Man this topic is SUCH a Rage! I love it!

Anyhow, there's at least one bit more to octane use that some of you may
not appreciate.

Given any car's altitude, its octane requirements will vary. A car at
sea level will tend to require more octane than a car at 5000 feet above
seal level. I wonder if all those people with Maximas that ping on
regular (My 98 Max SE did it on 87 octane with enthusiastic throttle
openings) live at or around sea level? I'm in the NYC area so that's
pretty much sea level.

A Maxima owner who lives in, say Denver, may be fine on 87 octane.

So then, this discussion should include where the maxima owner lives and
drives.

The Max owner who swears by 87 octane and has never heard a ping, do you
live at sea level? Do you "get-on-it" as it were?

CD

"Codifus" <codifus (AT) optonline (DOT) net> wrote

Good point CD

I have a 2002 SE 6sp
I live in Calgary Canada (1049 meters / 3224 feet above sea level)
I drive my max the way is should be driven, sometimes WOT sometimes
cruising. -But always just a little aggressive -it's just too fun not
to!

I use REGULAR (87 octane) 75% of the time without any problems.
When I do use premium (92 octane) I do feel a difference though. It's
more of a "butt feel" but it's there. Smoother, tires chirp a little
sooner with a little extra "pop" in 2nd & 3rd.

I asked my dealer and got the company line: "high octane gas is
recommended for maximum performance & reliability" BUT " your car will
run just fine and be covered by any warranty if you use regular"

I'm going to start using premium all the time, because the extra $10 a
month it will cost is less then I spend on coffee a week...

My 3 1/2c

BR



Shines wrote:

Good point about the altitude,,,

You in Calgary have yet another thing going for you (though in mid Jan
you might disagree with me,,LOL).

Cool weather. Cooler engine will be less likely to ping.


"BR in Calgary" <bertrand68 (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

In article <8sHAg.2$Fs3.0 (AT) fe09 (DOT) lga>, codifus (AT) optonline (DOT) net says...
I almost always use 87 octane and have never heard a ping with my 2000
SE. I live in the LA area at sea level. Of course, the car is pretty
much exclusivly used for short drives.

Its a thread that makes zero sense anymore,,,91 octane,,which is what
the manufacturer of the car recommends, and what the car is 'tuned" to
run best on is only 4 percent more than 87.

Anyone who runs this car on 87 - and complains about preformance, and
accuses Nissan of 'fraud", simply need serious pyschiratic help.

If you can hear pinging - aka the sound of your Grannies sowing
machine, then you have mucho problems with fuel quality - the ECU and
knock sensor can no longer retard the timing enough to stop the pre
igintition,,,,,,you should never hear pinging; never,,,if you do you
had better get better fuel or get to the dealer .

Running at sea level and in a cool climate does matter.



Don <DonGibson100 (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote:

Don wrote:
temperature. Does it? Also with short drives, your mileage must be
terrible because while not running at optimal temps, the car is running
rich.

Lastly, if this drive is that short then pinging wont even become an
issue until the car has warmed up.

CD

In article <SboCg.9$aD3.8 (AT) newsfe12 (DOT) lga>, codifus (AT) optonline (DOT) net says...
My commutes are tyically 8 miles each way on city streets five days a
week, plus driving afterhours and on weekends within a 10-mile radius of
where we live. We use my wife's newer car for long-distance driving.

No doubt the driving distance has something to do with the fact that
I've never heard a ping in the four years that I've had the Max, which I
bought "pre-owned." However I do remember pings in other cars I've owned
and used similarly within the last 10-15 years.

I have to say that the Max SE is the car I've most enjoyed driving of
all the cars I've ever owned!

Don

<AZV14 (AT) netscape (DOT) com> wrote


I can run 93 octane from Chevron and 89 octane from Chevron
(from the exact same station) and the car (03SE) runs perfectly fine on
93, no problems whatsoever, great mileage, etc. If I get cheap
and throw the 89 in, the sucker lugs, dings, pings and the mileage
is worse by a good 40 miles a tank. I think that if the car had
evident mechanical problems, they'd show regardless of the
octane.

No One wrote:

And would get better gas milage as well as not overheat the exhaust valves.

Of course it doesn't, it has a KNOCK SENSOR!

--

Steve

http://www.atlantaracing.com