Premium gas vs. Regular Whats really better for your car?

A Master mechanic's take on Premium Gas Vs. Regular whats really better for your car. Should you put premium gas? Or should you put regular gas? What about E85?
We talk about why your car might need premium and if it's better to use premium in a regular gas car. Also we talk about E10-E15 gas. Also touch on E-85 gas.
I will explain why top tier gas is better for your car than premium gas in some cases.
If you have any questions you can contact me at #thecarcarenut

[@donm565]

I was a fuel transporter for several years, I would never buy premium fuel at any station, what happened a lot of time, was we would get a order to deliver 8000 gallons of no lead to a shell or amoco or no preticular brand , I would arrive and stick there regular tank and see it would only hold 6000 gallons and go in and tell the manager ,they would say OK that's fine just throw the extra 2000 gallons in the premium tank, so I would unload and fill there regular till full, then add the left over into the premium tank like they said, I have also went to stations where they would order 8 ,000 regular, I would arrive and could only get 4000 in the regular tanks and the manager new before ordering that they did not have room for all that regular ,but his manager said get 8,000 and put excess in the premium tank, I had several brands where I seldom took premium because I was always adding the excess regular in there premium tank , so there are probably some managers who do fill the premium tank with only premium but in my 30 years experience most premium was watered down to a fraction of premium ,that's why I would never buy premium because from my experience most people are just paying a lot more for regular thinking they are getting premium, So unless you know what your getting , I would say buyer beware and I personally have always just put in regular after seeing this practice going on for 30 years.

[@krillinroshi9312]

Thank you very much for sharing these tricks of the trade; very unscrupulous operators in every field of industry and commerce and it takes an insider like yourself to blow the whistle; Ive bought premiums where in one particular station i drove out and i knew straight away i had regular in my tank because i knew how the engines operated on all four fuel brands; Now to read this from the horses mouth; much obliged to you, God’s blessings to you and yours; thanks for sharing

[@donm565]

@@krillinroshi9312 I used to tell friends and just anyone I new about the way this was done for years, I would tell supervisors ,but of coarse nothing was ever done except to say just fill their tanks and put the excess where the customer specifies, so just be aware and I personally just full with regular no matter what station I go to .

[@krillinroshi9312]

Don m Everytime i go get petrol; i think of what you’ve written; and go straight to regular; thank you

[@powerhouse222astigsingpet8]

that happens a lot to increase profit

[@LWRC]

While your story may be true, the modern engines with knock sensors do not lie! Running an engine requiring minimum octane rating with anything less will result in noticeable performance drops and is very very bad for the engine. A lack of octane will induce knock which humans cannot even hear but the knock sensors will detect it and cut engine performance to prevent severe damage!!!Reputable gas stations would never order more than their tank capacity!!!

[@moose354]

Thanks for everything that you do for the Toyota community.

[@mmlomyers8770]

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[@coloradoboo1071]

He really is one of the best KZbinrs for Toyota owners but we’re trying to figure out what AMD stands for...Anthony Michael? Arnold Mark? Alan? Alexander?? 😜

[@moose354]

@@coloradoboo1071 I believe his first name is Ahmed from one of his first videos.

[@Dr.Gunsmith]

Toyota rules.

[@dalemettee1147]

A friend of mine used to work at a petroleum distribution center. He said that a lot of off brand stations buy what is known as 'bottom tank' gas. This type of gas is left in the bottom of the big tanks and is actioned off to the highest bidder. He said that this gas could contain a lot of stuff. All he said was beware of this type of gas.

[@arthursmith643]

The government is up the ass of these gasoline companies. They are not going to allow junk burning out the vehicles system. Buy the cheapest gas. Top tier gas has more detergents but it can be twenty cents or more per gallon. Toss in a bottle of Techron every few thousand miles. Techron is what Chevron puts I it’s gasolines.

[@nivekking8198]

@@arthursmith643 Sure lets trust our government to look out for the people's best interests. 😂

[@jjk2one]

@@arthursmith643 You would not believe what this corporate govt does while smiling in your face

[@joecrews8296]

I was told to never get gas at the same time as the gas companys tractor trailer is re-filling the tanks. Due to the sediment and possible sluge at the bottom of the big tanks gets stirred up

[@viking.200]

that one I will remember it sounds logic.🤔👍.

[@cursedchest6469]

I heard that on Scotty Kilmer 👍

[@MyRebel44]

Every pump has a filter .

[@haroldpayne2527]

Sounds right

[@nobueno2157]

While both the station and your vehicle have filters, when they’re offloading the bottoms can and will stir up and it’s not just sediment or muck, there’s water as well. There is not filter in place to prevent water from entering your car. Don’t fuel when a truck is dropping product, recipe for disaster

[@shaynestebbing5597]

Agreed, I own two cars both 2grfe V6's a kluger and an Aurion (Australia) I always thought 95 and 98 was better until I started using 91 (mobil synergy) since I've been using the 91 both cars are getting good mileage per tank e.g. Aurion 610kms , Kluger 575kms city driving and even better mileage hwy driving, both cars are using fully synthetic oil 10w30 and 5w30(kluger) and genuine filters on every service, absolutely love these cars for their reliability and performance and economy. Both are now due for trans and diff(kluger awd) services your vid on that is excellent too, will take your advice about using genuine toyota trans oil , thanks again man 👍

[@jskaggs8188]

Good and accurate info. I ran my 2003 Toyota Tacoma for 13 years and 229,000 miles on cheap gas and never a problem outside normal maintenance.

[@pjames4413]

These newer cars are a bit touchy regarding cleanliness of fuel injectors.. Top tier gasoline is the best choice because the additive blend is better.

[@244thMeekrob]

The "what octane fuel should I use" discussion pops up at least once a week in my car groups online. There is always one or two people who swear up and down that they get noticeably better fuel economy and power with 91 over 87 in their 3ur-fe. Like you said in your video, and like I reply to them, the octane rating is related to your compression ratio and to combat detonation, nothing more, nothing less.

[@aluisious]

I got better fuel economy and drivability (low end torque) on a 3.6L V6 in a Ford Taurus on premium. I could measure it doing the same 280 mile drive over a mountain range and back at the same times and same cruise control speed every week for months. The manual said regular unleaded, but the engine was probably retarding the timing on regular vs premium. If you can test and prove it, it's not worth arguing about.

[@TomBTerrific]

In another video you mentioned rather than putting an additive in you gas tank to clean deposits to just run a tank of premium gas through your tank. I thought that was a great tip!

[@jd9119]

higher octane gas tends to burn a little cleaner. Is it enough difference to make a difference? Probably not, but neither are those deposit cleaning additives. And he was suggesting you do that once a year or so.

[@jhill4071]

Lot of extremely good advice on this channel about the Toyota Hybrids. It is appreciated. As to car gas.. The Engine Control Unit (capabilities depending on the year of the vehicle) measures air density, temp and numerous other parameters to adjust the ever changing fuel to air ration mix in order to meet the load demands of the engine. We have been all over the nation, both ends of Canada, most of Alaska and the Yukon. 2000 32H Bounder motorhome Ford V-10 engine towing a Honda CR-V. We used Flying J and Arco when available. A lot of the time its was just any gas station with a roof more then 12.6 feet high. Never had a problem with the quality of various regional formulas of regular gasoline even when climbing a 10.'000 foot mountain pass-unhooked.. Same for Mexico using Pemex gas. Biggest problem is random credit card skimers installed in gas pumps at isolated gas stations. scheduledmaintenance that I won't do. somethinglethel

[@steveewing2060]

Lots of good advice, except maybe the bit about consistantly buying 1 brand. I used to do contract work for refineries and have seen Texaco tanker trucks taking a load from the Chevron racks. Refiners often sell to each other, easier to manage production & sales. Top Tier fuel and a busy station are what I look for.

[@djburris1961]

Texaco trucks taking gas from the Chevon racks makes sense. They are the same company. It is Chevron/Texaco. like Exxon and Mobil are the same company, and Conoco and Phillips. However, almost all refineries put the refined gasoline into a common pipeline, and almost all transporters withdraw from a common pipeline. All gasoline going into the pipeline MUST meet a certain minimum standard. So what you get at a Shell station may have actually been refined by BP, or the gasoline you get at an Exxon station may have actually been refined by Conoco/Phillips. What really differentiates the gasoline is the additives put in after it is withdrawn from the pipeline at the terminal. With TopTier, regardless of the additive, whether Techron from Chevron/Texaco, Invigorate from BP, or whatever the tradename used, all must be at a certain level, making them virtually equivalent to each other. TopTier standards are way higher than federal requirements, and puts them on an even playing field. TopTier also requires ALL grades to have the same additives. Some gasoline brands used to offer their branded additives blends only in their premium fuels. TopTier doesn't allow that. I will NOT buy any gasoline that is not TopTier. There is a Chevron station and a Valero station very close to my office that consistantly have the lowest prices, and both are TopTier. And, I don't have to drive out of my way to go there.

[@aluisious]

You know why you don't have problems? You're actually doing stuff, driving all over with your motorhome and towed car. The people inventing bullshit problems they've solved by their clever selection of gas pumps drive 6 miles to work every day on the same road and their life is so boring they invent things to fix.

[@paulschwarz6917]

AMD, I hope your dealership treats you well. You provide the best information. Your information makes me feel more conferrable about dealing with Toyota dealerships I can trust, as , I have been a Toyota owner for more than 30 years. Its guys like you and some service advisers that keeps me coming back. THANK YOU

[@rt2255]

Do you have a brother in alabama to do the little work my camry needs? Lol

[@njsongwriter]

We use ethanol-free (any octane) usually top tier in our 2009 RAV4 2.5 liter four cylinder.

[@jameskoralewski1006]

Ethanol-free gas is usually quite a bit more expensive than gas with ethanol.

[@jimpie231]

Where do you even find it? I’m in the Chicago area.....thanks! Jim

[@njsongwriter]

@@jimpie231 Nothing in Chicago. Nearest is Joliet and Crystal Lake. For me the nearest station is three miles from home. And they sell both premium ethanol-free and E10 premium for the same price. Last time I filled up back home in PA it was $2.899 per gal. I'm in NH right now.

[@afcgeo882]

@@jimpie231 They’re usually sold as marine use gasoline at stations, but it’s rare. In FL, most stations have it, but it’s about 30% more than 87 OCT E10, so it’s not worth it.

[@dikkev8]

In Europe the regular gas (octane 95) is E10. Premium gas (octane 98) is something between E0 and E5. There is no difference in quality, however regular gas has an expiration date of 3 months. Premium gas has an expiration date of 6 months. There are a lot of people over here who don't use their car often. They use premium gas for this reason.

[@TheCarCareNut]

Things might be different in Europe than the us. Likely the method used to measure octane is different hence the different numbers.

[@dikkev8]

@@TheCarCareNut Yes, the lowest octane here is 95 I believe, but it's comparable to 87 in North America. I have seen octane 91 once, but that was very rare.

[@dstrau7987]

@@dikkev8 95 RON octane in Europe and elsewhere that uses the RON octane method is roughly equal to 91 octane R+M/2 method used in the US and Canada. Accordingly, 98 RON is roughly equivalent to 93 R+M/2 and 91 RON to 87 R+M/2. The US and Canada used RON and switched to the average of the RON and MON numbers the mid '70s and this has caused confusion ever since making it look like the US has lower octane fuel.

[@mattingray5651]

Cars that require premium gas will say directly at the fuel gauge, because it is very important NOT to down grade fuel for these cars, you will ruin the engine.

[@wholeNwon]

If you MUST use less than minimum octane requirement, you can do so for a single tank or so but increase the octane to minimum as soon as you can for instance by mixing high octane with what's left in the tank. For instance: !/2 tank of 89 + 1/2 tank of 93 = 91. The knock sensor should prevent any damage. As an engine wears, compression decreases and high octane should be less necessary. But why chance it? If your engine is designed for regular but now, with time, knocks unless you use high octane, you may have carbon buildup.

[@commoncents5191]

My Lexus asks for premium but runs great on regular. The engine computer adjusts the timing to prevent knock. Premium not worth the minimal increase in HP

[@toninocars]

I had bad experience with both premium and regular petrol as we called in Uk . I usually run my Prius on 95 but from the different garages comes at different quality and I can feel the car sometimes doesn’t accelerate as normally does, last filled up with 99 octane and the engine went super quick, quiet and very smooth transition from electric to petrol . Plus when accelerating on motorways it’s a lot easier, perhaps was a good batch of fuel as previously I had the worst experience with 99 from different place

[@jeretso]

Avoid sketchy gas stations.

[@datathunderstorm]

Also have the same problem with E10 fuel in the UK - my 2008 Prius doesn’t like it. Noisy, vibrations that weren’t there before, a massive drop in MPG. Switched to E5 Esso 99+ Supreme fuel - and all the problems disappeared. Back to my quiet, smooth Prius with seamless transitions between EV and engine mode. I’m using a premium fuel for the E5. E10 isn’t good for my Prius - I can feel it doing my car engine HARM…..!!!

[@aluisious]

@@datathunderstorm bulllllshiiiit

[@PriscillaThen]

Love the straight forward (and wallet-saving) advice, thank you! You said not to change gas station brands for consistency, but didn't explain what you meant by that, and how it affects the car, can you please explain?

[@TheCarCareNut]

Priscilla Then thank you for your comment! Allow me to explain. By using the same brand of gasoline you will allow the additives of that particular brand to work. Although most gas companies use similar additives but each companies formula is slightly different and the real benefits of these additives come with consistency which you achieve when you use the same brand. No additive is magical and works with one tank fill up. Some will argue this point to the end, but the idea here is the effect of the additives over a long period of time. If you plan to keep your car only for 3-5 years after buying it new then this is not going to benefit your wallet much. But if you’re keeping your car that 10-15 years or more then it will benefit your engine in the later half of its life. As a general rule of thumb with cars the small things that you do to care for your car multiplied by time equals longevity and reliability. Example of that is using top tier gasoline of the needed octane rating over time will lessen the chance of excessive carbon build up as the car ages.

[@PriscillaThen]

Wow, great answer, The Car Care Nut , thank you so much! 🙏😊💛

[@TheCarCareNut]

Priscilla Then you’re welcome! Glad I could help.

[@winch1587]

@@TheCarCareNut unfortunately, with the newer direct injection engines, carbon buildup in the intake track is unavoidable.

[@christophervanzetta]

@@winch1587 That’s why you stay away from GDI engine’s…

[@markreams3192]

When you travel to higher elevations the octane levels of gasoline are reduced. Regular will be 85, mid grade will be 87. When I travel to these areas I use the mid grade because my Tacoma calls for 87. I use top tier gas always when available. I run a bottle of Techron fuel system cleaner in the tank once in a while, say with every oil change. Is this helpful? The oil is changed by a Toyota dealer every 5000 miles. (Toyota Care). I live in California so rust isn’t an issue with our vehicles as well as extreme cold start ups. If maintenance is kept up, our cars last a long time. I consider good gasoline to be part of that maintenance. Good video. There’s a general misunderstanding of what high octane gasoline does.

[@naveenthemachine]

Great video I think you forgot to address one thing in this video. Some vehicles like modern ford ecoboosts or the Mazda 2.5Turbo where they say premium is recommended but not required.

[@TheCarCareNut]

Hi naveen! So on those cars for optimum performance they recommend premium but you can safely use regular

[@afcgeo882]

Variable compression engines. Honda has them too. They sense which octane fuel you have and adjust the oxygen mix and cylinder compression to match. Your best power will be with high octane fuel, but you can use 87 just fine. You might just get ~10% less horsepower.

[@chawenhalo0089]

Presumably cars are ,"pre-tuned" or adapt to whatever octane is available you give it per market (within its parameters of course). In the EU for instance "normal" petrol is 95 octane whilst "super" is 98 RON. That's what I feed the NX300h and ut's giving me back 7-7.5L per 100 km.

[@robertweinmann9408]

I have always used regular gas in all my cars, but I have recently discovered that my 1.4 turbo engine performs much better when I consistently use 89 octane. Much better throttle response, quicker acceleration, and 1-2 more miles per gallon. Much more enjoyable to drive. I have read that ECMs test for fuel quality by doing occasional ignition advance tests so I surmise that it is using a more aggressive timing curve with the higher octane gas. Maybe a more aggressive boost curve as well?

[@apexjoe4769]

I agree totally & I also use the 89 mid grade. It makes for a little more power with better gas mileage.You pay a little more at the pump, but it's worth it. Although some people will argue the point. It's a very "happy medium" for me and works for you as well.That's all that matters.👍

[@tssci6774]

Owners of these small boosted engines with GDI must use high octane non-ethanol if you want it to last. Also use 100% synthetic, engineered oil and change often. GDI dumps a lot more fuel into the oil and creates abrasive carbon soot in the oil. This stuff will wear out your timing chains, piston rings and turbo bearings.

[@tssci6774]

Yes these engines have knock sensor that listen for pre-ignition. When this occurs it will reduce ignition advance, which lowers power and economy. The O2 sensors monitor fuel and air ratio continously and adjust the fuel required. High octane fuel requires less fuel ti produce the same power. I have ran E30 fuel in my 2012 without problems, O2 sensors adjust accordingly., but e onony suffers due to less energy.

[@jeretso]

I do treat my car to premium when the price difference is 20 cents. It does feel faster for my small underpowered corolla.

[@confidentlocal8600]

@@jeretso 20 cents?? You must be out west. Around here (in the midwest) it's always a buck or more differential or at least 33% cost bump to go with premium.

[@54mgtf22]

In Australia the octane ratings are 91, 93, 95 and 98. 93 is E10. The fuel isn’t better, just a different scale. The difference in octane rating is pre-ignition protection. However, fuel companies put additives in 95 and 98 to make them run ‘cleaner’. Like you, I fill at either Costco or Shell.

[@tardeliesmagic]

I mostly use Esso here in the UK (Unleaded 95Ron,normal run of the mill fuel) as it's closest to me,there is a 97 or 98Ron but that's Super Unleaded ie For performance vehicles. I don't often use Shell or BP ,but i do use it if need be.I very,very rarely use supermarket fuels.Used Esso so much in 30 yrs of driving,my 2002 Yaris which i've owned for 13 yrs had 90% of Esso in the 13 yrs of owning it,never had an issue with it nor any other vehicles i ever had.

[@karenk3593]

I had a 92 Nissan truck (thought it would be the same as a Toyota - gack, big mistake), but once I switched to using top tier gas, it ran so much better. I lived up on the CA/OR border and learned that even getting gas from a top tier brand in a different state can make a difference. OR top tier gas wasn't as good for my old truck as CA top tier. Gas really does make a difference. Great video.

[@LackeyKh]

KA's are notorious for pinging with lower quality gas. My 240sx's would always ping using 89 octane. Swapped over to 91 and it would stop 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@MArm-qu2qp]

This explains very well but Mazda makes it very confusing. Mazda 2.5l Turbo engine takes regular or premium gas and manual states you can use either. For your opinion which one we should use - better for engine? I don't care about gaining extra HP on premium, all i care is which gas is better for the engine longevity and doing it's job. Thanks a million, another big fan of you here.

[@Gtbomb1]

I put 93 in my Avalon the mpg readout is 445 per tank, I put 87 the mpg reads 400, car seems to run quieter and has more "power" on 93. interesting video.

[@arthursmith643]

Don’t use anything higher than 87 octane you could harm the engine. The engineers built the vehicle for 87 octane. Read your book. Same with motor oil. Use what your book says.

[@season387]

I think you mean range, there's no way a Avalon is getting 445MPG. The range calculator on your dash is based on your last trip. If you drive like a manic right before you fill up, the range would be lower vs if you drive conservatively.

[@robtaylor1156]

​@@arthursmith643 Older, worn engines with carbon deposit build up can benefit from higher octane fuel. My 200K 2009 knocks with 87 which it was designed for. Quiet when I use 89.

[@kodyadams5561]

YOU ARE 100% DELUSIONAL. 93 WOULD NOT GET YOU 45 EXTRA MILES USING THIS FUEL . 100% IMPOSSIBLE, YOU NEED TO STOP DRINKING 😂 , TELL YOUR SHRINK YOU ARE HALLUCINATING BADLY 😂.

[@abdullah6747]

@@arthursmith643 not really. (Wow you can use it on 87 regular you will save a log of money) but the truth is that this is just a marketing for people to fall for it. I have a 2011 avalon when i put regular the car is ok but when I put premium the car starts jumping when accelerating even the dash starts shaking. Always try to use 91 or up on v6 engines so carbon build up doesn’t appear. Hope it helps

[@qasimhaleimi]

My car is Toyota Landcruiser prado V6 Europe model in manual said select Fuel with Research octane 95 or above for optimal engine performance if not available you can use Regular Research octane 91 temporary so does it mean I can use whatever I want what I understand that you can fill with 91 only temporary in urgent need as in a trip for example if no high octane fuel and no need to make any engine change

[@John_Ridley]

The lower price on E85 is made up for by the fact that you will get lower MPG because alcohol doesn't have as much energy in it per liter as gasoline does.

[@greenmarine5]

My Honda CBR 600RR owners manual says minimum of 89 octane, but it also Revs at 18000 RPM, but it runs very good if not better with non ethanol Gas.

[@scottmckenzie2585]

I have always used premium gas in my cars but when I got a 2013 Lexus rx350 and read the owners manual it says 87 octane. I tried 87 and my engine sounded like a sewing machine with a whole lot of ticking. Then I tried 89 and 93 and still had ticking. Then I tried 87 octane that’s 100% gasoline and no change that I could tell. When I put 93 octane 100% gas the ticking stopped and I have way more power and better gas mileage. I keep seeing these KZbin presenters saying it doesn’t make a difference. I’ve had a car since I was 16 and am now 55 and I have had better performance and gas mileage by using premium in all of my cars and have never had a problem that has anything to do with fuel.

[@fallguy4209]

Basically read your owner’s manual

[@1linkbelt]

I thought I was the only one who reads the owners manual. ( just watching the "nut" is a lot more fun).

[@flyonbyya]

My ‘08 LS460 L 385 HP requires 93 and produces about 83 HP/liter or 1.37 HP/ cubic inch ! Compared to The naturally aspirated 7.0 liter (427 cubic inch) LS7 in the corvette that produces 505 HP has a lower specific output than my Lexus at 72 HP/liter or 1.17 HP/ cubic inch Lexus ROCKS ! Master Piece of an engine.

[@davidcapching5286]

We put 87 octane at first, but when we put 93 octane , the car lasted longer on that tank. Less trips to fill up. We have a 2018 Camry.

[@MrBakakeng]

Yes my 2012 FJ goes 50 miles more so it's worth it.

[@ivanrojas1300]

Well, I used to had a 1995 Nissan Quest that had engine knocking noise and poor performance while using regular unleaded. I switched to premium and the performance improved significantly, and the knocking noise stopped immediately. I never had any issues after changing fuel octane. I can't explain it honestly.

[@boondockmutiny9955]

Can you make a video about fuel additives? Cleaners? Have you had cars come in for repairs after using them?

[@bedazzled64]

I have an older car that started making rattling noises awhile back and my mechanic told me to switch from regular to midgrade because there are less fillers. I did that and it has stopped with the rattling noises. He said because the car is older its best to use a higher grade of gas. It seems to help.

[@violinforever]

As your engine ages it fills up with deposits therefore making the compression cylinder smaller, with regular gas you probably had pre-mature detonation. When you put midgrade that delayed the detonation making your engine feel like it was higher compression and that's why your knocking stopped.

[@beexiong2995]

Your older car needs a tune up. Premium gas is masking bigger issues

[@Lifesrad8]

I have to put 91 in my old truck or it don't run well and most 91 has no ethanol in it so that's why I use it.

[@aluisious]

Gasoline doesn't have "fillers," your mechanic is an idiot.

[@aluisious]

@@Lifesrad8 91 certainly does have ethanol in it. It'll say it right on the pump. Stop making up stupid shit. Also, ethanol is an octane BOOSTER.

[@Tran391]

AMD my Toyota FJ specified premium gas but I rarely filled with premium. Never had any engine issues up to the time I sold it at over 200,000 km

[@marcoeldetropoja]

The official mechanic of Toyota. 🙏🏻

[@krisk1547]

Cars even the one design for 87 run better on vpower. Shell adds something to it to make it run nicer. Not really worth paying 30% extra for me

[@afcgeo882]

The do add an extra detergent, but it doesn’t really run better. It might have better cleaning effects over time though, but that’s debatable.

[@abram2535]

I followed him on AXLE Toyota rav4, bought the cones though because it was much easy and got the boots in the one that was broken and fix it for 45$.

[@cardiffchris]

Doesn't the Prius have a very high compression ratio? Thus, Isn't the Prius Engine one that will benefit from the higher octane. I always use Top Tier Premium and have always gotten MPG higher than the EPA rating. (Shell or Chevron) 2009 Corolla 34 to 39 2010 Prius 50 to 56 2014 Prius 54 to 58

[@TheCarCareNut]

If the manufacturer specifies that it can run on 87 it means regardless of the compression of the engine it can safely run on 87. If you feel a gas mileage difference between premium and regular that's good but remember you are also paying more for the gas. If the math adds up then you're all good! You can't harm any car designed for 87 by using 87.

[@Alisters_Adventures]

The percentage of mpg you gained by running premium is negated by the percentage increase in price from regular to premium.

[@njsongwriter]

Personally we run ours on ethanol-free gasoline which usually means premium cause it's difficult to find regular grade locally in ethanol-free. It gets better mileage. Yes it costs more but if it's getting better mpg then that translates to better efficiency and burning cleaner and more thoroughly which in the long term should translate to cleaner injectors, etc. and increased trouble-free longevity. I don't mind paying extra for that.

[@coloradoboo1071]

Wow happy to learn my 7-11 (ConocoPhillips gas) is Top Tier!!

[@mort46]

Well I Europe now you got e10 and premium e5. I use premium e5 in my hybrid. instead e10 , seen to many cars with corrosion after e10.

[@johnreynolds1527]

Thank you for Excellent Video on Different types of gasoline ratings, Very Informative!!

[@hialeahhigh]

Correct me if i am wrong but most manufacturers have adpative octane logic in their vehicle calibration, so depending on the car it will adjust timing and other parameters based on octane level. I know ford for sure does this so yes most cars benefit from higher octane fuels

[@cylonred8902]

Non-M3 BMWs can take any octane - works BEST with premium and you get the full HP but the computer can take care of the lower octane unless the car has not been taken care of and you have a lot of carbon deposits. Carbon deposits will hold the heat and ignite the fuel before the spark plug fires. The manual for my car tells you this much as well, so if anyone has a any doubts - look at the manual for your car. High-end sports cars Corvettes, Hellcats, Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo - they require premium and should plainly state that in the manual because of their compression rations. In simple terms - octane is how fast/easy the gas burns - the higher the octane the SLOWER it burns (the harder it is to ignite) and low the easier it is to ignite and burns faster. High compression engines NEED high octane so the piston can get to max compression without the fuel igniting BEFORE it is supposed to (and create a knock). With a low octane fuel the piston will still be moving up when the fuel ignites and that can cause some serious engine damage.

[@nakamuracasa]

This guy is the BEST!!! Period!!!

[@raymondgreenwood1]

I’ve seen people put E85 fuel in there car because it was cheaper then they realized in burned a lot faster and were complaining about how fast gas burns now days... well it’s because your not using the proper gas

[@aldorow1757]

Great video, another thing to worry about - Top Tier

[@chloewinkworthartist]

i drive a 1980 toyota corona ,the owners manual sez minimum 97 octane,so i run 98,before there was premium availiable in oz i had problems starting ,pinging up hills , i also have to put lead additive in the fuel...helps to add more than it sez to add...so she runs nicely on 98 starts first turn mostly if y prime the carb..i agree with good fuel choices .i prefer vortex 98,but shell sold out here ,so i go caltex ,its good.

[@garymeyer3294]

My friend has a Tesla and he said it makes no difference whether he uses Regular or Premium.

[@dimitrig3739]

Fascinating about the top tier certification. I assumed it was a sham like the 100% Beef marketing by a certain fast food restaurant.

[@justuskamulegeya7339]

Great job you do there man, thanks. Question my 2020 RAV4 pulls to the right as I drive on highways. What could be the problem it’s on 6000mils

[@TheCarCareNut]

Hi! Many reasons a car pulls to the right. One is as simple as low tire pressure on one side. Another is an issue with the tire causing a pull. If the basics are covered then an alignment is next. However does it pull if you drive on the left lane of the highway as well?

[@YellowRoseDrones]

I've only used Top Tier brands of fuel for awhile now & my engines seem to have less problems.

[@Steve-l9v]

Higher octane fuel will not give you more power, but it will help any car run better, especially in hotter temperatures where the air conditioner is on it will help with the extra horsepower

[@jdrein9511]

This isn't entirely true anymore. There are some cars that adapt to higher octane and produce more power on it.

[@marksneedly7365]

My 2021 Tacoma doesn't care whether I use 89 or 93. I notice no difference in performance or mileage. My 2022 bronco, 2.7, likes 93. It runs fine on 89 but has less HP and gets worse MPG by about 1.5 miles.

[@MrFunClip]

On page 641 of the 2016 Toyota Highlander user manual, it said "87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher"!

[@RT22-pb2pp]

Low octane burns easy high octane for high compression turbo and super charged as high octane does not ignite before spark fuel to heat, pinging is sign, called predetonation. If low grade works with no pinging under load is fine for most cars. Premium is not needed and waste of money for average cars and does not make more power.

[@timtsai54]

I can't verify more power or not, but from my own experiences, premium gas does make an engine, especially a smaller engine,

[@davidebacchi9030]

I keep goig with the "white pump" next home, cheap and the car runs fine, also I suggest ethanol-free fuel (often higer octane) for car running on the same tank much time (such ase those running on autogas [LPG] or methane [CNG]). Personally my gasoline full tank lasts between 7000 and 10 000km (say 5 to 8k mi) or about three to six months of driving and given the difference in price here (0,75€/L [2,90USD/gal] for LPG compared to 2,2€/L [8,50USD/gal] for normal 95RON gasoline). I'd rather prefer to risk (if any) damages to the petrol system (that is used just few seconds for start-up) to switching from my two full tanks per year (of gasoline) to one per month. Anyway premium is better in the tank, at least for my usage, because is ethanol free thus degradating itself less in the long months it stays in my tank.

[@F15ElectricEagle]

The best advice I got when it came to the type of gas I should use was to avoid any "CO" type of gas,... i.e. Costco and Arco.

[@ThomasFG]

In America maybe, but in Australia i only use 95RON & higher. Why do i spend extra ?, the sulfur kills catalytic converters. In Australia 91RON - 150ppm sulfur content 95RON & 98RON - 50ppm sulfur content. Now in saying that, my car does benefit from premium (it can advance the timing more before pre-detonation occurs). Cars that actually have the ability to gain benefits from premium, run it. But also some cars like mine for example have over sensitive knock sensors or prone to premature pinging on low octane fuel. It just isn't worth running cars with 10.5:1+ compression ratios on regular for that exact reason. In my owners manual it says 91RON or higher. Not 91RON only. The small offset in cost i'd rather over my car constantly retarding the timing due to pinging under high load.

[@chaissos]

Ethanol tends to break down over time, and you'll end up with water sitting in the bottom of the tank. That's where that corrosion can come from. If you run it regularly, highway once in a while, and go through a tank every week or two, that won't cause issues. What will is that ethanol comes from corn, and is abrasive. That's a real issue and can destroy the pumps, line and other parts of the fuel system, and that's without going into the whole "why we're turning food into fuel" debate (and yes, I know it's a crappy corn, but it consumed space in the fields to grow).

[@milfordcivic6755]

A few corrections to your statement: - Ethanol absorbs water because it is a hygroscopic mixture, meaning it absorbs water right out of the air. it is not from the ethanol "breaking down". That is why you'll get water in your tank. - Ethanol is alcohol and has no "abrasive" in it. Otherwise your fuel filter would instantly clog. - Ethanol deteriorates seals, o-rings, plastic fittings and rubber fuel lines that were never chemically formulated to handle ethanol.

[@alexisruizperez2184]

I have a 2012 Kia Forte and the manual says 87 but it rattles a lot and when I put 93 it goes away I always put carbon cleaner on it because of the compression but every time I put 87 the rattle comes back, what do you think it is, thank you 🙏 ❤

[@ArchangelMLM]

Gasoline Octane: A lot of the the new car owners manuals will say that you have to have 94 octane which is a lie, if you believe this then you are just going into the game with half of the information, be realistic about your car. The standard hip pocket rule of thumb for octane is if your motorcycle or car is not pre detonating then use the lowest octane available, octane to put it in gentleman's terms can be loosely called " The Resistance to Detonation of any fuel", and the best example I can give you is if you take a pie pan of gasoline that is 87 octane and a pie pan of gasoline that is 94 octane, you put them on the floor of your garage and you approach each one of them with a lit match, the 87 octane will detonate further away than the 94 octane, so gas is formulated to have a greater resistance to detonation the higher the number, and the number comes from an old thing that was called the "Anti Knock Index" because older cars over time would have the valves go out of adjustment, heads would leak, air would get into the motor.......and when the air would come in it would actually make your car run hotter, and to lower the temperatures in our cylinders we would put in higher octane gas, so if your car was knocking or running on after you turned the key off in the 50's, 60"s & 70's the solution for that was to put more expensive and higher octane gas in your tank. Lead was always in gasoline back then as a lubricant, but they would use things like seetane and later on toluane and other octane modifiers, and these octane modifiers were put in to artificially pump the octane number up on what the regular chemical composition of gasoline would be. Believe it or not one of the best octane boosters is water, and old trick used by old diesel mechanics, because of the hydrogen chain of water being H2O.....there is 2 hydrogens and 1 oxygen, if you have an old diesel engine that needs to have the heads cleaned, one of the Hail Maries was to spray some water through an atomizer bottle or spray bottle into the intake track of a diesel and what it would do is it would crank up the octane in the diesel fuel going in and it would burn out all of the carbon deposits inside the motor, but it is actually pretty dangerous and it can scatter a motor while your spraying it to explosive results. Only use 87 octane fuel in your motor vehicles regardless of what the owners Manuel says, if you use any thing higher then the ethanol will chemically retard the timing of the engine which is actually alcohol poisoning. Higher octane does not burn cleaner as the petroleum companies would have you believe. It is not about the ethanol percentage because 94% octane does not contain more ethanol than 87% octane, it is about the ability to burn the gas versus the ethanol ratio in it. Ethanol is hydroscopic meaning it brings in more moisture. There are 2 methods of determining the octane number, one is the RON and the other is the MON, some countries use the RON exclusively and some countries use the MON exclusively. In the United States we use an average between the 2 numbers so the next time you are pumping gas for your car look at the pump and it will say 87 octane RM/2 and what that means is that there adding the research number R+M/2 to the mechanical number and they are dividing it by 2, so they are giving you an average between the RON number and the MON number, now when you are looking at your owners manual for your Japanese or European motor vehicle it is going to have a higher octane number and sometimes these manuals for cars specify a higher grade of gas because they have a higher cylinder compression and they are going to need 98 octane fuel, well 98 octane in the European system translates to our system in the United States to about 91 or 92 octane, so you are not buying the wrong gas and you are not going to damage your vehicle, the gas that is sold in Europe is the same gas that is sold here in the states they just have a different method of measuring the octane number. Every company that makes their money selling additives have tested out fuel, so if you use 87 octane in your motor vehicle you will not get a single horsepower number higher on a dynamometer running 94 octane through your cars engine than you will running 87 octane it just does not work that way. If you are going to over build your motor, if you are going to run a high compression motor, if you are going to alter the timing to fire that spark plug at a point where the piston is higher and therefore the fuel is under higher compression then you do have to start using a higher octane fuel or you will pre detonate, so simply put if you've got a tuned motor or if your motor is under a high heat high stress application then it is ok to run a higher octane fuel to help counter the effects of cylinder pressure and heat. If you put a higher octane fuel in a motor that clearly does not need it you are doing your motor a disservice, and you are doing 2 things to it, 1 is you are making the oil companies really happy and we all know they need more money..... Right? But really what you are doing is chemically altering the timing of your engine, if you have points or fuel injection with a computer your spark is set to fire or go off at a certain time that is all based on the appropriate fuel for your vehicle and when you start changing the formulation of that and you start putting high octane fuel in then what you are doing is chemically retarding your timing because let's say now instead of that thing firing at 18 degrees before top dead center now in fact it is going to have to turn further, the crank will turn further, the pistons will go higher before it actually sets off the explosion because high octane gas has a greater resistance to detonation and compression, so now you have just messed with the timing of your vehicle.......spark will happen and ignition will happen but the time it takes because lower octane fuel burns hotter faster and higher octane burns slower and will take a longer amount of time before it lights up, spark and timing is the same but the flash over, the amount of time it takes to flash or fire up is changing and taking longer and is occurring later and that will give you the same effect as if you then further retarded your timing. With the current junk fuels blends they are selling us there is 20% less gas in your gas today than there was 10 years ago, between oxygenation and ethanol MTBE and all these things that are in the fuel they are taking the place that gas used to be and as we did that a lot of these components and chemical recipes that are in your fuel are there to pump up the octane that we lost when we started putting ethanol and oxygen in the fuel, and now gas does not last anymore, it used to last a couple of years but now within 30, 60, 90 days it smells like varnish and the engines won't run right. Modern fuels are literally just eating seals, the rubber is just falling apart, so if you are going to let's say rebuild your carbs make sure you are using rubber items and elements in your carbs that have not been sitting in a bag for 30 years because those things are not going to be safe for modern day fuels, use modern day "Viton" seals and rubber.

[@dickvalley6860]

You’re easy to like as a car guy. Thank you for everything.

[@lesklower7281]

In Australia we have 91 E10 95 and 98 l use 91 in my hilux ute not never use E10 in anything that has ethonol in it l run 91 in my hiluxt because it has a carburetor and it runs good near the filler there is a sticker unkeaded fuel only so l do that and l do buy all my petrol from one petrol stations because it is the cheapest usually

[@conrafael9465]

Hi writing from Australia over here the Rav 4 hybrid is euro 5 compliant and takes regular unleaded the Camry Hybrid with the same engine is euro 6 compliant and requires premium unleaded both engines have the same power and torque figures and are both A25A-fxs engines why does the Camry require premium.

[@JohnWick-wm4pd]

What about gas stations that carry 100% gasoline? Would that be a better premium file for your Lexus?

[@lsft]

The Lexus NX450h+ and the 350h recommends Premium fuel, but says regular (87 octane) will also work. Why would Lexus recommend premium and not just regular say like the RAV4 Prime?

[@DjCBlaq]

New subscriber. Can't wait to go through your videos.

[@jameskoralewski1006]

I only use Shell Top Tier gasoline in their 93 octane. I don't need the higher octane rating but I want the higher PEA cleaning level that they use in their 93 octane fuels!

[@sesamesprinkles]

I have a Lexus hybrid and the specific model (ux) says regular but I just thought since most of the other Lexus models take premium it was preferred to take premium with my ux

[@Filmingwithacarp]

I live in Utah, my options are 85, 88, 91. Do I fill up with 88? EngineeringExplained did a video talking about how even at high elevation 85 can harm your engine and to use 87, but my closest option is 88 here. Thanks!

[@jordan7091]

I haven't gotten a clear answer on that either. I did try 85 in summer at 5k elevation and didn't notice any I'll effects. But last winter I tried it and my truck just felt like something was off with the engine. Maybe it was the cold, but I'll be sticking to 87 until I hear from a trusted source that 85 won't reduce the life of my truck. Hope he answers this

[@greyholcombjr.9623]

My BMW states on filler door minimum 87 octane. It will retard or advance the variable timing to avoid pre- ignition of the fuel. Manual recommends premium, but does not require it. It does get a few more miles per gal. and a little better performance with premium. I miss the days when premium was only 20 cents more per gal than regular. Now it is 60-90 cents more. I probably don't come out ahead on $$ by running premium. I use either depending on current prices. I always use Top Tier, Shell or BP usually. Some drivers on BMW forums say premium regardless of minimum 87 due to possible engine damage done over time. Seems to me that BMW wouldn't state 87 minimum if there was a possibility of engine damage. What do you think Mr. Nut ?

[@TheCarCareNut]

Hi! Honestly with bmw I would use premium.

[@greyholcombjr.9623]

@@TheCarCareNut Yea, I should probably use premium. Thanks

[@anurakboribun2560]

Grey, you answered your question to yourself. It is the same as Toyota, which has HIGH PERFORMANCE, HIGH COMPRESSION engine that would run optimally on high octane. BMW AND Toyota will not tell Americans that they should buy Premium, because many would resign from buying the car. In today computer advanced loaded with sensors technology the engine is capable of advancing its setting back to the point that it will do work on cheapest gas that it gets. It will not perform its best, it will just work.

[@greyholcombjr.9623]

@@anurakboribun2560 I usually answer my questions myself because I'm seldom wrong. I also own a Tacoma and the manual states for enhanced performance use premium fuel. I use regular, especially since Senile Joe wrecked our energy independence.

[@anurakboribun2560]

@@greyholcombjr.9623 is that a recent Tacoma? Toyota is hinting you softly, to feed it good. Terrible news that things are so bad that the gas is getting too expensive.

[@WDavid-bm9jd]

Regular one is good enough for most of Toyota cars except Supra with BMW engine

[@alphawolfadventures1470]

Big debate in the Lexus GX460 community between regular and premium. Lexus says premium but naysayers say it’s same powertrain as tundra that uses regular but lexus “could” be tuned differently. All compelling points

[@bikedawg]

According to the scientist Dr Bill Wattenberg, putting 92 octane gas in your car is a waste of money. This is because all modern cars have computers to control the air/fuel mix and timing and will automatically adjust for optimum performance. Unless, you live in a high altitude place or you are experience pre-ignition (pinging), no one needs anything over 87 octane.

[@journeyfromusa4750]

Hi 👋 I’m a big fan of your channel… love your honesty .. can you please tell me What Should I put 87 or 89 for my Toyota RAV4 2022 ?

[@randyschaub5452]

Always great content here.

[@garybaldwin1061]

You missed one. Some vehicles sat 91 recommended but any octane higher then 87 OK. That's my Acura RDX(20).

[@afcgeo882]

Variable compression engines, such as the one in your Acura are becoming more and more common. They can adjust their compression to any octane grade and have sensors to tell which you have in the fuel lines. You will get a higher performance out of higher grade octane in such an engine because it will increase compression, but any octane fuel is fine to run on.

[@johac7637]

The issue with the "E" blends is the ethanol decomposes to fast, it leaves a residue and cleaners don't cut it, ask any small engine repair shop, every spring they get flooded with no start issues. I parked my Volvo and the pandemic kept me from crossing the Border, it was hard starting, I pumped all the rotten gas out, even the lawn mower was hard starting. Stop with non E gas.

[@attilaa2065]

I had a mechanic once tell me that premium was better gas because it takes less heat to ignite it and heat kills engines

[@billkallas1762]

Time for a new mechanic.

[@brucesummers7448]

Octane is a rating of resistance to pre-ignition when the fuel first enters the cylinders of the engine. The higher the compression ratio of the engine the more susceptible it is to pre-ignition or engine knock. Modern engines will retard the spark for a lower octane fuel and so no knock but also fewer miles per gallon. Put a 91 octane gas in an engine designed for 87 octane and no change in performance only more money is spent at the pumps.

[@MrMetsfann]

Wondering why Lexus recommends Premium in a 2010-2011 RX 350, but the 2012 model with the same engine they recommend Regular. Is it actually okay to use regular in 2010 and 2011 as well?

[@TNesher]

The new Lexus NX350h allows either 87 or 91. Will I be lowering the lifespan of the engine by putting 87? I read the engine can detect and adjust to the type of fuel. I also understand it uses the same engine as the rav4. I I purchased the hybrid option to lower my the fuel costs.

[@isaakdlg1737]

My 6.0L Chevy says "Premium Gas Recommended"!?!? Does it harm the engine if I use regular or mid grade in the Long run?

[@kecupabece4000]

Thank you for another informative video. But does the brand of the gas station matter? Thank you

[@JohnMcMahan5]

My Toyota Grand Highlander 2.4 turbo says 87, but it also says only change the oil every 10k so I’m not sure I 100% believe it. Do I need premium in my car?

[@edwing1947]

Really enjoy your videos. I have a 2008 Lexus RX350 and a 2006 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Limited. Love my Tundra! My question is the Tundra has a recommendation for tire pressure of 29 lbs front and 32 lbs rear. I have a boat that I tow occasionally that weighs just under 3,000 lbs. What tire pressure do I use when I tow the boat? Thanks for your informative videos!

[@jerry-gl9ut]

Thank you AMD for your informative Toyota videos . Im about to purchase a new 2023 RAV4 Hybrid , What is your recommendation regarding Non Ethanol regular grade fuel for the RAV4 ?

[@abuhas2272]

Quick question. If I dont drive my car often and the gas sits for extended period. Are you saying it's better to fill with premium because it's less corrosive?

[@adrianosparlapipas]

@The Car Care Nut Thank you a lot man! But what about the 1.2t engine which is on auris and ch-r says unleaded. There has been some comments around the net that Toyota said on their site that'' if you can use premium it would be beneficial for these Engines.'' Thanks again.

[@inferno1770]

On our 3rd gen Tacomas it recommends 87 or higher octane. In our owners manuals it says tested on 91 octane . I get worse mpgs on regular gas .

[@confidentlocal8600]

I think it says "research octane 91" which is 87 pump octane in the U.S. But yes, the 2GR-FKS drives better on higher octane.

[@sansupadri4418]

THANK YOU that’s a amazing advice❤️

[@27pugsly]

How about older cars with over 150,000 miles is it better to put premium??

[@leardi58]

But here's a question you use 87 but %10 ethanol gas so doesn't it bring your octane number down so the question I'm asking is I have a 2023 Toyota 4Runner should I be using 89

[@nathanu8821]

Often times Toyota vehicles' owners' manual says Research Octan 91. What does that mean? Does that means 91 is better for performance and fuel economy, as well as longevity?

[@confidentlocal8600]

Research Octane Number is another rating system. RON 91 is the same as 87 in the United States.

[@danwaller5312]

What if your gas door says Premium Fuel Recommended?

[@angelagzx14]

I bought my LS last year with 60k miles. Would it make a difference if I use top Top Tier from now on or has the damage already being done ? Thank You !

[@arthursmith643]

Most vehicles run fine on 87. You can Google which octane to use. Recommended or required. If you don’t race around 87 will be fine. If it makes you sleep better spend the extra couple of hundred bucks a year💤💤💤💤much better

[@lonesomecricket7721]

Wondering why my Toyota FJ Cruiser has a (Premium fuel only) sticker on the fuel door? 🤔

[@TheCarCareNut]

Hi! That is by design and programming of the car. Later years with the updated engine went back to regular gas

[@dr.priyankasharma3634]

Sir I am from India and in my area now only E20 gasoline is available....and according to my owner manual of toyota car not to use more than 10% ethanol blended gasoline. What can I do now