retard the timing, but this can cause power loss which is bad when towing. The one benefit of higher octane fuel is that it actually burns slower, allowing the timing to not be retarded and remain in the better power band while also preventing pre-ignition and knock (which can damage an engine if excessive or continuous).

If your vehicle cannot use the higher octane fuel, it won't benefit from it.

Something to remember about octane ratings is, the higher number does not mean it is more energy dense. The higher number indicates the fuel is actually harder to burn. This seems counter intuitive, but it makes sense if you think about it. Higher octane fuel is used to counteract pre-ignition or knocking. This condition occurs when the fuel spontaneously ignites (before intended) due to any of several reasons before the proper ignition spark occurs. This makes the noise which we commonly call "pinging" or "knocking" and can cause damage to an engine if it happens too often and too much.

Since electronic fuel injection became relatively standard, pre-ignition happens much less often. Knock sensors, which detect the knock, will pull timing from the ignition. When this happens, the power output is brought down as well. If your engine experiences pre-ignition while towing in certain conditions, it will definitely have more power from higher octane fuel than if the ignition is pulling timing.
While the higher octane fuel is not giving it more power directly. If the engine needs it, the higher octane fuel will provide the means for the engine to maintain the power it should normally have by allowing the timing to remain advanced. Pre-ignition can occur due to greater stress on the engine, towing is a prime example of greater stress, especially when doing so up an incline or in higher temperatures.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

My new Toyota say's 87 Octane MINIMUM fuel is required. Out here, especially in the Summer I like to use more than just the minimum. So I'll most likely run 89 or 91. This thing is unbelievable on fuel. Coming home from the dealer it averaged 41.3 MPG. So for the little amount it burns, I'll most likely go with 91.

[Timothy]

At Wally World last night and saw plenty of 0W-20 from everyone, Mobil 1, Castrol, Valvoline, etc...

[PegLeg45]

At Wally World last night and saw plenty of 0W-20 from everyone, Mobil 1, Castrol, Valvoline, etc...

Yeah, ours has it too.
I remember thinking when I first saw it, "What in the heck uses oil that thin?" It's almost like air tool oil, like 3-in-1 oil. 

[Timothy]

Yeah, ours has it too.
I remember thinking when I first saw it, "What in the heck uses oil that thin?" It's almost like air tool oil, like 3-in-1 oil. 

It’s right next to Mobil 1 and Royal Purple 5W-20 I buy for both my vehicles and I never noticed till this thread brought it up!

[Big Frank]

The last place I lived I popped the motor out of the furnace and lubed it every year. I have a can of SAE 20 3-IN-ONE Motor Oil that I bought specifically for it. Regular 3-IN-1 oil is only about SAE 5 weight from what I've pieced together online.


https://www.amazon.com/3-IN-ONE-Motor-Oil-3-oz/dp/B0083V8MMG