Difference with high octane?

mine runs a lot better with 91-93 versus 87. holds gears longer, no shuddering/timing retard, and has slightly more torque. went back to 87 when gas prices got high and it was miserable to drive.

toyota also recommends octane higher than 87. "87 or better"

 

The same people claiming higher octane helps their truck "run better", are the same people to start a thread bragging about MPG with a tailwind downhill and justify trading their 3rd gen in for a 3rd gen because the deal was too good not to.

 

what are you trying to say? there's a real difference in timing advance, driveability, and MPGs with various octanes. i have the data to confirm it. you're free to do what you want with your truck, but there's some benefits to running higher octane fuel if you want to take advantage of them. this isn't the 1970s where every engine parameter is a constant.

 

You have the data eh? By all means, prove me wrong. Toyota stating 87 "or better" isn't insinuating a higher octane is better, you're just not going to suffer from detonation by putting a higher grade fuel in so there's no concern using a higher octane.

You're right that it's not the'70s anymore, because engines are smart enough to adapt to the silliness drivers put them through.

 

I think what he's getting as is, unless you're using tools to measure the difference, you're not going to notice it. If there is a difference we should be considering the absolute measurable difference, not the way it feels.

 

i've been measuring timing advance, primarily. but i also track MPGs.

 

Both my 2nd and 3rd gen feel noticeably less sluggish when going from 87 to 93. It's not drastic but there is a difference.

 

I've got a new one, a 23 I bought 3 months ago. It definitely runs smoother on premium gas. I can feel it in the shifter and throttle. Does it make enough of a difference in mileage to justify the cost? Almost certainly not. But I find the smooth running worth the extra expense. Besides, right now the delta at my local Costco is only 20 cents a gallon.

Sure there is no more power in premium gas, but octane does influence how the ECU manages ignition and valve timing - consequently how much of that power is going out the exhaust pipe. My experience it took about 3 tankfuls before the ECU completed the adjustment. I presume if I switched back to regular the adjustment would be much faster - to prevent knock.

 

So the consensus is butt dyno and subjective measure of MPG (because obviously everyone is doing these tests in a laboratory conditions....right?). I for one remain unconvinced, because it's not a real thing in modern vehicles which adjust for the change in octane automatically.

Next up, the effects of bug deflectors on mileage and defining the best mud flaps for fuel economy.

 

You are wrong... do a bit of research on timing and ignition. Yes, vehicles automatically adjust lol. They all have for years. In some vehicles the adjustments can be felt by the driver. When an ECU pulls timing to prevent detonation (common with 87 octane in high load situations), it will make the vehicle feel more sluggish as when this happens it typically will decrease power. Same thing on the other end of the spectrum. High octane will allow timing to advance further in high load situation meaning more power.

This is EFI basics.
Retard timing=less power
Advance timing= more power.

 

edit - I was wrong

 

His google EFI tuning knowledge is piss poor lol.

 

If you believe this is the case, please provide your source. But I can save you the trouble and tell you that you pulled this straight from your ass.

 

it is done via Knock Feedback sensor



Tacoma stock ignition tables are not quite optimized for 93 octane. -6 -7 KFB are very common events if driving in 6th in summer. Thus, the timing is being regarded to kclv in low 20s

 

The difference?

The cost was $64 the last time I picked up 5 gallons of Sunoco SS100 for my 2 stroke hot saws.

That was about a year and a half ago. These high inflation times are crazy. I picked up a fresh 5 gallon barrel the other day for $109.

Gotta pay to play! (Taco included…Fuuuuudge)

 

The owner's manual in MOST vehicles doesn't say "use 87 octane". It says "use at LEAST 87 octane". Yes, using 91 or 93 octane gas CAN give you a boost in power. The difference will vary depending on the individual vehicle, but as a rule newer vehicles with higher compression engines benefit the most. SOME vehicles specifically advise using 87 octane for normal driving but suggest 93 octane for towing. This is most helpful if towing near max or at altitude. Even those that don't specifically suggest higher octane gas for towing will benefit from it. You get a little more power, and the engine and transmission should run cooler.

For about a year I used 93 octane exclusively in all of my vehicles. A 2007 Tacoma, a 2014 F150 with the 5.0L V8 and a 2020 Explorer with the 2.3L Ecoboost. For a while when gas was cheaper, I was able to get 93 octane for about 30- 50 cents a gallon more than 87 and I tried it.

It made the biggest difference in the Ford, the least in my older Tacoma. But there was a small, but noticeable difference in performance in all 3. Especially when pulling trailers. Both trucks pulled the same hills in higher gears than when I had 87 octane fuel in them.

For normal driving the difference was more subtle. Fuel mileage didn't improve. It also took 2-3 tanks for the difference to show up. Last summer when gas prices hit nearly $5/gal I decided the gains in performance were not worth the cost. Even now that gas prices have moderated, I'm seeing a much bigger gap in price between 87 and 93 octane. Near $1/gal in many places.

 

I ran 91 with no ethanol for maybe 15 year. I had maybe 60-70 miles more per fill up in my last vehicule. I ran 91 no ethanol for maybe a year and half with the Tacoma, now i'm on 91 from Costo with 10% ethanol. Still run like a champ but i lost around 40-50 miles per fill up.

91 cost 1.79 $ per liter at costo. 87 cost 1.79 $ per liter everywhere else... So 91 it is for me. OTT tune like 91 and it show when i pull mid rpm and i'm around 29-32 degree of timing advance.

 

I always ran a higher octane, not because of the performance gains, but because I was worried that the 85 octane trash mountain gas could potentially damage my engine.

 

Watched this on Motor Trend TV yesterday and found it interesting. Just reinforces what I have learned and that the higher octane fuel doesn't do a damn thing in these trucks.
https://youtu.be/ryqyTPfNj1Q