speee

Hi all,

What is the suggested Octane for fuel for the c4 ???

thanks all

wildman378

Premium is recommended so thats what I use 93 octane today it was $1.95 :mad

96KICKS

I remember reading a while back that the octane issue is quite debatable. Some say 92 is totally fine. I've even read of some people mixing premium with mid-grade. Since I can still get it here in MI, I will buy 94. I just think gas and frequent oil changes are cheap insurance. Well, gas used to be cheap! :crazy:

LnKLT4

I paid 2.13 this past weekend!!!! :mad

Oly

Around here (Fresno, California), the highest octane available is 91 octane (that's the highest I have seen). That's what I run. It was $2.319 at Costco Saturday.

:seeya

loflite

All you can get around here in real premium gasoline is 91 octane and that is what I run. The communist state I live in mandates that all gas sold in MN is gasohol which will bring the octane up to 92 or 93. There is a provision for "collector" cars to run real gas and so a few, (very few), stations sell the real stuff and that is what I use. A friend of mine used only gasohol in his '89 and swears that that is what screwed up his injectors.


[Modified by loflite, 9:34 PM 5/12/2004]

shakedown067

I run 93. I got in at 2.01 right before it jumped to 2.08. Personally, I'm not too upset with gas prices. We've had it pretty easy for a long time. Shoot, I read an article the other day that said with inflation figured in we are paying 40% less for gas than 20 years ago. And yet, the oil companies are still making money hand over fist. I got in the wrong business.

vader86

It depends on what year you have.
early L98s can run just fine on regular without getting knock or anything.

yellowlust

I'm happy to find premium for about $2.40

Speaking of happy, the station owners love me. :sad:

wildman378

"$2.40"


GULP........and I thought the $1.95 I paid today was awful

RedRiderZR1

Yeah, down here in Cali I run 23 octane. Oh wait got that wrong, I am thinking of the octane level we will have next year for premium gas. :lol:

Cozmo

For a LT1, premium a.k.a. 93 octane.

bronx69

This is a tricky topic and really depends on three factors. The first being the compression ratio of your car the second the Quality of fuel from different manufactures and the third the refinery that produces the fuel.

Corvettes run best with 92 to 98 octane fuels, anything below these ranges can potentially make your corvette run less than what it could. To be safe, the manufacturer recommends that you do not run anything lower than premium gas in V8Â’s because due to their compression ratios more oxygen is required to burn low octane fuels, however being that there is a lack of said oxygen in the engine it will lead to engine damaging detonation.

Sticking with reputable gas stations such as Sunnoco, Exxon/Mobile, Shell, Chevron & Amoco is a good idea because they use more expensive detergents to help keep your injectors clean. I use one rule of thumb when I’m on the road “when in doubt go with Shell” but I prefer Exxon/Mobile “my car just seems to run better with it”. Be wary of old gas stations. Old tanks are subject to water contamination and that’s a very bad thing.

Most of the fuel in a given area will come from the same bulk plant. Gasoline is a commodity and if you have a refinery in your area the gasoline comes from there, otherwise it gets to your area in one of the many pipelines that not many people know about. What makes Shell Shell and Mobil Mobil is the top secret additives that go in to the transport at the loading rack. As for Amoco Ultimate being clear, the sad news is that all refined gasoline is clear, They have to add the dye to identify the product. Also in every market there are two or three other bulk plants that supply the cut-rates and other stations that you would think would be OK. Not so, the cut-rates are cheaper for a reason. Octane is made by adding something called aromatics , benzene, toulunal, Xylene etc. That stuff is the big expense. Typically gasoline that comes out of the pipeline will wholesale at .45 or .55 and after the taxes additives etc. it will retail for 1.099 for example. The taxes being the biggest part. Then if you live in an area that has the privilege of "reformulated fuel" the rules all change. Reformulated only means that they add an oxygenator to the mix (MBTE) or more often ethanol. It increases the amount of oxygen in the fuel but does squat for performance. The emissions are less. That is the name of the game. The point is that Amoco in Florida is not the same as in Chicago. Experiment, whatever works best, go with it. And remember this, Unless your willing to change your fuel filter on a tri monthly basis and treat your car every other week with Techron or BG44 you should Stay away from the cut rates such as Race Track because if you see what gets caught by the filters it isn't so nice.
:nopity


[Modified by bronx69, 5:33 AM 5/13/2004]


[Modified by bronx69, 7:10 AM 5/13/2004]

mitymek

so did ya buy that 88?
search the archives over in tech.theres been much chatter about this topic.
i studied all the info i could find around here on it and arove at this conclusion.
its best for your engine to run the LOWEST octane fuel you can without causing a timing event (thats when your knock sensor detects an iminent knock and retards your timing to prevent damage-higher the octane-slower the burn).
this was a statement from Gordon Hildebrand (c4 designer) and one that made the most sense to me.
many factors will affect your lowest good octane rating including your altitude and ambient temperatures.
i hooked up a otc monitor 4000 analyzer to my car and drove it around for 2 weeks in test mode while switching from 85,87.5 and 92 octane fuel. (my only local options)
i couldnt find any problems at all running regular.
i also see the best mpg on regular.
the chevron stuff with techron is my favorite blend.it just seems to cure some little mini surges my car sometimes ails from.
i also usually wind up running premium or at least the middle stuff but only because it just feels like thats what it should have,not because i beleive its necessary.and im only talking about mildly aggressive street driving here too.
nothing over 125 mph.
check your jingle,if your low put regular in and drive it :steering:

speee

im going to test drive it around noon....see how she runs and make sure she aint gonna cost me more that 1500 to certify... looks to be around 2000 to certify right now

-=Iron Mike=-

I used to use 93, I recently started filling with 89 and have noticed a mileage gain and no ill effects whatsoever.

85RIT

Mid Range, 89 Octane....

The L98 doesn't call for high test...

86_RedRider

the lowest octane without getting knock.

runner140*

I have a 96 LT1 and for the past year I only got 93 octane (only the best
for my daily driver). There was a thread a few months ago about this subject.
So I tried 89 octane and what happened was that my performance was the
same but mpg increased by two miles per gallon. Last week I went to 87
octane and the car still runs the same and still get around 22 mpg. :hurray:

OleDog

Everybody ALWAYS forgets altitude. How high are you in Ontario?
In Colorado I can run 85 no problems