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High Grade Gas and LQ1


LuckoftheGTP

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Since gas prices are low, is there any advantage to going to high grade gas besides a little better gas milage? with the exception of the SC and turbo guys anybody put high grade in their W's

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ACTUALLY...

 

it "could", but probably doesn't pay for the difference in cost if it does.

 

And if it is giving you better gas mileage it is because the timing would be able to to advance a bit more, but only if you are getting detonation/pre-ignition with regular pump gas.

 

Here is my ONLY consideration with higher quality gas... is it ETHANOL free? Some places may sell gas containing 10% ethanol, but also offer ethanol free gas at a higher price. ethanol free = better.

 

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You only get better mileage using higher grade gas in a car that is designed to use it, usually high compression engines, or forced induction. This is because an engine like that generally requires the higher octane to avoid detonation. If you give that same engine lower grade fuel, it will usually retard spark timing to avoid detonation caused by the lower octane fuel. The retardation of the timing is what causes a fuel mileage decrease.

 

Thus, an engine like what I've described will get better fuel mileage when run on premium. The LQ1 is not one of these engines.

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The OBD2 PCMS (OBD1 should have it as well) have 2 spark advance base maps. 1 high octane and 1 low. Even the 3100s and such. It tries to use the high octane map, but if it notices more than acceptable KR, it will revert to the low octane map.

 

There are also a few other spark modifier maps. Running premium all the time will allow for more advance and the potential for a couple more HP...

 

Now, those of us with tuning done, running premium is well worth the little extra power than untuned and running 87

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My stock 96 CS (L82) always showed no KR with premium and on 87 it would ofter hit 5 counts.. That will pull a lot of timing..

 

And so what, it only costs like $2-$5 per tank depending on gas prices..

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My stock 96 CS (L82) always showed no KR with premium and on 87 it would ofter hit 5 counts.. That will pull a lot of timing..

 

And so what, it only costs like $2-$5 per tank depending on gas prices..

of course, if it's getting KR, you need to increase the octane (or change settings)

 

my cobalt gets 0 KR w/ 85 octane :willynilly:

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My stock 96 CS (L82) always showed no KR with premium and on 87 it would ofter hit 5 counts.. That will pull a lot of timing..

 

And so what' date=' it only costs like $2-$5 per tank depending on gas prices..

[/quote']of course, if it's getting KR, you need to increase the octane (or change settings)

 

my cobalt gets 0 KR w/ 85 octane :willynilly:

 

You also have a more agressive PCM as far as KR goes with more convervative spark maps... Pushrods engines are more prone to knock anyway

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My stock 96 CS (L82) always showed no KR with premium and on 87 it would ofter hit 5 counts.. That will pull a lot of timing..

 

And so what' date=' it only costs like $2-$5 per tank depending on gas prices..

[/quote']of course, if it's getting KR, you need to increase the octane (or change settings)

 

my cobalt gets 0 KR w/ 85 octane :willynilly:

 

You also have a more agressive PCM as far as KR goes with more convervative spark maps... Pushrods engines are more prone to knock anyway

everyone always tells me you cant do that w/ the LSJ, but it even says in the manual you can run it if you aren't getting knock. I run a tank of 93 through it before I race, but that's not very often. I've scanned it under heavy load in hot weather.
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My '92 gets much better mileage with 93, I get 11.24 miles per the dollar as a opposed to 10.14 miles per the dollar on 87. 93 also got me a higher avg fuel economy, this was tested over 3 tanks of each 87 and 93 octane it was 20mpg avg for 87 and 25mpg avg for 93

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My '92 gets much better mileage with 93, I get 11.24 miles per the dollar as a opposed to 10.14 miles per the dollar on 87. 93 also got me a higher avg fuel economy, this was tested over 3 tanks of each 87 and 93 octane it was 20mpg avg for 87 and 25mpg avg for 93

 

And this is on an LQ1?

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I checked with my 97 3.1 and after the third tank I figured out it was 17% better mileage with 91 octane.

But like King Ken said you can't have ethanol, I tried some that was advertised as 92 and I lost about 50 miles to a tank. It takes about three tanks to clear it out before you see results too.

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