tnsr35

hey guys, I know that my recommended gasoline is regular or 87 octane, but since I'm going to be traveling long distance this weekend and towing I guess I would just ask.

I'm going to be driving my 3.2L V6 and I'm thinking of running it on premium or 91 octane for the trip since I'm going to be towing my jet skis. towing them on 87 just about an hour away I've notice the mpg drop a good amount.

so do any of you with a 3.2L fill up with premium and see better results on your mpg or performance. I know these newer engines the ecu will pretty much adjust themselves to which ever octane you're running. Like I said I was just thinking of doing it for the trip going and back and then going back to regular since I really don't drive much when I'm home. $20 on regular will last me two week on my normal usage and I have even gone a month on $20.

Tanagra

The 3.2L Pentastar V6 recommends 87/89 octane - I wouldn't use anything outside of this range.

MPG will always suffer when adding weight (towing). Will also suffer the faster you go since you have to 'push' more wind.

I would use 87 at all times, even when towing.

If I absolutely baby the throttle, I am getting average 28-31 MPG by getting into 8th gear around 57 MPH, then cruising in 8th gear between 49MPH-65MPH (sweetspot for efficiency).

Enjoy the drive!

tnsr35

well I usually only tow about one hour distance when going to the lake, but this time I'm going for 4 hours. the trips is also a lot up and down hills, when I do the trip without towing I make it with 1/4 tank left over when I reach my destination on 87.

so I just wanted to see if it would make any difference.

94zj318

The Pentastars (3.2 and 3.6) and EVEN the 5.7L HEMIs seem to run fine on Regular (my '14 WK2 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6 puts out plenty of power with the recommended 87 grade gas in the tank). Putting anything other than a higher grade than what a vehicle is recommended to take won't really degrade OR improve anything. If your vehicle were rated to use 89 OR 91/93 grade gas, and you put 87 or 89 grade gas in it, then it would possibly allow for greater sludge buildup in the engine, and degraded performance. Funny story, my late grandmother had a 2000 Honda Civic, and ALWAYS put 89 grade gas in it. I told her she was overspending (which is the ONLY thing you'll be doing if you put higher-grade gas in your vehicle), but she said that she'd always done it, and by putting 87 grade gas in, she'd worry about doing damage, which is untrue, as that's what those cars are designed to run on.

-Vince

tnsr35

sludge is created when the oil is not changed regularly has nothing to do with gasoline. gasoline causes carbon deposits, in your pistons, intake and exhaust valves. the more carbon deposits you have the more it's going to affect how many mpg you get. gasoline manufactures put detergents in their 89 and 91 octanes to help clean these deposits to keep your mpg higher longer. they don't add nothing 87 octane that is why it's cheaper.

now if the octane rating doesn't affect the performance, why does racing fuel or 100 octane gasoline make a car run faster?

Tanagra

As I understand it, higher octane does not change the 'potency/potential energy/efficiency' of the gasoline itself as one might assume. Octane ratings simply determine the fuel's ability to withstand combustion in a compressed cylinder.

Race cars require higher octane because the engines themselves are designed to produce higher compression within the cylinder walls (more compression typically means more power). Using gasoline with lower octane in these engines can severely damage them by causing combustion in the cylinder before the spark is sent (pre-ignition). As the piston pushes up and compresses the A/F mixture within the cylinder wall, it can 'auto-ignite' early and without a spark (think Diesel engine).

Obviously, combustion timing is absolutely essential in preventing premature engine failure.

Pre-ignition can immediately cause the following (from Google) -
- Cracked/Broken Pistons/Rings
- Melted Pistons
- Melted Spark Plugs
- Bent/Broken Connecting Rods
- Rod Bearing Damage
- Blown Head Gasket

Manufacturers build engines to run on a specific octane - I wouldn't deviate too far from what they recommend and would always use the gasoline that the engine was designed for.

This is NOT my field and I have only a rudimentary understanding - I'm sure someone smarter than me will confirm/correct...