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RE: [RC] gas mileage - David LeBlancKristen confessed: BTW my Pathfinder says run only premium gas in it. I don't. Over the long term, this will tear up your engine. I used to be a mechanic, and I used to hop up VW bug motors. The higher the compression, the higher the required octane. I forget where the formula is, but if you know all the dimensions, it can be figured out. This is why race cars take 100 octane fuel. What happens if you don't is called pre-detonation, pinging or knocking for short. Most modern motors have anti-knock sensors, and should adjust, but the adjustment means less power, and probably has limits. They'll also tend to run hotter. If you figure you drive 12,000 miles per year, the difference is only $10/month. If the motor wears out early, this would have been cheap at twice the price. Going the other direction and using premium when it isn't required won't hurt much of anything except your wallet, and even than it isn't a lot. The additives they put in the higher grades may be helpful, too. With fuel as expensive as it is now, and with the difference between grades holding up at $0.10, it's getting to be lost in the noise - if I spend $50 to fill up, and $1.30 to use the right gas, no big deal. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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