[diehard]

Originally Posted by Steven L

you should use Sunoco Ultra 94

+1

[CHCCubs]

Originally Posted by OwnAge

I've always put 91 on perto canada. I forgot that sunoco has 94. hmm, wonder how big of a difference it will make if i'll pump 94 from now on

I tried the 94 from Sunoco a few times, but didn't really notice any difference in terms of performance or fuel ecomony so I just stick with 91 now (usually from Petro Can or Shell).

[philsteroni]

If you read your manual it states that you can use 89 octane. I use 94 octane because imo it runs smoother and also they give me crazy extra points on my petro points cards when I fill with 94!

[BMdblU]

Originally Posted by Steven L

you should use Sunoco Ultra 94

Originally Posted by farbmw

+1 The best!

Originally Posted by diehard

+1

Yeah he should, if he wants to burn his money.

It's an NA 328 and won't benefit from 94 octane.

[M3 vert]

So 94 Octane from Sunoco has ethanol, and 91 Shell has absolutely no ethanol?

I mean why do they put ethanol in it if its bad for the engines? to save on costs? or whats the reason.

P.S. I always fill up with 94 octance ffrom sunoco

[samchoi604]

If you fill up with cheapo 87, you will lose the money you saved from decreased engine deficiency. Trust me on this one. I personally tried cheapo 87 octane vs. 91/94 octane on my old Nissan, and the difference in fuel economy was HUGE. About 8% better with the higher octane.

Anyone who fills up a $20k+ car with cheapo 87 octane gas just to save some pennies deserves a backhand smack in the face (no offense).

[bunnn]

Originally Posted by M3 vert

So 94 Octane from Sunoco has ethanol, and 91 Shell has absolutely no ethanol?

I mean why do they put ethanol in it if its bad for the engines? to save on costs? or whats the reason.

P.S. I always fill up with 94 octance ffrom sunoco

you know it's quite debatable that ethanol is really that "harmful" for our engines...i've yet to see any solid proof ... but i still only use shell 91 ..

I think Canada requires use to have an average of 5% ethanol in the gasoline..each company can mix it either way they want...least that's what I've read

[dpwr]

Originally Posted by bunnn

A lot of people will tell you yes..you can use it..but BMW recommends 91
The better question is ..why? I mean it saves you a few bucks every time you fill up...if you're on that tight of a budget, it should have been factored when purchasing your car...
if you do decide to use 87 though, don't be surprised that your car will experience a loss in power because your car is working hard to compensate for the difference in octane

actually it does not save you money by filling up with 87.... engine is designed to work with premium octane for optimal performance, by using 87 you will be saving few bucks and killing your fuel economy

[bunnn]

Originally Posted by dpwr

actually it does not save you money by filling up with 87.... engine is designed to work with premium octane for optimal performance, by using 87 you will be saving few bucks and killing your fuel economy

i said it saves you a few bucks every time you filled up...i pointed out your engine has to compensate for the lower octane..so of course i know that's the case..

[mimik]

Originally Posted by BimmerDom

PetroCan 91 does not contain ethanol either

Not true. All PetroCan gasolines sold in Canada contain some ethanol.

[charlie335]

yes its ok to use 87. make sure you mix in some NOS additive as well

[bulldog_yyc]

Originally Posted by M3 vert

So 94 Octane from Sunoco has ethanol, and 91 Shell has absolutely no ethanol?

I mean why do they put ethanol in it if its bad for the engines? to save on costs? or whats the reason.

P.S. I always fill up with 94 octance ffrom sunoco

no ethanol in shell fuel in Ontario. Shell fuel in US has ethanol

[BMdblU]

Originally Posted by samchoi604

If you fill up with cheapo 87, you will lose the money you saved from decreased engine deficiency. Trust me on this one. I personally tried cheapo 87 octane vs. 91/94 octane on my old Nissan, and the difference in fuel economy was HUGE. About 8% better with the higher octane.

Anyone who fills up a $20k+ car with cheapo 87 octane gas just to save some pennies deserves a backhand smack in the face (no offense).

You have no idea what you're talking about.

There are ton's of cars on the roads in that price range and higher that are designed to run on 87 octane. Example, my company car is a Ford Escape that costs 30k and it runs (and is recommend) perfectly on 87. If the car does not call for premium fuel on you're burning your money using it.

[charlie335]

Originally Posted by BMdblU

You have no idea what you're talking about.

There are ton's of cars on the roads in that price range and higher that are designed to run on 87 octane. Example, my company car is a Ford Escape that costs 30k and it runs (and is recommend) perfectly on 87. If the car does not call for premium fuel on you're burning your money using it.

+1


if its not designed for premium fuel, then you wont get any benefits from running premium fuel.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

is 91 octane any different than 93? will it hurt my engine(91). Will 93 benefit it?

[BRAISKI]

What does the manual say or around the gas tank? Just because its a BMW doesnt mean that the engine "needs" to have 91/94 if BMW or (whatever car manufacturer) suggest to use it means that it should be fine.

Some ppl think that they "feel" a difference maybe/maybe not but if the engine was not designed to use the 91 then it doesnt really benefit from it. But usually they just "think" it makes a difference.

Usually if the engine has a high compression ratio then it needs to have a higher octane gas.

[jasonintoronto]

remember, octane is a calculated number and it's purpose is measure the fuels ability to be compressed before it ignites. a higher octane allows more compression. if fuel ignites before the car wants it to, premature detonation, it called "knocking" and can lead to engine and emissions problems.

that being said, all modern cars come with "knock sensors" that will detect pre-ignition of the fuel and adjust the car to compensate. this adjustments can reduce fuel economy, reduce power output, etc.

if you follow the manual, you cannot go wrong. if your car is modified to produce more boost (335i's) it may be wise to use a higher octane than the recommendation (e.g. people that use sunoco 94 since they have a chip)