What is the Best Octane to Use for Mondial?

Hi,

I was just wondering what is the best octane unleaded gas to use in my Mondial 3.2?
I have been using premium but I think it probably under performs because of it. Should I just use regular and save my money? Also, what city/highway averages should I be expecting?

Thanks.
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Great point, I never thought about Ethanol damage to gas hoses on 20 yr old Ferraris. Its hard to find a station that is Ethanol free around where I live but I will start looking now. I know my car averages about 10 city 13 hiway or fill her up every 3 days of driving to work (55 miles roundtrip).

 

I think I've been using 93 premium, the owners manual just says to use premium, but what is best, 91 or 93 ? Because of the different compression ratio, I would expect it to perform slightly different. My averages are low because I rarely get good highway time without traffic and its usually stop and go 40% of my commute to work. Not to mention, I heavy foot the pedal for that intoxicating exhaust note from my 3.2 :~)
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...So I had to do some research, I guess I will go with recommended 91 and see if I get optimal performance.

The octane rating of gasoline is a measure of how much you can compress the gasoline before it ignites, not how “good” it is.
Cars that require higher octane gas actually need that higher priced gas because the engines compress the fuel more before it ignites it. If you put regular gas in a car that requires premium, the gas will prematurely ignite when it’s being compressed and the engine will give you a knocking sound. This is bad for your car.

High octane burns cooler and slower (keeping Nocking low), but it also produces less power which your engine might not be ready for. This could cause other emissions such as HC and CO to increase. It is recommended to use ONLY the manufactures required octane at all times, specially during a smog test. Your vehicle's emissions computer is programmed to process information based on it's required fuel octane. The octane number of a gasoline is a measure of its resistance to detonation. Detonation occurs when the octane number is too low for the engine and its operating conditions. When the spark plug fires, the flame moves through the air/fuel mixture, burning it very rapidly. Detonation occurs if a portion of the unburned air/fuel mixture gets raised to a temperature and pressure it cannot tolerate and ignites before the flame front gets to it. Detonation causes the maximum pressure in the combustion chamber to be reached before the piston reaches top dead center and pushes down the piston before it has reaches the top of its travel. Much of the gasoline's energy is wasted in trying to move the piston up while the high-pressure gasses are trying to push it down. The extreme temperature and pressure developed can cause broken rings, rod-bearing damage, piston overheating, and erosion of the aluminum. Pistons sometimes end up with holes in their tops from the high temperatures and high pressures.

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The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline:
Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your vehicle because you want to improve performance? If so, the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane (87). In most cases using a higher octane gasoline than your owner’s manual recommends offers no benefit. It won’t make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner.

If your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel you might want to try filling a higher octane level. A small number of vehicle might experience engine knock using the recommend gas octane.

Buying higher octane gasoline when your engine is not knocking is a waste of money. Premium gas typically costs 15 to 20 cents more per gallon than regular. Studies show that vehicle owners may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year paying for higher octane gas than needed.

So what are octane ratings? Octane ratings are a measure a gasoline’s ability to combust; resist engine knock. Engine knock is a pinging or rattling noise that results from premature ignition of the fuel-air mixture in one or more engine cylinders. Gas stations offer three octane grades: regular (87 octane), mid-grade (89 octane - a mixture of 87 and 92/93, mixed at the gas station) and premium (usually 92 or 93).
The number shown on the black and yellow sticker on the service station gas pump is the average of the research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON), or antiknock index (AKI). If the sticker shows an AKI of 92, RON is typically between 96 and 97, and MON is typically between 87 and 88. The RON and MON can vary slightly but still must average a minimum of 92 to have a pump posting of 92. Higher octane unleaded fuels will have a greater difference between RON and MON.

What octane should you choose for your car? Read your vehicle owner’s manual to determine the right octane level for your car. Most vehicles requires regular octane. However, some high performance cars with high compression engines, like sports cars and certain luxury cars, require mid-grade or premium gasoline to prevent knock.

You can tell if you're using the right octane level by listening to your car’s engine. If it is not knocking, pinging or rattling when you use the recommended octane, you’re using the right grade of gasoline.

Can using a higher octane gasoline clean your engine? High octane gasoline does not outperform regular octane in preventing engine deposits from forming, in removing them, or in cleaning your car’s engine, unless the gasoline has had carbon cleaning additives added to it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all octane grades of all brands of gasoline contain engine cleaning detergent additives to protect against the build-up of harmful levels of engine deposits during the life of your car. Some gasoline manafacturers add more.

Should I switch to a higher octane gasoline? A few car, truck, van, SUV and RV engines may knock or ping when using the recommended octane rating. If this is happening to your vehicle, you can switching to the next octane grade up. Switching to the mid-grade or premium-grade gasoline will eliminate the knock in many cases. If the knocking or pinging continues after one or two fill-ups, this may be an indication that your vehicle needs a tune-up or other engine repair. After the repair/s is done, switch back to the lowest octane grade at which your engine operates without knocking.

Is engine knock harmful for my vehicle? Occasional a light knocking or pinging won’t hurt your engine, and does not indicate a need for higher octane. But we don't recommend ignoring severe knocking. A heavy or persistent knock can lead to engine damage, and may be an indication of a more severe engine fault.

Are "premium" or "regular" gasoline the same, even if they are from different gas stations? The octane rating of "premium" or "regular" gasoline is not consistent across the country. One state may require a minimum octane rating of premium gasoline to be 92, while another state may allow 90 octane to be called premium. Make sure you know what you’re paying for by checking the octane rating on the yellow sticker on the gas pump instead of relying on the name "regular" or "premium".

 

Thanks Joe, I didn't even know what RON 95 was until I researched it. Since I have been using 93, I will try 91 without Ethanol and see if I get more performance and better mileage.

Thanks,
Mike

 

You are not the first that has said that, the right octane makes a difference when it counts.
The east coast has 3 options also, don't let the pic of the pump fool you, I just grab it off the NET but I've never seen so many options at the station. Most places in VA are 87, 89, 91, 93 but finding one without Ethanol I have never paid any attention to but will start.

thanks.

 

Another great point Dave that I didn't consider, EPA in the way! Let you know if I come across any stations but sounds like we have to bite the bullet on this one from where we live.

Mike

 

It doesn't get better than yesterday! But next year, watch out Joe. I'm coming back, with special Frosty Ballz ammo prepared to win!

IT'S ALL GOOD!!!![/QUOTE]

Looks like fun, wow a rare 308 gt4 Dino with steering on the wrong side!

 

SHELL PREMIUM 91 has no Ethanol where available... I will try Shell gas from now on, but I don't think there is any stations around where I live that is Ethanol free.

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