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fuel octane question

Old Aug 20, 2012 | 08:48 PM
  #1  
Shae Smith's Avatar
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Exclamation fuel octane question

i was wondering should i be running premium i dont know alot about compression ratios. im running 87 right now and whenever i "get on it" it occasionally makes a wierd noise. could this be my problem.
Old Aug 20, 2012 | 10:46 PM
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You should be running at least 92 octane, which is factory recommended. The sound you are hearing needs to be described somehow. Give us a hint as to what it sounds like (ex: grinding, ticking, tapping, squealing, rubbing...).


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Old Aug 21, 2012 | 01:06 AM
  #3  
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Re: fuel octane question

hardest sound to describe ever... um... like as if a belt was frayed and the strands were slapping something. i cant figure it out. and to change fuel would i have to flush the engine?
Old Aug 21, 2012 | 04:30 AM
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Re: fuel octane question

Sound you are hearing is detonation or ping from the low octane fuel. Just take it easy till you burn at least 3/4 of the tank off then fill with premium 92 or higher.
Old Aug 21, 2012 | 03:16 PM
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Thumbs up Re: fuel octane question

alright cool thanks.
Old Aug 21, 2012 | 05:04 PM
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Re: fuel octane question

The sound of detonation is often described like shaking a coffee can full of marbles.

Might be a good idea to take a look at your Owner's Manual. The fuel requirements are clearly stated. If you don't have a manual, look here:

1993-2002 F-body Owner's Manuals

If your vehicle has the 5.7L V8 engine (VIN Code G),
use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
of 91 or higher for best performance. You may also
use middle grade or regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, but your vehicle's acceleration may
be slightly reduced. If the octane is less than 87, you
may get a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If it is
bad enough, it can damage your engine.
The knock sensor should pick up the knock from the low octane fuel, and eliminate it before you can hear it. If you are using 87 octane fuel and can hear knock, there may be something else wrong. In an older engine, carbon buildup can increase the compression ratio. Running hot will increase the chances of detonation. Traces of oil in the fuel and combustion chamber can lower the effective octane of the fuel.
Old Aug 21, 2012 | 10:25 PM
  #7  
Shae Smith's Avatar
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Re: fuel octane question

the dealer put a full tank in it when i drove it off the lot, i asked them and they said it was reg unleaded, you would think that they would know a little somthing about the car they are selling but i guess not ,and thats exactly what it sounds like. (the marbles in a plastic cup) the pinging isnt constant just in the passing gear under heavy acceleration and is on occasion , not every time

Last edited by Shae Smith; Aug 21, 2012 at 10:30 PM.
Old Aug 22, 2012 | 03:58 AM
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Re: fuel octane question

Originally Posted by Shae Smith
the dealer put a full tank in it when i drove it off the lot, i asked them and they said it was reg unleaded, you would think that they would know a little somthing about the car they are selling but i guess not ,and thats exactly what it sounds like. (the marbles in a plastic cup) the pinging isnt constant just in the passing gear under heavy acceleration and is on occasion , not every time
top it off with premium asap. and maybe even add a bottle of octane boost from the parts store. I would even refill the tank every time it gets down a little bit (every few days),maybe at 3/4 full. just to bring the octane back up as quick as possible. that and the octane booster, they dont add much; but every little helps. Also, try not to run it hard when its warm or hot out, and try not to load the motor so it wont ping.

After you get a full tank of premium, may take a couple of fillups; if it still persists, then you'll have to look at other things. new plugs, seafoam the motor, etc.
Old Aug 23, 2012 | 02:07 AM
  #9  
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Re: fuel octane question

like i stated above is not anywhere close to constant, so im not worried about it. after the premium fill up im sure it will be fine
Old Sep 4, 2012 | 07:42 AM
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Re: fuel octane question

I run 93 octane in my 99 z and it still makes that noise.
Old Sep 23, 2012 | 02:03 PM
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Re: fuel octane question

dealers will do that. when i bought mine, he said it had a full tank of gas. turns out he put 87 in since the manual says you can technically use it, and for him, a full tank of gas is 10 gallons. i burned thru what he put in nice and easy (i had driven a slow econobox before, so not too diffucult), then filled it up with 93, and havent had any problems
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