So we're probably going to have a shortage of premium gas around here, at least for awhile. Regular gas will probably be okay, but middle and premium grades could be on shortage for awhile, according to reports I've heard.

So right now I have my timing at 18 deg. BTDC (16 +2 allowed according to specs). If it does get to the point that I have to run 87 octane instead of 93, should I go ahead and bring the timing back to 16, or maybe even 14? I know the ECU can compensate via the knock sensor, but would it be safer to just go ahead and physically retard the distributor timing a little bit?

 

at Expo the highest octane I ran while on the track was 89 (I didnt realize they offered 91 at the little station down the road ) so I would say you will be fine on 87 under normal driving conditions. I plan to run the cheap **** except if I head to the track or something.

 

Yeah, I'd drop the timing back a bit if you're going to beat on it on lower grade gas.
Might not be too much of an issue if you take it easy, but even then I'd probable still take it back to at least 16.

 

you can always buy octane booster from the store if there is a shortage of premium.

 

Take the timing back to 16 and dont get on it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lucky-R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you can always buy octane booster from the store if there is a shortage of premium.</TD></TR></TABLE>

$3.99 for a bottle that will give you .3 is a joke. Use Xylene.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mythias &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">$3.99 for a bottle that will give you .3 is a joke. Use Xylene.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've got the real stuff (a $10 bottle will raise 52 gallons from 89 to 91), but it isn't legal for road use, and will destroy a cat (yes, it contains lead), but I use it for the boat

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ford Prefect &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I've got the real stuff (a $10 bottle will raise 52 gallons from 89 to 91), but it isn't legal for road use, and will destroy a cat (yes, it contains lead), but I use it for the boat </TD></TR></TABLE>

What is that stuff ?

 

on a bone stock type r or a bone stock prelude, can you safely run 87 octane, not racing, not vtecing every six seconds, just normal day to day daily driving, can you damage anything by running 87 octane in your type r

because around here premium is up to 3.65 was


thanks

 

i ask about the prelude as that is what im driving right now(moms car) while my itr is having some work done, before i sell it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 01-0720 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">on a bone stock type r or a bone stock prelude, can you safely run 87 octane, not racing, not vtecing every six seconds, just normal day to day daily driving, can you damage anything by running 87 octane in your type r

because around here premium is up to 3.65 was


thanks </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would like the answer to this question too seeing as mine is pretty much stock. I've never driven with anything lower than 91 octane, so i wouldn't know.

 

I have been thinking about the same thing especially since Im about to drive my car across country back to VA. I also have a chipped P28 in there that Im gonna have to do something about because the current chip is aggressive on the timing and fuel and likes to drink up my gas. Im scared to run 87 octane or so in there honestly. Well I may be able to get any knock under control with alot of timing being taken out?

 

so it seems like the US is finally catching up to other parts of the world in regards to petrol prices.

were stuck at 1.30 a liter for regular here right now which is about 4.20US a gallon.

Nice to see that going to war brought down the gas and oil prices which is whyit all happened eh

but with the increase in gas prices, are people in the US driving less ? has there been a drop in the # of SUV drivers out and about ?

 

Wow. who of you claiming it is 'ok' has actually RUN 87 in their integra/prelude for a prolonged periond of time.. i.e., a few tanks worth? Only one I see with any experience at all with lower octane fuel is rtw.... not the rest of you 'oh yea its fine' responders.

I wouldn't. Nor would i take the advice of anyone who hasn't. Maybe someone who has done it and can put it in some sensible terms can speak up. Like someone who tunes engines or has some real knowledge to share.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow. who of you claiming it is 'ok' has actually RUN 87 in their integra/prelude for a prolonged periond of time.. i.e., a few tanks worth? Only one I see with any experience at all with lower octane fuel is rtw.... not the rest of you 'oh yea its fine' responders.

I wouldn't. Nor would i take the advice of anyone who hasn't. Maybe someone who has done it and can put it in some sensible terms can speak up. Like someone who tunes engines or has some real knowledge to share.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah I need someone with more knowledge on running lower octane gas to chime in with so good info before I head across country. I dont have a highly modded engine but it is 10.6:1 comp. and have never personally ran anything lower than 91 octane in it myself.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kavehman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so it seems like the US is finally catching up to other parts of the world in regards to petrol prices.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure the prices in the rest of the world are rising rapidly as well. Crude oil prices have reached $70 a barrel. Worldwide.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kavehman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Nice to see that going to war brought down the gas and oil prices which is whyit all happened eh</TD></TR></TABLE>

Perhaps you haven't heard, but we also had a hurricane here in the States earlier this week, which wiped out 95 percent of the oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and a bunch of refineries on the mainland (as well as what had been one of the loveliest cities in our country, and hundreds and perhaps thousands of lives and probably hundreds of thousands of livelihoods). Prices have risen substantially here (like 20 percent) in the past six days as a result.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kavehman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">with the increase in gas prices, are people in the US driving less ? has there been a drop in the # of SUV drivers out and about ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Before this week, not really. Now, it appears to be more likely, but it will probably take place over an extended period of time. And the price increases that are happening due to the hurricane will probably recede some months from now when the oil wells and refineries are repaired and come back on line.

So nice of you to gloat about our natural disaster.

 

so when are these ags prices supposed to return to normal

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 01-0720 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so when are these ags prices supposed to return to normal</TD></TR></TABLE>

the way its rising....never

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Perhaps you haven't heard, but we also had a hurricane here in the States earlier this week, which wiped out 95 percent of the oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and a bunch of refineries on the mainland (as well as what had been one of the loveliest cities in our country, and hundreds and perhaps thousands of lives and probably hundreds of thousands of livelihoods). Prices have risen substantially here (like 20 percent) in the past six days as a result.

So nice of you to gloat about our natural disaster.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Actually never in my original post did I mention New Orleans or the natural disaster. I have seen the images and wish the best for those people.

And working for a financial company I just finished writinga report regarding oil prices. It is expected that the refineries in New Orleans will nto affect oil prices much in the next few weeks as the US is releasing some of its oil reserves to compensate. What is expected is a 5 - 10cent increase per liter after a few weeks.

Please adjust your reading glasses and read thoroughly before taking offense for something I never mentioend.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 01-0720 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so when are these ags prices supposed to return to normal</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is the new norm.

I wouldn't chance it personally, it cost me $52.00 to fill up the R today and I almost sharted.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kavehman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It is expected that the refineries in New Orleans will nto affect oil prices much in the next few weeks as the US is releasing some of its oil reserves to compensate. What is expected is a 5 - 10cent increase per liter after a few weeks. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, hopefully you'll be able to add some valid data points to your analysis. The price of crude oil isn't the issue as much as the price and availability of the refined gasoline product (of which those refineries comprise 9-11% of total U.S. refining capacity!
Add to that the facts that two of the primary pipelines supplying the eastern US with gasoline have been non-functional since the storm, leading to gasoline shortages in the mid-atlantic costal areas and midwest already.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ford Prefect &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I've got the real stuff (a $10 bottle will raise 52 gallons from 89 to 91), but it isn't legal for road use, and will destroy a cat (yes, it contains lead), but I use it for the boat </TD></TR></TABLE>


yes...what is this?

i dont have a cat on my car...

 

It's safe to run a oem ecu on 87, but if you have a chipped ecu on chrome, hondata, neptune, etc with changed fuel maps, and other tuning, you will need to run on 93 or else you will get detonation.
I tried it the other day, try mixing half 93 and half 87, although you won't really feel a change in price, the .30 difference is really not that much of a difference.

 

for 20-30 cents more per gallon, i think its worth getting 93 instead of 87.. its not like you save a whole lot by getting lower grade, but you can save by doing up to date maintnance, tire pressure, the way you drive

even tuning can imrove mpg (but i'd rather run in closed loop at 14.7), because with open loop you'll be running 15 or higher depending on how its tuned, just an idea, something like that isn't worth it for me..

 

REMEMBER: THE HIGHER GAS PRICES GO, THE CHEAPER THAT PREMIUM EFFECTIVELY BECOMES COMPARED TO THE REGULAR GRADES!!!

(Due to the fixed .20 avg price diff. btw low grade and top grade)

This is awesome for us because overall we cant control the price of gas, but if we get any advantage in terms of mpg by using premium, or if it helps the engine, then we are getting these advantages at a smaller incremental price than before on a % basis.

Whereas the .20 premium for top grade on $1.00 was 20%, now its .20 on $3.00 for only a 6.7% extra cost.

SO any advantages over low grade now come at a cheaper cost per gallon on a % of the total cost basis.