Premium Gas for Infiniti QX56??

40,371 Views | 26 Replies | Last: 13 yr ago by 1agswitchin4lanes
Ed Carter
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AG
Can someone with knowledge on the subject tell me if this car really requires 93 octane gas or could i get away just fine with the cheap stuff?
CATAGBQ04
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AG
What does it say in the manual?
Ed Carter
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AG
it "recommends" atleast a 91 octane. says that 87 can be used only temporarily if premium is not available, but recommends premium at all times. . .

the "recommends" part is why i was wondering if this is really necessary or not
BigRobSA
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You will notice a performance difference as the ECU (the "computer" ) pulls timing or adjusts other parameters to protect your engine from knock/ping/'Splosions.

Will it damage the engine to run 87 or 89? Probably not. But, why buy a nice vehicle and then be chintzy on the quality of gas?



[This message has been edited by BigRobSA (edited 2/3/2011 8:58a).]
CATAGBQ04
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AG
Yeah, you can run 89 and be okay.

Fact is, performance will be down with 87 or 89 and you will probably get worse mileage.
1agswitchin4lanes
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AG
QX56 has knock sensors. You can run 87 but performance will be degraded. Are you really worried about the extra cost of premium over regular?
Mr. Dubi
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Try it, you'll figure it out in about 20 miles. You will likely immediately notice a decrease in performance (rough idle, poor acceleration, perhaps stalling). Continued use might lead to excess carbon build up, which could problems down the road.

With fuel prices as high as they are, you are only penalized less than 10% for using the high octane fuel, but 15-20 years ago, it was the same $.20-$.30 per gallon for the high octane, so that was about a 30% premium.

Also, high octane fuel is only of benefit to engines that REQUIRE it. An engine designed for 87 octane will gain no benefit what so ever from 93 octane.
FarmerJohn
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AG
If Nissan designed it to use regular, they wouldn't put in 91 octane in the manual. I have an '05 Frontier with the 4.0L V6. The same model year Tacoma recommended premium, where Nissan didn't. That was a selling point for me. Out of curiosity, some folks on a Frontier board put in premium and put it on a dyno. Same performance as with regular. Gives me confidence that they aren't pulling your chain on this.

That being said, I don't think regular will hurt it, just not work as well.
CATAGBQ04
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AG
quote:
(rough idle, poor acceleration, perhaps stalling)


Whoa whoa...it won't be that bad, it'll just adjust timing to prevent all that from happening.

However performance will suffer as well as fuel mileage.
TD07
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My mother is on her second QX56. The first one she bought new and put 114K miles on it, never used anything other than 87 octane, and just generally beat the crap out of it. Never had any engine problems or anything of the sort. It had all sorts of issues with the brakes, but that was really the only major thing. She just got a new one a few months ago.
Dr. Doctor
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AG
I doubt you would have excessive carbon build up. That comes from running really rich all the time.

If anything, you would run lean, IIRC. Which would give you a nice white buildup on the spark plugs.

But that is if your O2 sensor isn't working.

~egon
p_bubel
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quote:
Are you really worried about the extra cost of premium over regular?

I know if I spent $50K for a vehicle I wouldn't sweat the $4 difference per fill-up.
helgs
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AG
Yeah, seriously. When my boss bought his Corvette, a colleague of his said, "oh man, that thing gets terrible gas mileage! Have fun filling that thing up". To which my boss responded, "If I buy a $55,000 vehicle, do you think I'm worried about the gas to fill it up?".

I was there. It was a **** yeah moment for him.

Moral of the story, if you can afford a $50k vehicle, why the eff are you sweating an extra few bucks a week to fill it up?
CATAGBQ04
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And

A Vette can get 30mpg

If you don't drive it correctly
helgs
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30 mpg hypermiling behind a semi trailer with a tail wind and going 55 mph.

But that is no way to drive a vette.
CATAGBQ04
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Neg

Doing the speed limit and staying in 6th they will.

But what fun is that.
ccolley68
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AG
Hijacking the thread a bit, but this is basically on topic. My father-in-law is a full fledged, die hard, Toyota/Lexus guy. Every car he has is one of their brands (minus the Challenger he got as a surprise from my MIL for their anniversary). My MIL has a Lexus GX, FIL has an LX and a Tundra. He just traded in the LX last week and is driving the Tundra til he decides what he wants to get. He was seriously looking at the Sequoia, but they require Premium fuel. Seemed a little fishy seeing as how his Tundra has the exact same motor and uses Regular. Is it neccessary in a Sequoia to run Premium?
p_bubel
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quote:
He was seriously looking at the Sequoia, but they require Premium fuel. Seemed a little fishy seeing as how his Tundra has the exact same motor and uses Regular.
Nothing fishy about it.

The same blocks can be used with different timing and what-not.

I had a 4.7 High Output V8 in my Jeep, my Mom the regular 4.7. There were a lot of difference with those two engines.

Cams, timing, cylinder heads, intake, etc...

[This message has been edited by p_bubel (edited 2/3/2011 11:20a).]
theJonatron
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AG
your engine will start to knock. not in 3 months, maybe not in a year, but thousands of miles later it will knock.

the money you save will not outweigh the repairs you may need later.

I have a turbo VW GLI that requires 91 octane and even if I chose to use the "cheap" gas, I'd only save about $3 every other week.
theJonatron
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AG
your engine will start to knock. not in 3 months, maybe not in a year, but thousands of miles later it will knock.

the money you save will not outweigh the repairs you may need later.

I have a turbo VW GLI that requires 91 octane and even if I chose to use the "cheap" gas, I'd only save about $3 every other week.
80085
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AG
it'll knock immediately, then retard the timing


I'd go with the premium. All my stuff requires premium according to the owners manual, its not that big of a difference in price.
KY AG
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AG
quote:
He just traded in the LX last week


If he's been flossin' an $80K LX for the last few years, surely he's not worried about premium gasoline?
ccolley68
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AG
quote:
If he's been flossin' an $80K LX for the last few years, surely he's not worried about premium gasoline?


Its not the cost, it was just a turn off to him on the vehicle that his truck has the same motor and uses regular fuel. More of just principle than anything. He is trying to decide between a new LX, and a Sequoia, and I guess his main turning point now is if he has to put premium in the Sequoia, he might as well get another LX. I dont know all his reasons on his car purchase, he just mentioned to me the other day that he had been looking and the Sequoia needed premium and the Tundra didnt. I thought it was odd too and figured the TexAgs brain trust would know what was up, and I was not let down.
mcrews
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I have an 02 Infiniti Q45 that also states 91 octane.
On my last trip to Texas from Sacramento I ran reg heading down to LA and over the Grapevine.
Oh yeah, the car know the difference. Effected performance and mileage. Sure the ECM adjusts so you don't here the knock, and maybe it's ok for some, but I won't ever make that mistake again.
bevokilla
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AG
The one that blows my mind more than any other car is the Toyota FJ requires premium fuel. Really?

I put it in my M35 and it is no big deal to me. It sucked at first, and it will probably suck when gas hits $5 a gallon but I knew about it before I bought the car so Im cool with it
Bigballin
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AG
recommended is different than required, but if you can afford a QX56, the delta in cost is minuscule in the grand scheme of things.
CATAGBQ04
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I prefer the Southwest
1agswitchin4lanes
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LOL Catag....

bevo, the FJ Cruiser does require Premium. I have never run a drop of Premium in mine and never had an issue.
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