Is premium grade gasoline really necessary?

[Brutal SS]

Originally Posted by E.T.

Slightly off topic, but how long should I wait to do the fuse pull? Should I run a few tanks of 93 through first? I don't know for sure if I'm on the low octane table, but I'm sure the dealer was springing for 93 the whole time. A sales guy said it's ok to run 89. So, figure I'd better do the pull at some point just to make sure.

It's best to leave them out overnight, just to be sure. And yes, run at least two full tanks first before pulling them, again, just to be sure you are fully purged.

[Revo1]

Time for a fuse pull...

[mikeinmobile]

sorry if dumb question but, do you pull 5 and 20 then re insert fuses?

[Brutal SS]

Originally Posted by mikeinmobile

sorry if dumb question but, do you pull 5 and 20 then re insert fuses?

Not a dumb question, but yes, 5 and 20. Search the threads, someone has posted a really nice pic of this procedure.

[2SSRS@Gen5diy]

Originally Posted by TaylorRyanSS

Ofer, you are the exception. You drive so much that you would be spending hundreds more a month if you used premium lol

I dont know if hundreds more a month, but my point was you may think you loss HP and add knock in the engine, but it depends on a lot more then only gas, any one can make a car ping any one, try driving in 6th at 800 RPM and your car will ping.

[11 Camaro IBM]

V6 I use premium only 93

[SSGUNNER]

Wow.

Yes i would highly suggest premium. This is what you wanted right? You gotta pay to play. Also please dont go on what your salesman was saying or forgot to say clearly they dont know jack. True Story.

[danvillekidd]

Why is everyone bashing the op on the cost of premium vs 87 when he never mentioned cost? If he was not told that it was recommended and it's not posted on the car anywhere (gas cap only says to "tighten until one click or the service engine light may come on") why would you know to put premium in? The only reason I knew was I researched the car before I bought it. Using a higher octane than needed fuel is a waste of money and since the car was running without knocking or pinging he wanted to know why premium was recommended, nothing about cost or not wanting to use premium. To answer the ops question: Chevy put 2 tables in the ECM, one the requires the use of premium to get the advertised HP/performance from the car and the 2nd to allow the car to run on 87 without damage, but with loss of HP/performance. So you can safely run 87 in it, but to get the most Permagrin from it you will need to run premium! Also it has been found that the ECM won't switch to the premium table on its own so you will need to do a "fuse pull" (5 & 20) to reset it back to that table.

[slick rick]

Originally Posted by danvillekidd

why would you know to put premium in?

Originally Posted by 5cents

I was reading my owner's manual the other day and in there it recommends "premium" with a 91 or higher octane rating.

I think he knows

[danvillekidd]

Since the op was running 87 THEN read the manual he didn't know at first. My guess is most people don't read the manual before driving a new car much less all of it. My question was if you are not told and hadn't read the manual yet how would you know?

[VTXrider]

Originally Posted by 5cents

Unless he forgot to mention it, when the saleman was explaining things on my new 2011 Camaro 2SS, he never said anything about using premium gasoline. So, I kept using the "regular" 87 octane. I was reading my owner's manual the other day and in there it recommends "premium" with a 91 or higher octane rating.

My Camaro doesn't "ping or knock" using the lower octane, So, my question is, is the higher octane really necessary?

Doesn't it say on the gas cap that you look at every time you fill up Premium recommended? This is really the first you see this?

[kiteman]

yeah it really is surprise to me when people spend time asking these types of questions for $3 a tank. get a credit card with gas rewards to absorb the difference if you're really concerned.

[VTXrider]

Originally Posted by danvillekidd

Why is everyone bashing the op on the cost of premium vs 87 when he never mentioned cost? If he was not told that it was recommended and it's not posted on the car anywhere (gas cap only says to "tighten until one click or the service engine light may come on") why would you know to put premium in? The only reason I knew was I researched the car before I bought it. Using a higher octane than needed fuel is a waste of money and since the car was running without knocking or pinging he wanted to know why premium was recommended, nothing about cost or not wanting to use premium. To answer the ops question: Chevy put 2 tables in the ECM, one the requires the use of premium to get the advertised HP/performance from the car and the 2nd to allow the car to run on 87 without damage, but with loss of HP/performance. So you can safely run 87 in it, but to get the most Permagrin from it you will need to run premium! Also it has been found that the ECM won't switch to the premium table on its own so you will need to do a "fuse pull" (5 & 20) to reset it back to that table.

Ok, I stand corrected, I thought it did but maybe I'm just used to the fuel cap saying that.


To those asking how long to wait for the fuse pull, do it after a couple of tanks. Someone said do it first then fill with premium, I guess this would work if you drained your tank and fuel lines first. For most of us in the real world even when you fill up there will be 3-4 gallons in the tank from the older gas. It's a 19 gallon tank, how many of you have put in close to 19 gallons?

[tramtwo]

Originally Posted by 5cents

Unless he forgot to mention it, when the saleman was explaining things on my new 2011 Camaro 2SS, he never said anything about using premium gasoline. So, I kept using the "regular" 87 octane. I was reading my owner's manual the other day and in there it recommends "premium" with a 91 or higher octane rating.

My Camaro doesn't "ping or knock" using the lower octane, So, my question is, is the higher octane really necessary?

This is a great question OP, excuse the knuckleheads who only want to talk money in this thread cause they have no real experience or knowledge to add.

Other than lower performance and possibly lower mpg, will running the lower-test fuel damage the engine or cause any parts to wear out quicker? Carbon build up?