Im not sure where this should be located so here we go...

I have just moved from SC to Twentynine Palms, CA and originally my car was tuned for 93. I know here they only sell 91. I figure I have two options: (a) Get it retuned - 2hrs away and $350+
(b) Retard the timing myself.

The car has a s300 so retarding the timing should be farely easy. I know retuning is the smartest thing to do but I need a quick fix for now. I have heard the only octane booster worth anything is Lucas but, will take atleast a bottle for every 10 gals.

Any help from you guys would be awesome. Plus, if I retard the timimg, how many degrees you think. I know I could just play it by ear and listen for pinging but Im trying to get an idea where I should start.

 

Nothing...
Plus i dont think my balancer has any timing marks on it. So how would I know where my timing is at without those marks?

 

Don't was your money on octane booster
you would be much better off going to Home Depot and buying a gallon of Xylene (117 octane) check out this link for referance:
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/misc/octanebooster.html
I have used Xylene myself and it works better then any octane booster you will ever buy!!!
hope this helps....

 

How much do you think I would need to mix with say 10 gal. of 91?

 

I would use 2 gal. of Xylene for ten gal. of 91

 

Wow that stuff is pricey. The cheapest I founf was around $20 a gallon. I think I am stuck babying the car on 91 until I can get it tuned.

 

they sell 93 octane well used to at the desert oasis gas station by base, why dnt you get a new tune by church they are prob 1 of the best on the wc you could switch to e85 like i did its pretty easy to get here

 

http://www.elektro.com/~audi/audi/toluene.html

check this link out, explains alot. 1 gal. of toluene(114 octane) to 9 gal. of 91 octane gas comes out to 93.3 octane. a gallon of toluene is around $15. you could go this route until you get retuned for Cali's shitty 91