Honda Car Forum

grade octane?

the book in the glove box will tell u

No it can cause knocking, which is bad for your engine in the long run.

NO! Your engine parts will break down quicker and will generate build up faster. Cars that say they need hi-test really need it. They are engineered that way. I also have a car that requires hi-test and my best friend is an engineer. I've had this discussion before. Just like a car that uses regular should take regular because hi octane burns hotter and can damage the parts in a regular unleaded car.

I am certainly not an expert when it comes to vehicles, but my husband is a mechanic and has been for 15+ years. From what he has explained to me, you COULD put in a lesser grade fuel, but your vehicle will burn gas a lot faster and not perform as well. NEVER put deisel (sp?) or ethanol fuel in a vehicle not specifically designed for flex fuel options. That spells an engine lock up and a new engine! Good luck, hope that helps!

You can, but you'll end up with poorer mileage and less power.

Octane rating has no direct correlation between performance or gas mileage. It does however correlate to increased knock resistance, which is needed in higher compression vehicles. Knock (aka preignition) is when the fuel/air combo spontaneously ignites in the combustion chamber before the spark has intended it to. This causes the flame front to push down while the piston is going up. This can break things very fast depending on the severity of the preignition (how early it is). Most engines now have knock sensors that detect this and detune the motor before it can break things, usually by retarding timing. Higher octane means less knock, and your car (along with most imports) run a high compression ratio to make more power out of a smaller motor. Generally running regular wont hurt the car itself, especially if you never run it hard, as this is when your octane rating will come into effect. At low load the maximum air that can enter the engine is limited, and thus so is the fuel and the maximum pressure/temperature that is reached during a typical stroke.With all that said..... many "premium" gasoline mixtures ARE formulated for higher power output, but i doubt the differences are significant enough to warrant buying it for that alone. IMO if your car says to use it, i would use it, it could save your engine. My high performance vehicle will never see any other type of fuel.

Should you? No. Can you? Yes, almost all new cars (including your Acura) have knock sensors and such to detune the engine to handle lower octane ratings. It might affect your accleration a little, but it won't damage the engine if you do it occasionally. I wouldn't recommend doing it a lot.

Do you seriously want to ruin your engine by breaking the rules every now and then? Your gas tank says supreme unleaded fuel only. there is a reason why they tell you 'only'. I am not trying to be a smart a$$ here, but I have seen this question many times and I drive an Infiniti G35 coupe that requires premium gas only and I dread having to pay for the premium unleaded gasoline, but I use it because I bought myself a high performance car. Being in San Francisco with many hills and stop lights, my gas doesn't go a very long way and the $4 prices for supreme that will hit me in the summertime will not help me either. Your engine was designed to use a higher octane gasoline, so you should use it. Other cars, such as hondas and toyotas are designed to run on regular gas only, but people believe that buying a higher octane will give them better performance. not true.Why risk the chance of ruining such a nice SUV as yours? Stick with premium unleaded.Hope this helps.

should you no...but can you yes....but i would only do that if you planning on selling it within a year after you start....but the difference in price is not going to save you much and in the long run it will cost you if you keep it...