What type of fuel do you use?

[nodle]

So, what type of fuel does everyone use in their vehicles? Do you just use the standard unleaded, mid-grade, or high octane? 

The reason I am asking is I have always just run the regular, but yesterday I used mid-grade, and I can't believe how much better our car ran. I mean it was so much quieter (don't ask me why) and pulled the hills so much better. So, I won't be using regular anymore. Seems like it's watered down these days as well. For my lawn mower I only use high octane with no ethanol like @jmanz does. What does everyone else run in their cars?

 

[jmanz]

I use 87 for the car. I have done experiments all the way to 91 and I haven't noticed much of a difference on long trips.

 

[nodle]

So mid-grade only?

 

[C Pav]

For our older Pontiac I use regular low grade. For our Traverse I have always used high octane for some reason. I sure miss my sports cars as only used the high octane for them. For lawn mower I use high octane as well. I remember using low grade regular and how poorly it ran. As soon as I switched to high octane it started right up and ran so much better. That was on our old junky mower so for the mower and snow blower it's high octane only.

 

[jmanz]

Small engines should be high octane only.

 

[nodle]

Got my parents to switch over to plus as well. They said their vehicle ran noticeably better as well.

 

[nodle]

Just had a big, long talk with our mechanic here at work about gas, he said never run the cheap stuff mid-grade or higher. I am going to run premium next. He talked about the pitting and everything the lower stuff can do to your engine due to the water, and ethanol. Anyways we had a big, long talk and I am going to go premium the next few fill ups then drop back down to mid.

 

[jmanz]

[QUOTE='nodle]Just had a big, long talk with our mechanic here at work about gas, he said never run the cheap stuff mid-grade or higher. I am going to run premium next. He talked about the pitting and everything the lower stuff can do to your engine due to the water, and ethanol. Anyways we had a big, long talk and I am going to go premium the next few fill ups then drop back down to mid.
[/QUOTE]Is that the guy who owns the gas station down the road???

 

[C Pav]

[QUOTE='jmanz]Is that the guy who owns the gas station down the road???
[/QUOTE]

 

[nodle]

It's funny, there has been so much talk about fuel lately. I even have the guys switching around here at work as well.

 

[jmanz]

You guys have shitty fuel over there or something?

 

[nodle]

[QUOTE='jmanz]You guys have shitty fuel over there or something?
[/QUOTE]No, just no one understands what the other stuff does. I think regular unleaded was probably not as bad say 10 years ago.

 

[jmanz]

[QUOTE='nodle]No, just no one understands what the other stuff does. I think regular unleaded was probably not as bad say 10 years ago.
[/QUOTE]Are you using 91 only now then?

 

[nodle]

[QUOTE='jmanz]Are you using 91 only now then?
[/QUOTE]Well, I first switched to mid-grade, then last fill up premium. I think the next 2-3 fill ups I'll use premium then probably drop back down to mid-grade but never go lower than that again.

 

[jmanz]

I was going to say, if you switch to 91 only you will notice a difference...in your wallet.

 

[nodle]

[QUOTE='jmanz]I was going to say, if you switch to 91 only you will notice a difference...in your wallet.
[/QUOTE]My question is @C Pav  sent me a photo that showed his premium and it said "no ethanol" My premium does not say that. Does all premium contain no ethanol, or just some?

 

[jmanz]

[QUOTE='nodle]My question is @C Pav  sent me a photo that showed his premium and it said "no ethanol" My premium does not say that. Does all premium contain no ethanol, or just some?
[/QUOTE]I think some premium has it and some doesn't. The pump will likely say no ethanol if it doesn't.

 

[jmanz]

Newer cars are made to run on it so I wouldn't waste too much time worrying about it. If you had an 1980 Chevy Camaro, different story.

 

[nodle]

I agree but remember:

EPA Raises Amount of Ethanol That Must Be Blended With Gas (usnews.com)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday set new requirements that increase the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation's gasoline supply but reduce previous ethanol-blending requirements due to a plunge in fuel demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it would set the 2022 levels for corn-based ethanol blended into gasoline at 15 billion gallons. But even as the new rules increased future ethanol requirements, the EPA retroactively reduced levels for 2020 by 2.5 billion gallons and by 1.2 billion gallons for 2021, reflecting the lower amount of ethanol produced and decreased sales of gasoline during a period when the virus led to a drop in driving.

Most gasoline sold in the U.S. contains 10% ethanol, and the fuel has become a key part of the economy in many Midwest states. The fuel consumes more than 40% of the nation's corn supply, and ethanol and other biofuel production plants offer jobs in rural areas that have seen steady population declines over the decades.

That's what I am saying regular fuel 5-10 years ago isn't the same as it is now. They don't care about your car, in fact that want gasoline vehicles off the road, so why not break them down faster with crap fuel?