I'm sure this post will get some attention and a lot of comments but i'm not sure anyone will 'truly' know the answers. A family friend i've known for years recently retired as an engineer at Exxon Mobile in Germany. He is and always has been EXTREMELY adament that higher octane gas is a ploy and it is not needed. I've read very similiar articles including one good one about a year ago that was titled something like "Gas, the biggest scam of our time." --or something to that affect.
I also know from experience once a car is "trained" to run on higher octane, it craves that octane or the performance may be weaker or you may get a pinging type noise from the engine. Armed with that information I have only filled up once since getting my Charger R/T 5.7L Hemi and filled up with 87. The car is running excellent with 87, however, I am stuck between believing gas is just a scam (even though much experience and many articles state it is) and other articles i've read where people claim to get better gas mileage and performance with higher octane.
Now with this being said, if my car runs this smooth on 87 now, why not continue to use 87? I think it's also kind of interesting that different parts of the country have different grades of gas and if it were "SO" important to have that higher octane how come it isn't available in many states? :knockout: For example, i'm from Florida originally and they don't even HAVE 87. The grades are 89, 91, 93. Out in Florida if you are using "89" that's considered the Lowest grade.
However, i'm in California now and the grades are 87, 89, 91 So a grade LOWER then 89, and LOWER then 93. Again, if grades were 'SO' crucial, then you'd think they'd be mandatory everywhere. That simply isn't the case.
All this stuff points to what the Exxon Mobile Engineer has told me for quite a while as well as my very own performance i'm seeing with 87. Honestly, if i'm seeing this kind of performance, why wouldn't I use 87? Can I really expect to get some kind of damage by using 87 a zillion years from now?
If so, no biggie, I have the lifetime powertrain warranty with zero deductible..lol...but seriously, does anyone else see the gas grades as huge scam and use 87 octane in their 5.7 or even 6.1L Hemi's?
I also know from experience once a car is "trained" to run on higher octane, it craves that octane or the performance may be weaker or you may get a pinging type noise from the engine. Armed with that information I have only filled up once since getting my Charger R/T 5.7L Hemi and filled up with 87. The car is running excellent with 87, however, I am stuck between believing gas is just a scam (even though much experience and many articles state it is) and other articles i've read where people claim to get better gas mileage and performance with higher octane.
Now with this being said, if my car runs this smooth on 87 now, why not continue to use 87? I think it's also kind of interesting that different parts of the country have different grades of gas and if it were "SO" important to have that higher octane how come it isn't available in many states? :knockout: For example, i'm from Florida originally and they don't even HAVE 87. The grades are 89, 91, 93. Out in Florida if you are using "89" that's considered the Lowest grade.
However, i'm in California now and the grades are 87, 89, 91 So a grade LOWER then 89, and LOWER then 93. Again, if grades were 'SO' crucial, then you'd think they'd be mandatory everywhere. That simply isn't the case.
All this stuff points to what the Exxon Mobile Engineer has told me for quite a while as well as my very own performance i'm seeing with 87. Honestly, if i'm seeing this kind of performance, why wouldn't I use 87? Can I really expect to get some kind of damage by using 87 a zillion years from now?
If so, no biggie, I have the lifetime powertrain warranty with zero deductible..lol...but seriously, does anyone else see the gas grades as huge scam and use 87 octane in their 5.7 or even 6.1L Hemi's?