I have to disagree with the 2nd part. As discussed many times before, over time you are doing damage to the engine. Engine will retard timing WHEN knock sensors say there IS detonation. Even when continuous monitoring, you still are getting the initial knock first for anything to happen. Over time, with detonation, you will have issues. Plain and simple.
The $$ that you save between premium vs mid or low grade is really little. ~10-20 cents a gallon. and say your fill up is 20 gallons. Well that's only $2-4 dollars a fill up. *52 weeks and that is only $104-208 dollars a year. If that's a problem, you shouldn't be buying a X5.
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Originally Posted by JCL
Well, the premium being referred to is a price premium, not premium fuel.
To balance out AZNm's post:
The short answer: Yes
The technical answer: It will not hurt your engine. It MAY cause reduced power, and increased fuel consumption, depending on the actual fuel quality in your area, and your ambient conditions. The only way to know is to try it. If you notice any deterioration in power or fuel consumption, it is a pretty good bet that the ECM is retarding the timing to prevent predetonation; in that case, you should go back to premium fuel and get all the performance you paid for. I used mid-grade (89) for years with absolutely no adverse effects, but did notice a power drop on 87. That said, you won't save much in annual fuel costs, and many will slag you with analogies such as tinned food for athletes, don't buy a BMW if you can't afford the fuel, it isn't a Honda, etc.  |