Re: 2006 Vue gas mileage

SnoMan,

87 Octane is certainly not 'the best' gasoline possible. It is however
the gasoline which the computer in the VUE is calibrated to run with,
therefore, it is the best gasoline to run in the stock VUE. Higher
octane gasoline is designed to burn at the higher temperatures that
higher compression engines run at. The EPA tests are run with higher
octane because they are not run with the stock computer calibration.

If the engine in the VUE were properly calibrated with a higher
compression ratio, then yes, higher octane fuel would be more
efficient. The engine would operate at the higher temperatures that
high octane fuels are designed for, and thus would be getting more
power from an equal amount of gasoline.

I wish the VUE was calibrated to operate with a higher compression
ratio, but it's not. Because the engine in the VUE (and most other
cars) is not calibrated to run at the higher temperatures and pressures
of high octane fuel, consistently using higher than recommended octane
will result in more wear and tear on the engine, reduced engine life,
and reduced oil life.

You will never see the benefits of the extra .10 to .20 cents you spend
per gallon of 'premium' fuel unless your vehicle's engine is calibrated
for it. That's why we all don't put aviation fuel (100 octane) in our
vehicles. If the engine could even get hot enough to ignite it, it
would probably burn the oil that lubricates all the moving parts,
destroying the engine in a few moments. In a stock engine you will
always get the best overall performance out of the gasoline recommended
for it.

If you want to read more about octane and gasoline check out the
gasoline F.A.Q. at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part1/

but the relevant section is 6.13, in part: "If you are already using
the proper octane fuel, you will not obtain more power from higher
octane fuels. The engine will be already operating at optimum settings,
and a higher octane should have no effect on the management system.
Your driveability and fuel economy will remain the same. The higher
octane fuel costs more, so you are just throwing money away."



SnoMan wrote:

This is a BIG bunch of BS. I do not know how started this poorer
economy and unburnt fuel thing. Pure garbage! That engine is
"designed" to TOLERATE 87 octane, not do it best on it. (this is the
ONLY reason that there is a knock sensor and 87 octane was designed
for 8 to 1 CR and they use spark timing trickery that reduces power
and efficency to allow engine to "run" om 87) Every time the ECM
retards spark from low octane fuel it hurts MPG silently. If 87 is the
best as you claim then why does Detriot always run EPA MPG tests using
93 octane huh??? Keep beleiving the myth if you want because it is
costing you money and power not me.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com

.

Relevant Pages

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