Jspeed Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Hello. Just bought a 21 Reserve in Navy. Dealer told me to just use regular. In the manual it recommended premium. Who uses what? Any power difference in premium? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Slight power increase with premium but not huge. Regular is fine unless the manual says premium is required which I don’t think is the case. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 (edited) I’ve used regular for years. Never really noticed a difference with premium. Everything continues to run fine. PS - congratulations and welcome to the family. Edited August 13, 2021 by HofstraJet 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emilner Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Car and Driver did a test with our engine and they saw a noticeable difference. Frankly, it is one of those things where we just ask over and over- why did you spend $100k on a truck and then worry about 5 bucks in gas. Here is some of what they said: Power at the wheels dropped from 380 to 360 horsepower with the change from 93 to 87 octane. That difference seemed to grow, and we could even feel it from the driver's seat at the test track. Compared with premium fuel, regular feed sapped the F-150's urgency both leaving the line and in the meat of the tach sweep. The rush to 60 mph softened to a still-blistering 5.9 seconds (from 5.3), and the quarter-mile stretched from 14.0 to 14.5 seconds, with trap speed falling 4 mph. Tapped into the Ford's CAN bus, we recorded a peak boost pressure roughly 1.9 psi lower during acceleration runs on regular gas, down more than 10 percent compared with the 18.1-psi peak on premium. The high-octane gas also helped when soft-pedaling the accelerator, elevating 75-mph fuel economy from 17.0 to 17.6 mpg. That won't make a financial case for running 93 octane, but then you didn't buy the expensive engine as a rational choice. You can think of this EcoBoost engine's more aggressive high-octane tune as a sort-of sport mode that can be switched on or off with every fill of its 36.0-gallon tank. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/ 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Difference at the track and difference in everyday driving are 2 different things. If you can feel the difference and it’s worth the extra cost, use premium. If not just use regular. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Premium always. With Techroline added. Chevron, Texaco, Costco gas has Techroline. If you are running regular now and have been for a while, switch to one of those premium fuels with Techroline. You should feel and hear the difference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jspeed Posted August 17, 2021 Author Share Posted August 17, 2021 Premium it is! Thanks everyone ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice-capades Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 Many vehicle EPA ratings are based on using premium fuel that produces more performance and MPG results. It's up to the customer to determine their own preference regarding performance, MPG and/or the cost of premium fuel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHoncho01 Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I have a Lincoln Nautilus Reserve with AWD and 2.7L engine. In my every day driving and on a long highway trip I tried out using 93 octane for a month. I didn't see any improvement in performance or gas mileage. Save your $ and use regular. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 I use premium for the primary reason that I despise ethanol mixed into gasoline....it deteriorates fuel systems even for those that are designed for it. When I find "regular" grade without ethanol, I will buy that... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 (edited) 28 minutes ago, twintornados said: I use premium for the primary reason that I despise ethanol mixed into gasoline....it deteriorates fuel systems even for those that are designed for it. When I find "regular" grade without ethanol, I will buy that... If you aren’t already familiar with it, check out www.pure-gas.org to find ethanol free gas near you. They also have apps for your phone. I use ethanol free gas for my portable generators. Edited August 17, 2021 by HofstraJet 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 According to the experts on the Raptor Forum..., and one of them is a Ford tech, The 3.5 motor is tuned at the factory to run at optimal performance on 91 or higher octane. It will run fine on 87 also. But it will not put out full horsepower like it will on 91 or higher. I notice when running premium the motor runs quieter, smoother, and gets 1 more mile to the gallon,,, which I don't really care about. I just want it to run the best that it can. I also notice this in my Raptor. Also in my wife's 2020 Nautilas. As much as our vehicles cost why run anything but top of the line fuel in them. I have plenty of corn juice free gas available too. I have tried running 91 corn free in my Raptor and do not notice a difference on anything so I can't justify the almost a dollar difference in price. Specially filling up that 36 gallon tank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobe Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 My 2018 handbook specified 91 for hauling, so that's what I do. 87 is fine the rest of the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrussGott Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Just to bump On 8/13/2021 at 11:54 AM, Jspeed said: Hello. Just bought a 21 Reserve in Navy. Dealer told me to just use regular. In the manual it recommended premium. Who uses what? Any power difference in premium? Thanks! Just to bump this thread and add to some of the great info, here's the scoop: (1.) "Octane" = fuel resistance to "knock"; the higher the octane, the higher the resistance (2.) "Knock" = fuel/air ignition from compression heat alone vs via a spark plug as normal; this is particularly problematic in "high compression" engines like the Raptor engine (3.) Knock is bad because the piston is pre-maturely pushed down before it's finished its up-cycle; this can damage all kinds of things in the engine (4.) Modern engines have knock-sensors that retard power to prevent knock and thus engine damage - that's why people are saying you can feel more power with higher octane (5.) Most gas in the US comes from 1 of 7 refineries and is generally the same product - this is because of a 1990s law that mandated specific fuel additives & minimums, and because adding more additives doesn't make for a better product. Thus it's much cheaper for refineries to simply make "Top Tier" (industry standard) fuel and ship it to local stations in the same trucks. Broadly, brands aren't getting a special mix out of the refinery for one truck to 5 stations, that'd be way too expensive and the gas station business model (i.e., a convenience store) doesn't support it. This includes CostCo, which has a different business model. One last note: for various reasons of history, some mountain states have 85 octane fuel - typically Ford says in their owner's manuals (and maybe Lincoln too) that using 85 octane fuel can void your warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschuffert Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 I recently purchased a 21 Reserve L. Reading the manual it states "Your vehicle is designed to operate on regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87" but then two paragraphs later it states "For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer". What I take from this is you are Okay to run regular fuel as long as it is at least 87 octane, however, you will get the best overall performance running premium fuel with an octane of 91 or greater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrussGott Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, dschuffert said: Reading the manual it states ... What I take from this is you are Okay to run regular fuel as long as it is at least 87 octane, however, you will get the best overall performance running premium fuel with an octane of 91 or greater. If you read my post above you'll understand exactly why that it is: Modern high compression engines use a knock sensor to retard performance (and therefore fuel economy) when using low octane fuel (i.e., 87). The higher the octane, the higher the resistance to knock and thus the higher the performance and better fuel economy. Knock is when the fuel is ignited by the heat generated from the compression (like a diesel) versus by the spark plug as normal - when that happens it can damage or destroy the engine, thus the engine's computer retards performance to prevent that. That said, mountain states & some areas still have 85 octane (pic below is from a few years ago in Montana) - and Ford usually states using 85 can void your warranty, so I wouldn't go that low. The owner's manual says: Some fuel stations, particularly those in high altitude areas, offer fuels posted as regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating below 87. The use of these fuels could result in engine damage that will not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Edited January 6, 2022 by GrussGott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 The reason Ford is able to do this is the PCM will actually advance the timing to take advantage of the higher octane. Other vehicles are only tuned for 87 and retard from there if knock is detected. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Ya know guys, it just seems pretty simple and common sense to me. You have a high end expensive vehicle that you most likely worked very hard to earn the needed income to purchase such a nice rig. Why wouldn't you use the best fuel you can get in order to achieve the maximum performance and long term good all around care for said Gator? If you have the hard earned ability to purchase a $100K+ dream rig, spending a few more bucks$ for the best fuel available should not even be a second guess. At least that is what my walnut sized brain tells me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 51 minutes ago, TrentM said: Ya know guys, it just seems pretty simple and common sense to me. You have a high end expensive vehicle that you most likely worked very hard to earn the needed income to purchase such a nice rig. Why wouldn't you use the best fuel you can get in order to achieve the maximum performance and long term good all around care for said Gator? If you have the hard earned ability to purchase a $100K+ dream rig, spending a few more bucks$ for the best fuel available should not even be a second guess. At least that is what my walnut sized brain tells me. It has nothing to do with long term care, only performance and the way most people drive they’ll never notice the difference. Why pay extra for something you’ll never notice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) 20 hours ago, dschuffert said: I recently purchased a 21 Reserve L. Reading the manual it states "Your vehicle is designed to operate on regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87" but then two paragraphs later it states "For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer". What I take from this is you are Okay to run regular fuel as long as it is at least 87 octane, however, you will get the best overall performance running premium fuel with an octane of 91 or greater. Hi dschuffert. Yes, you are reading it correctly. However, it is as akirby and GrussGott stated. If you are not towing, racing, running your vehicle hard, you can run your vehicle just fine on 87 octane fuel. Sure, it may get ~20 horsepower less than if you run premium, but that does not matter for most drivers. However, if you run your vehicle hard and want/need maximum performance, use a higher octane fuel...89, 91, or 93 for maximum performance, and it will go 0-60 and run the 1/4 mile faster. But again, the average driver does not need that. In addition, if you use top tier fuels from major manufacturers, the additive packages are the same in all grades and using premium fuel will not keep your engine cleaner or make it run "better". The higher octane simply lets the engine perform at the full advertised power. And generally speaking, that is ~20 horsepower higher than regular fuel. So if you want full power for the stop light drag races and don't care about cost, use 93 octane. If you don't drive your vehicle hard and care more about saving a few dollars, use 87 octane regular. Or choose something in between (i.e. 89-91, if you like. Bottom line (in my opinion): What is most important is to use from major/name brand manufacturers ("Top tier" if possible), and avoid cheap/convenience store/no name fuels. And then do what is best for your driving style, environment and wallet. Let us now how you make out and good luck. Edited January 6, 2022 by bbf2530 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dschuffert Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 It all makes sense. A lot of good experience and knowledge from the users on this forum. Thanks All! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) Well you are most likely correct when you say most people would not notice. I reckon there is no doubt that most Gator's are driven way more conservatively than mine is. I certainly don't try to beat anyone off the line, but it is running at higher speeds and off pavement quite often. And I personally can tell in all my vehicles when I run higher octane gas. I agree that if you cannot notice the difference why bother. Edited January 6, 2022 by TrentM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 55 minutes ago, TrentM said: Well you are most likely correct when you say most people would not notice. I reckon there is no doubt that most Gator's are driven way more conservatively than mine is. I certainly don't try to beat anyone off the line, but it is running at higher speeds and off pavement quite often. And I personally can tell in all my vehicles when I run higher octane gas. I agree that if you cannot notice the difference why bother. Exactly. I would notice it but my wife never goes above 50% throttle so it would be a complete waste of money. I’ve tried 93 in my 3.5eb F150 and even I didn’t notice any difference so I went back to 87. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emilner Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 I still always find it funny how someone will spend $100k on a truck and then save 3 bucks on a tank of gas because they are trying to save money. It's comical... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 3 hours ago, Emilner said: I still always find it funny how someone will spend $100k on a truck and then save 3 bucks on a tank of gas because they are trying to save money. It's comical... As stated above, why spend money for something you will never use or notice? Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should throw it away. And sometimes, saving $3 on a tank of gas is indicative of habits which allow one to purchase a $100k vehicle. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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