Oh please! Aside from the variability of octane that you're going to get by mixing, and aside from the PITA that it will be to pump small amounts from multiple tanks, mixing different octane levels does not change the ethanol levels. If you're not having problems using oxygenated fuels with premium fuel (and you shouldn't be), using the wrong fuel isn't going to make any difference. And if you ARE having problems using oxygenated fuels, there's something wrong with your car and you need to get it taken care of.
Back in the 70's I managed a gas station on Long Island. We sold just under 1/2 million gallons a month. We had two customers who felt mixing gas was a good thing. Were you one of them?
Just thought you guys might like to know.... I drove from Raleigh, NC to Olivet, MI and back last weekend. Burned Premium gas all the way up and Regular gas all the way back.... Got 23.3 mpg on Premium and 23.7 on Regular....
Go figure,,,, better mileage on Regular?
Don't understand it but I'm switching my car over to Regular since it's cheaper and doesn't seem to cause any problems...
OK, the test is complete and - - I've switched back to Premium.....
No problems when using Regular (especially on the highway) but after six or seven tanks of regular in town I notice a 'lack of pep' when accelerating from a stop and significant 'transmission lag' when the car downshifts for a hill at 'in town' speeds (30 to 45 miles per hour).
Switched back to Premium fuel yesterday and find that the car is much more comfortable/enjoyable to drive....
Modern day cars adjust to lower octane quite well and do not adjust to higher octane. But you will get lower pep as you stated w lower octane.
If you have 93 prem in your area you can mix w 89 plus and meet MDX's required 91.
It won't say you a lot but it does reduce ethanol water effect and detergent gums.
Just a quick question on your octane experiment. Was the regular gas that you used a ethanol mix or plain regular gas.
I for my MDX try my best to never use ethanol gas. If i am in a bind, i'll put a few gallons till i can get to another gas station.
Ethanol gas offers less oomph.. (for lack of a technical word) and lower gas mileage.
That's true of some Acura vehicles, but not the MDX. I own other Acura vehicles in which the owner's manual states that you can use lower-than-premium octane without damaging your car, but your performance will suffer. The MDX is different, and the owner's manual states that you should not use lower-than-premium octane, period.
Also, there's no advantage to using lower-than-premium octane, either. Because the MDX is designed for premium, it's not only the acceleration that suffers with lower octane, but also your gas mileage; the difference will wipe out any savings on the price of gas.
You can damage your car's engine by using fuel with octane less than 91, and you won't be saving any money either. DON'T DO IT. Just stick to premium.
This about this....you bout a $44,000+ vehicle and are trying to save $1.89 total at fuel-up by using a fuel of a lower octane than that recommended by the manufacturer. Just somethin' to ponder...
I'm still driving my 2001 mdx and will be purchasing my second (a gently used 2010) in a few months. I was wondering if I could use regular gas in a 2010 -- most of you say no. Humm..too bad. Where I'm from its a min 40 cents diff which for me would mean approx $700 more a year. That does add up over time.... Ok, now you're saying if you plan on spending close to 40K on a car why sweat the small stuff. I just like to save where I can
I realize the 01 engine isn't the same as the 2010..but for what it's worth I now have over 211,100 miles on my 01 and have used regular gas for over 6 years with no noticeable performance/mileage issues.
I realize the 01 engine isn't the same as the 2010..but for what it's worth I now have over 211,100 miles on my 01 and have used regular gas for over 6 years with no noticeable performance/mileage issues.
Just thought I'd throw some expert info into this debate. Interesting article, particularly the quotes from some experts on fuel.
"I personally use regular even though my owner's manual says you'll get better performance with premium," says Lewis Gibbs, consulting engineer and 45-year veteran at Chevron oil company. He's chairman of Technical Committee 7 on Fuels, part of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Fuels & Lubricants Council. Gibbs knows gas.
"I go back and forth, and I'm hard-pressed to notice" whether there's regular or premium in the tank, says Jeff Jetter, principal chemist at Honda Research and Development Americas. He drives an Acura designed for premium.
Import brands, especially, use premium fuel to distinguish their upmarket models. Most Toyotas, for instance, are designed to run on regular or midgrade, while the automaker's Lexus luxury brand prefers premium. Same with Honda and its Acura luxury line.
Burning regular when the owner's manual specifies premium won't void the warranty, nor damage the engine, even the most finicky automakers say. "You're giving up perhaps just a little bit of performance that a customer wouldn't really even notice, it's so slight," says Furey.
Some good info in the whole article, but the main point is that using lower grade fuel isn't harmful, the basics of the relationship between engine knock and octane notwithstanding. I always put premium in my BMW since I want every horsepower, but it isn't as much of an issue in my MDX or pilot, considering they have the same engine (older models).
This seems to be not far from the debate about why Honda recommends 5W20 oil, and it certainly doesn't seem it is because it is better for the longevity of the engine.
The fact is, Honda/Acura has different recommendations in the owners manuals for different models. There are some models in which they recommend premium, but they say you can also use regular, you just won't get the same level of performance. And there are other models - including the MDX - which they say require premium, and they do NOT say that those models can use regular. Different vehicles, different advice.
When in doubt, your owner's manual should be your guide. Not a quote from someone on the internet.
I suppose some people just prefer to delve a little deeper into a subject, and aren't satisfied with just 'it is written here, end of story.'
The book (owners manual in this case) is a wonderful resource, but I don't view it as the be all and end all. I like to get information from multiple sources, and the quotes directly attributable to experts in the field do carry some weight, certainly more than average fuel user on a message board (like me).
Thanks to all of you for your advice and concerns....
Unlike some of those who responded to this thread I simply drive the car... It is not a truck that hauls 1000s of pounds of stuff, I never use full acceleration, I never go off-road and I never tow anything with the car.... The car normally has one only a driver plus occasionally my wife. I drive it approximately 70% of the time on the freeway at legal limits and always use the cruise control so it just lopes along at 2100 rpm.. Bottom line, I really need about 150 horses and since I have 300 the car is NEVER under stress....
You might also be interested to know that this is not my first rodeo with Regular vs Premium.... I performed the exact same test on my wife's Lexus and found that it got 2.5 mpg better mileage when using Premium so we always burn Premium gas in her car.
I also drove a Nissan Maximum for 125000 miles with no problems on Regular gas.
And lastly, I have built more than one sports car with very high compression engines (14 to 1 and higher) that required leaded racing gas to keep them from pinging so I understand both what pinging is and what damage it can cause.
Bottom line is I don't expect any problems with the MDX since I don't do anything that would stress the engine and might require it to really work (even for a short period of time).
Since I keep my cars for at least 100000 miles or 8 years (whichever comes first) - - I'll update you in 2019 to let you know if I had any trouble.
I am new owner so only 4 weeks experience using premium 2020 MDX 16.000 miles on it .trying to find that sweet spot in speed with Engin at lowest speed tranny staying in gear so far seams to be higher speeds 65 to 69 faster than I normally would drive but ok with me getting somewhere faster saving gas too have managed 27.5 according to dash display I haven’t logged all my gas fills yet ,I log everything with my vehicles ,to figure it out my self.
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