Car question?

[TGC Virus]

What kind of damage would putting regular 87 gas in a car that requires 93 cause? I found a VW Passat for an incredible price. Clean history on all accounts.

[Chinasaur]

Virus,

If it's too good to be true..it probably is ;)

The easy way is always mined..

[TGC Virus]

I did a complete background check on the net. The car was leased and has had 1 owner. It has 44k miles and it's a 98. 12k a year isn't bad. I had the car checked for damage with a friend of mine and he said, "no wrecks". The car shifts so smooth. It just runs a tad rough at idle and it feels a tad under powered. Nothing that a change of plugs and a chip upgrade won't cure. The car comes with 5 year 50,000 powertrain warranty!

[Paratima]

With lower octane, the engine will experience "knocking", which is the premature detonation of the gasoline by the higher compression ratio, particularly during acceleration. In other words, the gas burns before the top of the compression stroke. Higher octane just means that chemicals are added to prevent this predetonation.

Most of the time, all that results is a really annoying knocking or pinging noise and a loss of power. With regular misuse, however, predetonation can wear the lobes right off your camshaft (bad!) and bend valve lifters (also bad!).

Using the wrong octane once or twice is unlikely to cause permanent damage. Just don't make a habit of it. :)

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear...

[FoBoT]

do any automobile makers really require higher than 87 octane?

[Paratima]

Yeah. Mostly it's the high-perf jobs, where they're trying to squeeze extra oomph out of the engine. Like Vipers, 'Vettes, and Beemers. Any engine over a certain compression ratio, which I used to know, but have forgotten. Could undoubtedly find it online with a little effort.

It has to do with the temperature and pressure at which gasoline explodes. (You want it to burn, not explode!)

[TGC Virus]

There's still quite a few cars on the road that require 93 octane. I was contemplating buying a Dodge Durango R/T, but after seeing the octane requirment, well you know. Decided to go with a fully loaded SLT Plus.