What octane gas do you run?, Is higher always better ? Or just a waste of $$$ Options

[Michael N]

I was wondering what most drivers are using in their 914's. 87, 92, 100?

I have heard that in fuel injected cars running with a higher octane gas than they were designed to run at can be a waste of money since they are set up to run on a specific octane and any more is lost. I have a Passat and the manufacture states 92 octane. My truck uses 87 and the dealer said I can do damage by running 92 ( although I have no idea why).

Please set me straight on my ignorance. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Demick]

I think the thing to take away from all of this is that the various types of pump gas are DIFFERENT. Premium is not better gas than regular - it is simply formulated differently in order to have different characteristics. Those characteristics allow it to be used properly in a higher performance (compression) engine than the regular gas, but premium is NOT in and of itself better or more powerful than regular.

Of course, that is how it is marketed, and how people perceive it. But like Jake said, your engine will perform better on one type of gas vs the other depending on your engines characteristics.

So people need to get over the perception that the higher the octane, the better and more powerful the gas is. You just need to run what is appropriate for your cars engine.

The fuel companies market the higher octane fuels as superior for a reason (it's also why they call it premium). They make more money from it. It doesn't actually cost more for them to formulate the higher octane fuel. It is artificially marked up in price in order to make more money. They can do this because they have created the perception that premium is really better gas and is better for your car. Also because those people who have the money to buy a car with a high performance engine can afford the extra cost of the premium gas.

I am only talking about pump gas here. Doesn't apply to race gas or avgas.