Of Octane and Detergents
 

Hi,

Okay, sorry to be a newcomer who starts posting all kinds of dumb questions, but...

I got a new 2005 Accord EX (4 cyl.). I have been driving an old Si and proceeding under the assumption that using higher octane gas than recommended was a good idea because of the better detergent package. (I've been running Sunoco 94 octane or higher.) I ran across toptiergas.com recently and saw that Honda was listed as one of the proponents of using gas from specific vendors in its cars. Only one of the listed vendors has any presence whatsoever in my state. I've done a little research and found that I can probably use them, at the cost of a wee bit of inconvenience.

What would you do? Use the low octane swill, low octane Shell (the only one of the "top tier" easily available to me), or stick with higher octane fuel?

Let me emphasize that the fuel cost is not my primary consideration. I'm just concerned about engine and emissions control health / longevity. I realize that using higher octane fuel than necessary for a given engine design can possibly even lead to some extra problems like additional carbon deposition. But this talk about reduction of detergent packages by most vendors has me a little concerned about the injectors and valves.

RE: Of Octane and Detergents
 

You are throwing away money by fueling your car with anything above 87 octane. Top tier is the way to go if it's not a pain in the arse to get to the station. All fuels have to meet a minimum standard for detergents, the top tier fuels exceed it.

RE: Of Octane and Detergents
 

Thanks for the response.

I guess what I want to know is this -- Do the high octane gasolines at places like Sunoco actually have better detergent packages than the lower octane gas at the same vendors. In other words, at those times when I can't find a Top Tier provider, does it make sense to buy the higher octane Sunoco gas?

RE: Of Octane and Detergents
 

Absolutely not. Why not add a large bottle of Techron to your fuel (and fill the tank) at 5000 mile intervals? The top tier gasoline is nice but it's not that big a deal. I use Exxon exclusively since it's right down the street and generally the least expensive. The 20 cents a gallon difference for premium is simply not worth the expense for any reason.

RE: Of Octane and Detergents
 

Techron, eh? Okay. I'll read up on it. Sounds familiar. I'm thinking I might have seen something at the Shell online site about it.

Thanks for your advice.

RE: Of Octane and Detergents
 

It's made by Chevron and is the same cleaner/detergent that's in their top tier gasoline.