redyps

Fellow RL members -

I see from the Boxster owners manual that Porsche recommends an octane rating of 98 RON (93 CLC or AKI). They also state that the vehicle will operate properly with at least 95 RON (90 CLC or AKI). The manual does go on to say that performance below 95 RON would be reduced as well as fuel consumption increased. Does any one have any specifics on this? As a matter of practice does everyone just use what ever premium they have access to or do you occasionally fill up with race gas if you have ready access to it?

Thanks,
Phil

lithium1330

Just fill up with premium grade and you'll be fine. I've never used race fuel, even at the track....

Macster

The engine does suffer some from not being fed the optimum octane grade of gasoline. Many of us live in areas where 91 is the only game in town. (I discount the few areas where higher octane gas is sold -- at eye-watering high prices.)

But the suffering is mainly in a slight reduction of fuel economy and a slight drop in drivability. (On a road trip that had me driving east from CA on I-80 a few months back I had the chance to fill up one of my cars (the Turbo) with 93 octane gas and I could notice the difference in the engine's feel and gas mileage improved a couple of mpg too boot. And to add icing to the cake the 93 octane gas price was lower than I had been paying for 91 octane in CA. This trip I've been on I-40 and 91 octane (with an occasional dip to 90 when buying gas at stations at higher elevations) and the car's feel and mileage is the same as it is when at home living on CA 91 octane gasoline.

Generally, buy gas from a name brand station that is busy. Always buy the premium grade of gasoline.

If you want to you can experiment with different brands of gas, but I'd only do this if you find a particular brand of gas seems to disagree with your car's engine.

I have not really noticed any difference directly, but over time believe it or not Shell gas (at least where I live and drive) seems to agree best with my cars' engines. Chevron ain't bad and there are few other major name brand gasolines but consistently I use Shell. But none of these other name brands of gas cause any upset and on this road trip I've filled up with several different brands of gas with no ill effects. But back home I'll revert to filling up with Shell gas on a regular basis, helped by the location of a very convenient and busy Shell station that sells a prices a few cents below other stations in the area.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Only1Buck

Shell by us (NJ) is hands down consistently higher than the other stations by a margin of at least 15 cents for regular which is 87 octane, then goes up to 91 and also 93 for a while there was a Sunoco station selling 94 but not anymore...

No HTwo O

99.9% of the time, I use ethanol free gas. Always 93 octane. This web site helps me find the good stuff:

http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=IL

Macster

Around where I live it varies. The Shell I buy from is very competitive with its prices. And I know of another one in downtown Livermore that has the same gas a few cents cheaper. But the cost in time and extra fuel to get there and back makes the price difference essentially a toss up.

Oh, just a block or two closer to town is a Chevron station and its prices are way high.

Then there's another Shell station near a grocery store I shop at that has very high prices almost always. Once in a great while I note its prices are competitive but not often enough that I can't recall using the station more than 2 or 3 times in the 5+ years I've lived in the area.

Between home and work -- though located at an awkward location for me to get to -- is another Chevron station that has competitive prices.

There is a Chevron station a block or two from where I live that has prices 10 cents or higher per gallon compared to my favorite Shell station's prices just a few blocks away on the other side of the freeway.

In short gas prices at least in this area are all over the map. Even comparing say Shell to Shell prices the price per gallon can vary 10 cents per gallon to sometimes more. Often more. Way more.

Sincerely,

Macster.