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Regular vs premium gas

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Old 08-31-2010, 02:28 PM
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Regular vs premium gas
Just wondering if anyone here uses only regular fuel in their rx8. i only use premium like the manual says, but i was wondering if using regular trades HP for mpg or something like that? I'm taking it on a road trip next week and my friend keeps griping about having to pay for premium since were taking my car. Either way i'll still probably buy premium to be safe.
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Old 08-31-2010, 02:44 PM
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tell them to stop being cheap asses or they can take their car.

I've never used anything less then Premium which is 91 here in CA
Some have done it and had reduced performance, others have done it and not had issues.
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Old 08-31-2010, 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Jedi54
tell them to stop being cheap asses or they can take their car.

I've never used anything less then Premium which is 91 here in CA
Some have done it and had reduced performance, others have done it and not had issues.
+1. Tell them to quit being cheap or they can walk.
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Old 08-31-2010, 02:59 PM
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I only fill up with two gases. 94 octane from Sunoco, if not 91 octane shell v power.
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Old 08-31-2010, 03:01 PM
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i just made the switch from premium to 87....went from 225 per tank to 275...runs smoother....more expensive not always better
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Old 08-31-2010, 03:16 PM
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your supposed to y=use the recomended fuel for a reason or you could have preignition and have fucked up timing aka loosing power
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Old 08-31-2010, 03:18 PM
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i wont swear to it but it actually feels better if not just the same powerwise...could just be me thinking about it...there is another giant thread about this topic already anyways.
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Old 08-31-2010, 05:41 PM
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Get a new friend.
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Old 08-31-2010, 05:50 PM
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Tell your friends to get bent. Someone needs to read about octane ratings.
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:26 PM
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Haha, your friends are worried about the few extra cents per gallon? Do they realize what kind of gas mileage you get?
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:44 PM
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You want to use the lowest octane possible that doesn't ping.

Lower Octane = More Power
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:53 PM
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How do you guys get 94 octane? Gas stations down here down even don't have 91 octane(premium) a lot of times...its crazy i have to actually find certain stations that sell the 91 i need.
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:54 PM
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Altitude lowers the octane rating of the gasoline.
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by alnielsen
Altitude lowers the octane rating of the gasoline.
oh ok, that explains a lot. I'm at 5200 ft....so i need 90 octane instead of 91? or do i need 92? thanks
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:57 PM
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Old 08-31-2010, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by MazdaManiac
You want to use the lowest octane possible that doesn't ping.

Lower Octane = More Power

Please elaborate. Are you saying that with 91 youll get more power/better performance than 94 octane ??
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Old 08-31-2010, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Rotary-RX8
Please elaborate. Are you saying that with 91 youll get more power/better performance than 94 octane ??
This subject has been beat to DEATH!

The higher a fuel's AKI ("octane"), the lower it's power potential.
You want to run the lowest octane that won't ping. It couldn't be more simple.
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Old 08-31-2010, 08:41 PM
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Octane tells you nothing about the power potential. Its only a rating for knock resistance. thats it.
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Old 08-31-2010, 08:48 PM
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I am very interested in this topic as it has never been discussed here in much depth! Please do go on!

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Old 08-31-2010, 09:03 PM
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I get a check engine light if i put regular gas in... is it just me?
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Old 08-31-2010, 09:46 PM
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whats the cel code?
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Old 08-31-2010, 10:34 PM
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Use Butane.
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Old 08-31-2010, 10:42 PM
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Can someone post the link to the really long original thread about this so I can read it? I can't find it.
Last edited by Polish Person; 09-01-2010 at 12:25 AM.
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Old 08-31-2010, 11:08 PM
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OH gOd...not again...

I always ran 87 for 90K mikes in the NA motor...never had a problem...but I am in a cool climate and at sea level....
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Old 09-01-2010, 12:25 AM
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But seriously, I can't find the original thread you guys referenced. I searched 'gas', 'fuel' and 'economy' with no luck.

At any rate, from what I gather, I have to run higher octane since I'm so low on Virginia's coast, but people up north can run lower octane safely? That's kind of gay, but then it is more expensive up there, so I guess it evens out.

Will S2 still knock on lower octanes?
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