anyone know if its safe to run on gas lower than 91 octane , has anyone tried using 89 or 87 oct.. and what are the consequences of using lower than 91?
Only if nothing else is available, and ya gotta get gas. I'd suggest just enough to get to some 91+. According to the manual, it will run a bit weaker 'til some more hi-test has gone through it.
The risk is detonation and damaged piston ring lands. Very bad. High octane fuel burns slower. It's easier for low octane fuel to explode (instead of burn) with high compression engines, or forced induction engines.
Edit: Here's a good link with a more detailed explanation....
thanks to everyone for the answers.. i guess im gonna be forced to sell my sweet ms3. im moving to another country where 91 is not available...i was going to ship the mazda , but now what? . man, this is a nightmare.
i didn't realize some countries didn't have the good stuff.. i actually thought other countries had even higher octanes such as 95 or 98 at the pump.
you will definitely risk detonation/knock if you run lower octane fuel - the car was tuned for premium if premium is recommended. i've heard of a guy with a tuned audi 1.8t turbo (stage3) that killed the engine using one tank of cheap gas.
Didn't camrycev6 post here not too long ago doing an "experiment" with 87? http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123714994
As I recall by all measures there was no harm as the engine management compensated without exceeding its operating parameters.
Read the thread and see what you think.
Here in GA when we were having our gas shortages I had to run 87 for about a week. I only filled up 1/4 tank and had no problems. I was real easy on the throttle though.
Any tests done to show which brand has the "best" high test? A lot of people swear by Shell V-Power but I wasn't impressed by price or performance. I won't run less than 93 octane.
premium is the realm where gas companies differ. pretty much everything else is identical - i think that there might be some cases where a gas station is selling a competitor's fuel.
i've heard similar things about v-power but wouldn't go too far in terms of saying it's better than the others. if you consider the chemistry behind the gasoline and the requirements imposed by having a certain octane level, it's difficult for there to be a whole lot of variation.
thanks to everyone for the answers.. i guess im gonna be forced to sell my sweet ms3. im moving to another country where 91 is not available...i was going to ship the mazda , but now what? . man, this is a nightmare.
Any tests done to show which brand has the "best" high test? A lot of people swear by Shell V-Power but I wasn't impressed by price or performance. I won't run less than 93 octane.
Yeah so many people say Shell V-Power is more bang for the buck. But, I don't see any difference. However, the only reliable and worthy gas stations for myself are Mobile, Chevron, and Shell.
I think the cheap gas I get is part of my ever-varying fuel economy. I've gotten up to 28mpg on a tank, but most of the time it's about 19.8mpg. Yes I know my right foot comes into play there sometimes as well, it is a Speed3 after all lol.
