tom karen Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 What with the forecast rise in gas pricees and perhaps shortages how much will the computer compensate for as far as lower octane? I seem to remember a post that said you could try 87 octane and if it didn't knock then the computer had compensated and it would be alright to use it. Thought I would start this and maybe save us all a few cents at the pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I seem to remember a post that said you could try 87 octane and if it didn't knock then the computer had compensated and it would be alright to use it. Precisely. You may feel a little less HP, but that's only if you put your foot in it, and why would you do that in a gas saving mode? '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I Really dont know, but when i was filling up this morning 3.09 for 94 at sunoco, the man behind me had a 98 Eldorado he was filling up with the regular stuff which was priced at 2.94. I asked him why he was filling up with the 87 he said becuase he bought a outane Booster type addative and it works just as, he also stated that he has been using the regular with the booster for a couple months and hasnt noticed any difference in power/MPG. I dont know but i think in just going to keep spending the extra 15 cents a gallon for the better grade, i mean its only an additional $2.79 for the tank 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I have been driving with a really light foot and today was a little stunned. I reset all my mileage indications while I was on the highway doing 55 to 58, averaged 31.6 miles per gallon to my destination about 15 miles away THAT is amazing! I am using 89 octane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I have been driving with a really light foot and today was a little stunned. I reset all my mileage indications while I was on the highway doing 55 to 58, averaged 31.6 miles per gallon to my destination about 15 miles away THAT is amazing! I am using 89 octane. Lol, I was driving with a lite foot also today on my to Disney world with my Girlfriend which is around 30 miles away from me, I was Amazed on how my MPG went from 19.6 to 30.4 ( I was doing around 55-60Mph with no WOT). 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I Really dont know, but when i was filling up this morning 3.09 for 94 at sunoco, the man behind me had a 98 Eldorado he was filling up with the regular stuff which was priced at 2.94. I asked him why he was filling up with the 87 he said becuase he bought a outane Booster type addative and it works just as, he also stated that he has been using the regular with the booster for a couple months and hasnt noticed any difference in power/MPG. I dont know but i think in just going to keep spending the extra 15 cents a gallon for the better grade, i mean its only an additional $2.79 for the tank In New Jersey, our wonderful government just banned the use of octane boosters in gasolines. Tell ME the government is not in on this price gouging at the pumps. The higher the price of gas, the more taxes they collect. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! That's funny because I noticed on the highway that everyone had slowed down and was actually driving at or slightly below the speed limit and everyone was starting more slowly at the light and obviously driving with a "lite foot". If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! Hey Just think once this Gas thing is over with We will all have an excuse for doing WOT. 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! That's funny because I noticed on the highway that everyone had slowed down and was actually driving at or slightly below the speed limit and everyone was starting more slowly at the light and obviously driving with a "lite foot". YES, I have noticed that also, everyone is driving slower... Im going to put lots of air in my tires also! and hit the GYM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! That's funny because I noticed on the highway that everyone had slowed down and was actually driving at or slightly below the speed limit and everyone was starting more slowly at the light and obviously driving with a "lite foot". YES, I have noticed that also, everyone is driving slower... Im going to put lots of air in my tires also! and hit the GYM! How does that work again? what's the maximum pressure I can put into my tires? Where do I find this information? If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 I think a light foot is the key to get us through this! That's funny because I noticed on the highway that everyone had slowed down and was actually driving at or slightly below the speed limit and everyone was starting more slowly at the light and obviously driving with a "lite foot". YES, I have noticed that also, everyone is driving slower... Im going to put lots of air in my tires also! and hit the GYM! How does that work again? what's the maximum pressure I can put into my tires? Where do I find this information? Its marked right on the tire, just be careful, that you don't fill them cold and overdo it... Leave room for heat expansion... I will up my pressure to 36 or so, im not adventurous, plus in my humble opinion highly inflated tires don't grip so well in rain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 To answer your question, I have been using 87 for over 3 years now on the advice of our old friend and have noticed no difference in milage or performance. The Northstar will not knock. That was for the 4.9 as they do not have knock sensors. Try the 87. You won't notice the diofference except when you pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill K Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 ^ What Ranger Said ^. The difference can only be measured at the track in a car length or so difference in a 1/4 mi. Your "seat of the pants" will never be able to tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 A 98 Eldorado will run just fine on regular 87. The Northstars have a knock sensor that will compensate for low octane. The 4.9 does not have a knock sensor and may knock on 87 unless the timing is retarded slightly. Many people run 89 mid grade in their 4.9s with the factory timing setting and do not have any problems with knocking. I don't understand why anyone would run octane booster with regular fuel in a Northstar... If someone is thinking about running octane booster, they should just save themselves the inconvenience and just use premium. Any savings in the fuel would be offset by the cost of the octane booster... Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I agree. Obviously they never ran the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 A 98 Eldorado will run just fine on regular 87. The Northstars have a knock sensor that will compensate for low octane. The 4.9 does not have a knock sensor and may knock on 87 unless the timing is retarded slightly. Many people run 89 mid grade in their 4.9s with the factory timing setting and do not have any problems with knocking. I don't understand why anyone would run octane booster with regular fuel in a Northstar... If someone is thinking about running octane booster, they should just save themselves the inconvenience and just use premium. Any savings in the fuel would be offset by the cost of the octane booster... Lol. whats the booster about 7.00 right and its good for 25 gallons, So basically the man behind was paying more for the regular because the price was 2.94 + 28 cents per gallon for the booster, so he was paying $3.22 for something that he could have gotten for 3.09 (Maybe he wasnt exactly the best student in math class). I always thought the Booster is a waste of money, does it help in anyway or not? 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 \ I always thought the Booster is a waste of money, does it help in anyway or not? Bigtime waste of money. When you do the math and chemstry, that stuff rasies the octane in a tank of gas by tenths of points, not points. '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 \ I always thought the Booster is a waste of money, does it help in anyway or not? Bigtime waste of money. When you do the math and chemstry, that stuff rasies the octane in a tank of gas by tenths of points, not points. So the Stuff made by Lucas that stats 104 Octane and is "not STreet legal", is just a Scam and plain out BullSh*T (Excuse the language) 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrylange Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I run back and forth from Orange County, CA to Mesa, AZ at least once a month in my '97 DeVille (almost a 400 mile one way trip). I was convinced for the longest time that premium (91 octane) fuel provided the best fuel economy. I tried regular fuel a few times over the years when gas prices were high, and convinced myself that I was sacrificing either performance or fuel economy to save a few dollars at the pump. Now, with the price of fuel being what it is, I have paid a lot closer attention to the results. I can find no overall reduction in performance or fuel mileage by using the lower grade regular fuel. Gas mileage on any given trip will depend more on traffic conditions, head wind, who is driving, and other factors rather than the difference between 87 and 91 octane fuel, in my experience. I'll be sticking to regular grade for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuc Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 Most octane boosters on the market right now propably contain some ammount of lead in them. Lead is an octane booster, which is why they have lead substitue for older vehicles which have not been converted with hardened valve seats. Not only did it help cool the vavle seats, but the lead in the fuel also increased the octane rating. That's why the lowest grade fuel back in the 50's and 60's was close to our premium. The stuff they put in those bottles if used excessively, will more than likely clog up your catalytic converter, or cause meltdown, which will destroy it. To really raise the octane rating by a noticeable ammount, you would need to add more than one little bottle of that stuff anyway. One quart, mixed into 16+ gallons isn't going to make a significant difference at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjayzway Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I used 87 in the STS yesterday, and I noticed a huge difference in th milage! Big Jay Life is too short to grow up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuc Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I used 87 in the STS yesterday, and I noticed a huge difference in th milage! Big Jay In a good or bad way? I'm gonna lean towards bad....since that's what I've heard from most who have tried it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STSJohn Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I used 87 in the STS yesterday, and I noticed a huge difference in th milage! Big Jay In a good or bad way? I'm gonna lean towards bad....since that's what I've heard from most who have tried it. I put in 87 a while ago by mistake, and my MPG Dropped from about 22 to 16 and it was no change in driving, Same Highway, same Traffic and Same speed. So i Refuse to use anything but 93 (94 from sunoco). Because i dont know about anybody else Caddys but mine dosent like regular and if you do the math im spending more on reg (From the mile reduction) then 93. Ie: reg (sunoco) here is 2.94 and 94 is 3.09 so when you do the mileage breakdown its 14cents per mile with the 94 and 18 cents per mile with the 87, so in all reality the reg is costing me 4.04 a gallon (.18375 cents X my average MPG with 94 which is 22). The way I think of it is we are already spending insane money for gas why not spend the additional 15-20 cents which will only equal an extra 2.79 - 3.72 on top of the $50+ we spend to full the tank anyway. 2004 Cadillac CTS 3.6L VVT Light platinum 39K miles ~Vogue VTXi Package - Corsa Exhaust - K & N Cold air intake - Blacked out tints 2004 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L all-whell drive Pewter 42k miles ~22" Tis 07 Rims - E&G Chrome Vertyical billet Grill - Limo tints - Tv's in the Visor and headrests 1990 Mustang GT Painted Cadillac Diamond White - 604 Rwhp Family Cars: 2004 Cadillac XLR (Mom) 2005 Cadillac STS V8(Dad) 2000 Eldorado ETC (Brother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 I plan to try midgrade this time... Mom always ran midgrade when she had the car with no noticeable problems. Yeah, it's only a difference of $2.50-3.00 a tank, but over time (like over a year), that can add up to a goodly sum (even enough to pay for a set of performance mufflers). Sure, if your car doesn't run good on lower octanes, it's not worth it. But if you haven't tried it yet, a few tanks couldn't hurt. If I can run 87, I will. Mine will spark knock a little bit at WOT even on 93, but it's been a while since I got on it, and that's only in hot weather anyway. The way I've been driving over the past few months, lower octane's gonna work just fine I think. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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