Easy question - which gas to put into 01 Lesabre

[lesabrefan]

I've been filling up with Super (89 octane), but recently have been pondering whether all that extra money really makes sense, or is it all just going out the tailpipe? What do you guys fill your Lesabres with?

[Rasp]

My gas is 87 octane thats regular where I live. the cheap stuff. And my car is also a 2001. I've never had a problem with gas other than my fuel gauge doesn't work. I think the alcohol content did something to my float on my pump.

[xs03mich]

Cheapest I can find. 87 octane.

[polarzak]

Assuming you have the 3.8, it will run just fine on 87 octane. You are wasting your money
putting in Super.

[Jrs3800]

Thats kind of a tough statement there......

I would say 87 in most cases is fine, but the quality of some gas is not all that good..

The 3800's from 94+ use a high octane table and a low octane table... Even on 87 Fuel if the PCM does not see any spark knock it will run the high octane tables until it see spark knock then it will revert to the low octane tables..

If the car is 100% stock and has the stock PCM program run 87... But I would not fault you if you ran 89...

[happydog500]

Use the lower octane, take the money you save and buy your wife/girlfriend some flowers. She'll make your motor run better then any premium will!!!

A few years a go, a TV news station did a test in the Seattle area. They went to 5 gas stations. They reported that 5 out of the 5 tests they did, there was no difference in the octane from regular to super.

It was a total rip off. Mine runs excelent on regular.

Chris.

[HotZ28]

The motor fuel testing procedure (shown below) is Washington State Law. If during this verification sampling process, any station is found dispensing fuel other than what is advertised, could be shut down, or face stiff fines until their quality & price standards are met. I find it incredibly hard to believe that a "TV news station" had the knowledge, or equipment, to perform these standard State test!

Overview of Motor Fuel Sampling

WSDA recently drafted new policies and procedures for motor fuel sampling to serve as documentation for our program as well as nstructional procedures for performing motor fuel sampling.


Weights and Measures inspectors perform several different types of motor fuel inspections.


Fuel Quality Inspection
•
Fuel Labeling. Inspectors ensure that specific fuel types mixed with alternative fuels are labeled according to federal and state standards.

•
Record water in fuel tank. Inspectors measure and record water level in fuel tank using a 16 ft tank stick with water detecting paste, national standard levels are set for specific fuel types.

•
Field test kits and equipment. Inspectors use a quick and accurate ethanol detecting kit, and an ethanol percentage/octane detecting equipment (Wilks and Zeltex).

•
Samples of fuel. Inspectors sample gasoline, gasoline with ethanol (E10), gasoline with ethanol (E85), diesel, diesel with biodiesel (B5), diesel with biodiesel (B6‐B99) and biodiesel and take samples at the nozzle from retailers sent to the lab for complete fuel analysis.


Fuel Device Inspections
•
Unit Price. Display of unit price and product identity. Advertised price must match unit price and must be calculated correctly for product dispensed.

•
Device registration. Check to see that the device is annually registered with the Department of Licensing.

•
Calibration. Check to see that the device is working properly and calibrated correctly.

•
Condition. Inspecting for leaks, defects or faulty condition of the device.

•
Compatibility. Check to see that the components are suitable and compatible with the specific fuel being dispensed.

Washington State Department of Agriculture ‐ Weight & Measures
2008 Motor Fuel Quality Program Report

Overview Summary of 2008 Motor Fuel Sampling Results

Gasoline and Gasoline with Ethanol
Out of 452 gasoline samples taken in 2008, there were two major issues with gasoline:

•
Gas with 10% ethanol (E10) was either not labeled or incorrectly labeled at the pump;

•
High amounts of entrained water were detected or water mixed with the fuel.

o
25.8% of all gasoline samples had amounts of entrained water mixed with fuel over 500 parts per million (ppm).


In 2008, the average ethanol percentage being sold in Washington State is 4.77% ethanol.


Ethanol retailers can receive free ethanol labels that are compliant with WSDA labeling requirements (WAC 16‐662‐115) by contacting the following web address.

http://www.drivingethanol.org/promot...ashington.aspx.

[dpalomaki]

Use regular - see the owners manual.

Using higher octane gas is not necessary and generally wastes money. The engine adapts if it senses knock.

On some cars some owners have reported that in very hot weather (not likely around Seattle) there may be a fuel economy benefit from using a higher octane gas that could offset the higher price.

[Jrs3800]

Originally Posted by happydog500

Use the lower octane, take the money you save and buy your wife/girlfriend some flowers. She'll make your motor run better then any premium will!!!

A few years a go, a TV news station did a test in the Seattle area. They went to 5 gas stations. They reported that 5 out of the 5 tests they did, there was no difference in the octane from regular to super.

It was a total rip off. Mine runs excelent on regular.

Chris.

I don't completely agree that there is no difference... Most cars will run 87 Octane just fine...

But some more performance oriented engines like the 3800 SC have to run 91 or better...

If my 3800 in my van was stock i could run 87 all day long... But I am not stock and 87 will be ping city... Not pretty when everything get hot in traffic...

I run 91-93 in it as I have added several degrees of timing over the stock tables to take more advantage of the cam.. I am ping free on 91+... Spark knock is not a good thing...

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by lesabrefan

I've been filling up with Super (89 octane), but recently have been pondering whether all that extra money really makes sense, or is it all just going out the tailpipe? What do you guys fill your Lesabres with?

Just use a name brand of fuel and use regular. That's what the owner manual calls for. Personally I occasionally throw in a fillup of midgrade at a brand station. If I happen to have to fill up at an off brand station I make the next one a midgrade name brand fill. Probably the same gas, but I feel better.

[happydog500]

It wasn't the news station that had the testing equipment. They had it analyzed at a lab somewhere.

"it's against state law" is probably why it was on the news. When I saw the report, I never thought that it might be a fake story, or that it couldn't happen because it is against state law.

Chris.

[Jrs3800]

If the fuels were all the same, and you had a supercharged car and ran 87 you could ping or park knock, this is a very bad thing and could harm a piston even tho the engine management is set to listen for the knock and kill off timing to avoid the knock... This is more of a problem on a supercharged car, but there are some that ha e enough compression and timing curves to require high octane..

Most all 3800 's NA can run 87 all day long... But even then remember that the PCM has Bad fuel spark tables and good fuel spark tables...lol