Re: fleecing of automobile owners

["Wm. Josiah Erikson" <wje97@hamp.hampshire.edu>]

But you're missing the point. I always run the lowest octane possible...
in that I agree with you. But the reason that some vehicles need higher
octane is that they have high compression ratios. Therefore, if they
didn't use high octane, the gasoline would ignite under pressure before
the spark plug ignited it, particularly under full throttle. This is
what we call "pinging". It causes valve and various other damage, and is
generally bad (robs power). The fact that higher octane gases "burn
slower" is what makes it possible to run them in higher compression
motors. You're right that the claim about higher gas mileage or better
power is crap. I always think it's funny when I see people putting 93 in
their Oldsmobile Cutlass Supremes, etc. They're wasting their money.
However, VW motors with knock sensors will back off the ignition timing
if they sense preignition knock (pinging), robbing power. Putting higher
octane in these cars allows the computers to advance the timing more,
giving more power. I'm sure there are plenty of other motors out there
that do this as well. In those cars, (and it's not most cars), it's true
that higher octane will give you more power, to a certain point, beyond
which you will again be just wasting your money (I would guess that 89
or 91 would be plenty for Scirocco 16v's and the 10:1 8v's)
    Later,
    Josiah
    '84 GTI
    '87 QSW
    http://bork.hampshire.edu

Mike wrote:

> Anyone have any problems with low octane? Does anyone really know what
> octane is?  I did a exhausted study on content and quality of gas. You
> are probably going to be blown away by what I have found! Octane is
> shit!!! Octane is nothing more than an inhibitor to keep gas from
> exploding as violently and straight gas. Therefore when you use higher
> octane you get less explosion resulting in less burn and as a result
> you get less HP not more. Now in the past one good reason to run high
> octane (if you did not ping with low of course) is they always had
> cleaning additives in the high test nowadays some companies (mobile
> for one) have it in all grades. Now if you think about this concept
> you can thats why they brag that high octane might give you minimal
> better gas mileage,because it actually burns longer. Just some FYI to
> same ya some money. If you can rub low JUST DO IT!


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