ES350 - 87 Octane or 91 Octane???
01-18-19, 05:13 AM
#18
Occasionally I have run 85 octane gas sold in Colorado and some other western states. My '14 ES 350 seems to run just fine on it. Any other ES owners living there have long term usage comments?
01-18-19, 09:55 PM
#19
There's been a lot of articles about why Colorado still has 85 octane and most of the newer articles say it's because Colorado is just slow at making changes.
01-18-19, 11:07 PM
#20
If you put anything higher than 87 what the engine was designed for, you are literally just wasting your money. There is negligible to zero benefit to running higher octane in this motor. Also those gas station octane boosters is snake oil for idiots.
01-18-19, 11:19 PM
#21
Cant believe there is a gas thread again. I cant talk tho because I am posting in it the same.
But I do run premium in my car on long road trips. The car is usually loaded with more weight, and I feel the performance and gas mileage is a little better, with Premium. I also will mix on trips some or all, non ethanol 93 octane.
Top Tier rated is still the most important thing I read about gas choices to use Top Tier brand gas. Ive read that Exxon, BP and Shell have the most detergents for cleaning also. I like the Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Premium 93, my car just seems to run stronger performance wise and idle smoother with it. The Exxon 93 definitely gives me the best gas mileage.
I still believe that the higher octane 93 Top Tier gas give a more complete burn in the combustion chamber, and lets the timing advance to peak, with the least knock retarding for the best Performance.
Most of the time, I just run 87 Reg gas, with the ECO dial Mode on for the best fuel mileage more often than not. And I do add a couple of bottles of fuel cleaner to all my cars, every 1-2 months.
But I do run premium in my car on long road trips. The car is usually loaded with more weight, and I feel the performance and gas mileage is a little better, with Premium. I also will mix on trips some or all, non ethanol 93 octane.
Top Tier rated is still the most important thing I read about gas choices to use Top Tier brand gas. Ive read that Exxon, BP and Shell have the most detergents for cleaning also. I like the Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Premium 93, my car just seems to run stronger performance wise and idle smoother with it. The Exxon 93 definitely gives me the best gas mileage.
I still believe that the higher octane 93 Top Tier gas give a more complete burn in the combustion chamber, and lets the timing advance to peak, with the least knock retarding for the best Performance.
Most of the time, I just run 87 Reg gas, with the ECO dial Mode on for the best fuel mileage more often than not. And I do add a couple of bottles of fuel cleaner to all my cars, every 1-2 months.
01-21-19, 01:49 AM
#22
Instructor
okay, let me put a little twist into this question, regardless of the octane level, which of the following would you do: Would you run:
1- any Branded top tier fuel with up to 10% ethanol in it
OR
2- an unbranded 93 octane Ethanol free fuel...
Just curious. There is a station down the road that is unbranded ( but I know they sell Sunoco racing fuels ) and their E free fuel just happens to be 93 octane and it sells for less than it's counter part at a large branded station.
Roland
1- any Branded top tier fuel with up to 10% ethanol in it
OR
2- an unbranded 93 octane Ethanol free fuel...
Just curious. There is a station down the road that is unbranded ( but I know they sell Sunoco racing fuels ) and their E free fuel just happens to be 93 octane and it sells for less than it's counter part at a large branded station.
Roland
01-21-19, 03:38 AM
#23
Pole Position
I believe wawa has top tier, and I just like to fill up there because its closest and convenient and same price for card or cash. But I'd think I'd rather go with the top tier and avoid the non brand. Now in my old 2000 camry, I was filling up non brand regular all the time, but in a newer car I think for at least the first 5 years or so I'd try to put nothing but top tier in it.
01-24-19, 07:25 AM
#25
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01-24-19, 09:07 AM
#27
i've always did 93 octane on every car i've owned, regardless of what the manual says. never had issues with this
01-24-19, 09:23 AM
#28
93 octane burns at a higher temperature (less volatile) than 87 octane, that is why it is better at preventing knock. If our cars are tuned for 87 octane they will not burn all of the 93 efficiently. You can actually get lower fuel mileage and power doing this (not necessarily will, but can).
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/...and-low-octane
https://www.cars.com/articles/if-my-...1420684149356/
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/...and-low-octane
https://www.cars.com/articles/if-my-...1420684149356/
01-24-19, 01:22 PM
#29
Rookie
Thread Starter
01-25-19, 07:57 PM
#30
I moved to CO from Ohio and noticed less power from my ES 300h. Denver’s west side is also so mountainous the I find that ESh struggles to keep up especially merging onto highways going uphill. The power loss is due to altitude. I like the car but the engine really struggles at 3,000 to 4,000 rpms as soon as one gets into Evergreen. I am thinking of trying 91 octane to see if I get a bit extra power. One does get a little bit more power with higher octane because the computer advances the timing appropriately. The reason most people do not notice the difference is because most cars have ample excess power. I had no problems with the ESh in Ohio either because it was flat and the altitude is low but with loss of power due to altitude and mountain driving duty the ESh seems to be operating at its limit.
The other option is to drive like a grandma and I am not sure I want to do that all the time yet..
The other option is to drive like a grandma and I am not sure I want to do that all the time yet..