318ti.org forum

Go Back   318ti.org forum > Technical, Maintenance and Modifications > Misc

Notices

Misc Does not fit in any of the forums below.

.
» Recent Threads
1999 M-Sport For Sale
12-31-2023 05:10 PM
Last post by Coop540iT
03-23-2024 06:39 PM
1 Replies, 105,349 Views
Once again 318ti owner...
03-20-2024 12:39 PM
Last post by two30grain
03-22-2024 02:04 PM
1 Replies, 68,388 Views
What brakes do I...
03-20-2024 03:27 PM
Last post by huirtera
03-20-2024 03:27 PM
0 Replies, 65,626 Views
Reply Share/Bookmark
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-14-2005, 07:46 AM   #1
NoahChamberlain
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 41
iTrader: (0)
Default 91 Octane?

What do you guys use? 87, 89, 93? That's what I have available to me in my area, it says on the cap (91 Octane). Gas is getting kind of expensive here in Maine, and I've been running Premium. I mean... 1.9L, 138HP normally aspirated engine seems like it would only need regular? I know its cleaner burning (Premium) but besides that...?
NoahChamberlain is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2005, 08:56 AM   #2
Panzer_M
Senior Member
 
Panzer_M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Port St. Johns, Florida
Posts: 2,242
iTrader: (0)
Default

89 or 91 normally, in florida you can find, 87,88,89,91 and 93 grades(All 5 at some 7-11s now in Orlando)

93 on a tank with injector cleaner.
Panzer_M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2005, 07:44 PM   #3
1996 328ti
Senior Member
 
1996 328ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 9,356
Vehicles
iTrader: (1)
Default

My gas cap on my 96 says 89 octane.
I recall my 98 also said 89 octane.
I don't think it burns any better with 91 octane.
If anything, you are just wasting money.
__________________
...steven
BMW CCA #146825
1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i
www.bmwcca.org
1996 328ti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2005, 08:08 PM   #4
NoahChamberlain
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 41
iTrader: (0)
Default

so i could probably get away using middle of the road 89 octane from like shell or mobil?
NoahChamberlain is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2005, 02:13 AM   #5
1996 328ti
Senior Member
 
1996 328ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 9,356
Vehicles
iTrader: (1)
Default

Nothing to get away with. That is what the engine calls for unless you have chipped it.
Anything more you are just wasting money. I have found I got lower gas mileage with higher octane. I also used high octane at the track because I was under the theory that the engine would run a little cooler withunburned fuel. Now that I am chipped it is a moot point. I run 93 all the time. $$
__________________
...steven
BMW CCA #146825
1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i
www.bmwcca.org
1996 328ti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2005, 05:47 AM   #6
GDB
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tyler, TX
Posts: 1,022
iTrader: (0)
Default

I just run 89 and have no problems. I also get around 26-31 mpg depending on how I drive.
__________________
Member #1 Keep E46 Bumpers off E36s Club
http://www.geocities.com/guywiththebluecar/GDBsig2.bmp
GDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2005, 06:41 AM   #7
PettitWC
Senior Member
 
PettitWC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 1,305
iTrader: (0)
Default

I run 89 too and averaged like 31.3 mpg on a trip this weekend.
__________________
-Chris

1997 318ti

'cause I'm a Balla Baby

FACEBOOK!!
MY SPACE!!
PettitWC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2005, 02:19 AM   #8
barische
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Mt. Laurel, NJ
Posts: 390
iTrader: (0)
Default

93 all the way, best stuff for my bimmer, i love my car too much to feed her bad gas. this relates to just like u humans, u all wouldnt wanna eat bad food right? u all wanna eat good tasting food, so same goes for ur bimmer too feed her good food. yeah i know im goin crazy.
__________________
Intake, Sony mp3/cd player, remus cat-back exhaust,
barische is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2005, 02:54 AM   #9
aceyx
Senior Member
 
aceyx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: state college, pa
Posts: 3,431
iTrader: (0)
Default

i put in premium around town, because i do a lot of short jaunts. highway, i throw in 89, and generally don't see a difference in mileage unrelated to ambient conditions (wind, air temp, traffic). if there is one, it's negligible.
aceyx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2005, 03:34 AM   #10
1996 328ti
Senior Member
 
1996 328ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 9,356
Vehicles
iTrader: (1)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by barische
93 all the way, best stuff for my bimmer, i love my car too much to feed her bad gas. this relates to just like u humans, u all wouldnt wanna eat bad food right? u all wanna eat good tasting food, so same goes for ur bimmer too feed her good food. yeah i know im goin crazy.
You want to give it the best? Use gas from high volume stations and stick to the name brands. Don't fill up when the station is getting a delivery. Don't let the tank go below 1/4. It is not that 93 is any better than 89. It is just a different formulation. Unless you need a higher octane due to pinging you are only kidding yourself. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
__________________
...steven
BMW CCA #146825
1996 BMW 328ti • 2003 MINI Cooper S • 2016 M235i
www.bmwcca.org
1996 328ti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2005, 04:28 PM   #11
Phil Marx
Senior Member
 
Phil Marx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 368
iTrader: (0)
Default

My 1998 gas cap says 89 octane and that's what I use. If you're worried about doing damage, the knock sensors won't let that happen. Regardless, that's what the engine is designed for and even with an automatic in our ti and its 4.44 final drive, I never get less than 27 mpg on a tank incuding in-town shopping and school commutes with the OBC showing an average speed of around 30mph. On a recent back country-road trip in traffic averaging about 60mph, computer showed fuel economy of 38.8 which was later verified by gas pump quantity and odometer reading. About the same observed mileage one of the major car mags got in testing a Prius Hybrid in real-world driving. Including about 200 miles on I-95, my average on that trip was 35 mpg. I can drive to DC and back (over 200 miles) and still do my normal commute and kid shuffling for a week on the same tank.
Phil Marx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2005, 10:43 PM   #12
atlanta318ti
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: atlanta
Posts: 145
iTrader: (0)
Default

That's what I've been told as well. My mother works for a company (used to be Lubrizol, now purchased by Enraf) that builds and sells petroleum equipment to control and administer additives, mix, etc... Many of the sales reps also recommend the same precautions, and as they sale to the refineries have their own preferences and ideas on which ones produce a better product or have a better additive mix.

I just bought my 2nd TI and the prior owner was using 91 or better, so I thought what the heck...I'll do the same and see what happens.

After running through my current tank of 93, I think I'm going to switch back to 89, which is what I used in my prior TI and check for a difference as well. I tried 91 and 93 in my prior TI and I "thought" the engine actually ran better on 89, so we'll see if my newest TI shows any notable difference.
atlanta318ti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2005, 10:09 PM   #13
impulse922
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 19
iTrader: (0)
Default

If you mix 89 and 93 you get 91
impulse922 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2005, 11:14 AM   #14
halek
Senior Member
 
halek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 312
iTrader: (0)
Default

In the UK we get 95ron regular & 97ron super unleaded in most places. I've tried both but didn't notice much,if any difference,so run on the 95 most of the time.

My local Tesco's just put 99 octane super in so I ran my tank dry & filled up with that. I can definately feel an increase in power/acceleration,although not massive.

Was watching some motoring prog. on cable the other day (cant remember which one) & they were testing different fuels using a dyno with three different cars.There was a crappy little econo-hatch which gave exactly the same bhp on all the fuels, a Golf GTI which had a few horse gain on super & an Impreza STI which showed a 24bhp gain at the wheels + increase in torque on the higher octane gas. Not really that surprising when you consider that that Japanese home market get 100ron fuel everywhere.
__________________
halek's 318ti sport
halek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2005, 08:22 AM   #15
96ti
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Southern California
Posts: 225
iTrader: (0)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1996 328ti
...Don't let the tank go below 1/4...
Why not below 1/4 Steve?
__________________
Love my ti
96ti is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
318ti....poor man's BMW? pcmedics911 Lounge 64 07-20-2012 03:08 AM
Lime Rock Hosts American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix ATF New England - US 0 05-30-2007 08:22 PM
American Head units.. impyboy Interior and ICE 7 07-30-2006 11:29 PM
American Sports Cars vs ....... weezer General Chit Chat 29 05-13-2006 11:24 PM
Found something we can relate to. Panzer_M Lounge 24 03-18-2005 06:25 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:26 AM.


.
Powered by site supporters
vBulletin Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©1999 - 2024, 318ti.org
© vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.2
[page compression: 119.99 k/143.47 k (16.36%)]

318ti.org does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information or products discussed.