Premium gas

You hit the nail on the head with "do all tacoma's run better on premium?"....I can tell you mine doesn't, it runs worse, not having the same amount of power while the transmission begins to hunt after a few tankfuls of shell 92 here. The tail pipe becomes very dark black looking from a spotless light orangy/gray flim. We have 10% ethanol in all our fuel grades if that makes any difference.

 

I'm in an area of Missouri that dumps a TON of ethanol into the so-called "regular unleaded" 87-octane crap that's basically the only thing available in these pats, unless you want to go to 91-octane that's hyped as having no ethanol. I'm not really interested in boosting octane, but I am about using less ethanol. Would running "pure" gas do my engine better or worse?

 

Vermont has places that are ethanol free. Seems when i've traveled up there, and use non ethanol gas, I get a tiny bit better fuel economy coming back. My truck doesn't seem to run any different. All in all gas throughout the northeast is very good.

 

even the 93 octane has 10% ethanol everywhere i've seen on the east coast. some stations sell ethanol-free in rural areas at a markup but usually only available in one grade. maybe they are adding more ethanol to the 87 and that's why it runs like it has water in the fuel. seems worse when it's humid out.

 

Modern engines support various grades of ethanol just fine.

Ethanol more readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, that is true. So let it sit exposed to humidity and it will absorb MORE water than pure gas (which also absorbs water). That is not a problem with our sealed fuel systems, and trucks that rapidly burn through it. Ethanol itself does not contain more water.

 

I agree..... my truck runs no different on premium (93 around here) so I run the monkey piss and I swear it runs the same or better on that. Sometimes I think it's in our imagination, you spend extra money on something and the brain "justifies" the reward or return. I will say that when my truck is all clean, waxed and detailed it runs and drives much smoother. We all know this isn't really the case, it's just my mind justifying two hours of my time.

 

I've got the overland torque tune, will it know it has 93 and make more power?

 

Possibly, I have a 6.4L Chrysler Hemi with a Diablo OTS fuel map and premium makes a HUGE difference, I can hear a slight detonation on tip in with regular fuel that isn't there on premium and it has noticably more power.

 

Of course it will, either way, your mind has to justify the money spent for it.